diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb
index 8b31991291ad9aeae4cc593729202daea393b75f..96fa79f6e807640ac8514429c979db8d2b65bc5e 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/test_fixtures.rb
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ def setup_fixtures(config = ActiveRecord::Base)
         # When connections are established in the future, begin a transaction too
         @connection_subscriber = ActiveSupport::Notifications.subscribe("!connection.active_record") do |_, _, _, _, payload|
           spec_name = payload[:spec_name] if payload.key?(:spec_name)
+          setup_shared_connection_pool
 
           if spec_name
             begin
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
index ff939ad1ac6ac622cdb8440d3422da2449d21d0e..198bede84a3f462cc99eb483d2897c5eae157c7a 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
@@ -1399,13 +1399,6 @@ class MultipleDatabaseFixturesTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
       rw_conn = ActiveRecord::Base.connection
       ro_conn = ActiveRecord::Base.connection_handlers[:reading].connection_pool_list.first.connection
 
-      assert_not_equal rw_conn, ro_conn
-
-      enlist_fixture_connections
-
-      rw_conn = ActiveRecord::Base.connection
-      ro_conn = ActiveRecord::Base.connection_handlers[:reading].connection_pool_list.first.connection
-
       assert_equal rw_conn, ro_conn
     end
   ensure