diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index e7856e79d..5c1ceedb1 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ skipsdist = true
 envlist = modification,py3-cover,lint,mypy
 
 [base]
+# pip installs the requested packages in editable mode
+pip_install = python {toxinidir}/tools/pip_install_editable.py
 # pip installs the requested packages in editable mode and runs unit tests on
 # them. Each package is installed and tested in the order they are provided
 # before the script moves on to the next package. All dependencies are pinned
 # to a specific version for increased stability for developers.
-pip_install = python {toxinidir}/tools/pip_install_editable.py
 install_and_test = python {toxinidir}/tools/install_and_test.py
 dns_packages =
     certbot-dns-cloudflare \