diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9b3ca37..da67e37 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,16 +30,17 @@ if (NOT TARGET _pico_sdk_inclusion_marker)
 
     add_compile_options(-Winline)
 
+    # allow customization
+    add_sub_list_dirs(PICO_SDK_POST_LIST_DIRS)
+
     if (PICO_SDK_TOP_LEVEL_PROJECT AND NOT DEFINED PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED)
         set(PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED 1)
     endif()
     if (PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED)
         add_subdirectory(test)
     endif ()
-    set(PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED "${PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED}" CACHE INTERNAL "Enable build of SDK tests")
 
-    # allow customization
-    add_sub_list_dirs(PICO_SDK_POST_LIST_DIRS)
+    set(PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED "${PICO_SDK_TESTS_ENABLED}" CACHE INTERNAL "Enable build of SDK tests")
 
     # add docs at the end, as we gather documentation dirs as we go
     add_subdirectory(docs)