Restore settings active at settings fixture setup

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ Compatibility
 
 * Official Django 6.1 support.
 
+Bugfixes
+^^^^^^^^
+
+* Fixed the :fixture:`settings` fixture restoring the settings of an
+  ``override_settings`` that was entered after the fixture was set up but
+  exited before it was torn down, which leaked those settings into later
+  tests and could eventually cause a ``RecursionError``
+  (`#809 <https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest-django/issues/809>`__).
+
 v4.14.0 (2026-08-10)
 --------------------
 

pytest_django/fixtures.py

@@ -562,8 +562,15 @@ def __init__(
         assert _is_pytest_django, (
             "Settings should only be instantiated from the `settings` fixture"
         )
+        from django.test import override_settings
+
+        # Disabled last, so the settings active when the fixture was set up
+        # are restored even if an override_settings entered later exits
+        # before the fixture is finalized.
+        base = override_settings()
+        base.enable()
         self._to_restore: list[django.test.override_settings]
-        object.__setattr__(self, "_to_restore", [])
+        object.__setattr__(self, "_to_restore", [base])
 
     def __delattr__(self, attr: str) -> None:
         from django.test import override_settings

tests/test_fixtures.py

@@ -467,6 +467,38 @@ def test_set_non_existent(settings):
             ]
         )
 
+    def test_override_settings_exited_before_teardown(
+        self, django_pytester: DjangoPytester
+    ) -> None:
+        django_pytester.create_test_module(
+            """
+            import pytest
+
+            from django.conf import settings as django_settings
+            from django.test import override_settings
+
+
+            @pytest.fixture
+            def overrides():
+                with override_settings(OVERRIDDEN=1):
+                    yield
+
+
+            def test_override_inside_settings_fixture(settings, overrides):
+                settings.ADDED = 1
+                assert django_settings.OVERRIDDEN == 1
+                assert django_settings.ADDED == 1
+
+
+            def test_settings_restored():
+                assert not hasattr(django_settings, "OVERRIDDEN")
+                assert not hasattr(django_settings, "ADDED")
+        """
+        )
+
+        result = django_pytester.runpytest_subprocess("-v")
+        result.assert_outcomes(passed=2)
+
 
 class TestLiveServer:
     @pytest.mark.skipif("PYTEST_XDIST_WORKER" in os.environ, reason="xdist in use")