diff --git a/pytest_django/compat.py b/pytest_django/compat.py
index 422d0e723..c427beaf1 100644
--- a/pytest_django/compat.py
+++ b/pytest_django/compat.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# This file cannot be imported from until Django sets up
+
 try:
     # Django 1.11
     from django.test.utils import setup_databases, teardown_databases  # noqa
diff --git a/pytest_django/fixtures.py b/pytest_django/fixtures.py
index 97caa84dd..c8836a14f 100644
--- a/pytest_django/fixtures.py
+++ b/pytest_django/fixtures.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from . import live_server_helper
 
 from .django_compat import is_django_unittest
+from .pytest_compat import getfixturevalue
 
 from .lazy_django import get_django_version, skip_if_no_django
 
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ def db(request, django_db_setup, django_db_blocker):
     """
     if 'transactional_db' in request.funcargnames \
             or 'live_server' in request.funcargnames:
-        request.getfuncargvalue('transactional_db')
+        getfixturevalue(request, 'transactional_db')
     else:
         _django_db_fixture_helper(False, request, django_db_blocker)
 
@@ -322,4 +323,4 @@ def _live_server_helper(request):
     function-scoped.
     """
     if 'live_server' in request.funcargnames:
-        request.getfuncargvalue('transactional_db')
+        getfixturevalue(request, 'transactional_db')
diff --git a/pytest_django/plugin.py b/pytest_django/plugin.py
index 2e9941b03..428be867f 100644
--- a/pytest_django/plugin.py
+++ b/pytest_django/plugin.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 from .fixtures import rf  # noqa
 from .fixtures import settings  # noqa
 from .fixtures import transactional_db  # noqa
+from .pytest_compat import getfixturevalue
 
 from .lazy_django import (django_settings_is_configured,
                           get_django_version, skip_if_no_django)
@@ -370,17 +371,17 @@ def _django_db_marker(request):
     if marker:
         validate_django_db(marker)
         if marker.transaction:
-            request.getfuncargvalue('transactional_db')
+            getfixturevalue(request, 'transactional_db')
         else:
-            request.getfuncargvalue('db')
+            getfixturevalue(request, 'db')
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope='class')
 def _django_setup_unittest(request, django_db_blocker):
     """Setup a django unittest, internal to pytest-django."""
     if django_settings_is_configured() and is_django_unittest(request):
-        request.getfuncargvalue('django_test_environment')
-        request.getfuncargvalue('django_db_setup')
+        getfixturevalue(request, 'django_test_environment')
+        getfixturevalue(request, 'django_db_setup')
 
         django_db_blocker.unblock()
 
diff --git a/pytest_django/pytest_compat.py b/pytest_django/pytest_compat.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8bbbe7ddd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pytest_django/pytest_compat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+def getfixturevalue(request, value):
+    if hasattr(request, 'getfixturevalue'):
+        return request.getfixturevalue(value)
+
+    return request.getfuncargvalue(value)
diff --git a/tests/test_database.py b/tests/test_database.py
index 90ad58113..713a265dd 100644
--- a/tests/test_database.py
+++ b/tests/test_database.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from django.db import connection
 from django.test.testcases import connections_support_transactions
 
+from pytest_django.pytest_compat import getfixturevalue
 from pytest_django_test.app.models import Item
 
 
@@ -33,9 +34,9 @@ class TestDatabaseFixtures:
     @pytest.fixture(params=['db', 'transactional_db'])
     def both_dbs(self, request):
         if request.param == 'transactional_db':
-            return request.getfuncargvalue('transactional_db')
+            return getfixturevalue(request, 'transactional_db')
         elif request.param == 'db':
-            return request.getfuncargvalue('db')
+            return getfixturevalue(request, 'db')
 
     def test_access(self, both_dbs):
         Item.objects.create(name='spam')