diff --git a/changelog/812.feature b/changelog/812.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d0eb0ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/812.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+Partially restore old initial batch distribution algorithm in ``LoadScheduling``.
+
+pytest orders tests for optimal sequential execution - i. e. avoiding
+unnecessary setup and teardown of fixtures. So executing tests in consecutive
+chunks is important for optimal performance.
+
+In v1.14, initial test distribution in ``LoadScheduling`` was changed to
+round-robin, optimized for the corner case, when the number of tests is less
+than ``2 * number of nodes``. At the same time, it became worse for all other
+cases.
+
+For example: if some tests use some "heavy" fixture, and these tests fit into
+the initial batch, with round-robin distribution the fixture will be created
+``min(n_tests, n_workers)`` times, no matter how many other tests there are.
+
+With the old algorithm (before v1.14), if there are enough tests not using
+the fixture, the fixture was created only once.
+
+So restore the old behavior for typical cases where the number of tests is
+much greater than the number of workers (or, strictly speaking, when there
+are at least 2 tests for every node).
+
diff --git a/src/xdist/scheduler/load.py b/src/xdist/scheduler/load.py
index f32caa55..f3bef40b 100644
--- a/src/xdist/scheduler/load.py
+++ b/src/xdist/scheduler/load.py
@@ -248,13 +248,27 @@ def schedule(self):
         # Send a batch of tests to run. If we don't have at least two
         # tests per node, we have to send them all so that we can send
         # shutdown signals and get all nodes working.
-        initial_batch = max(len(self.pending) // 4, 2 * len(self.nodes))
-
-        # distribute tests round-robin up to the batch size
-        # (or until we run out)
-        nodes = cycle(self.nodes)
-        for i in range(initial_batch):
-            self._send_tests(next(nodes), 1)
+        if len(self.pending) < 2 * len(self.nodes):
+            # Distribute tests round-robin. Try to load all nodes if there are
+            # enough tests. The other branch tries sends at least 2 tests
+            # to each node - which is suboptimal when you have less than
+            # 2 * len(nodes) tests.
+            nodes = cycle(self.nodes)
+            for i in range(len(self.pending)):
+                self._send_tests(next(nodes), 1)
+        else:
+            # Send batches of consecutive tests. By default, pytest sorts tests
+            # in order for optimal single-threaded execution, minimizing the
+            # number of necessary fixture setup/teardown. Try to keep that
+            # optimal order for every worker.
+
+            # how many items per node do we have about?
+            items_per_node = len(self.collection) // len(self.node2pending)
+            # take a fraction of tests for initial distribution
+            node_chunksize = max(items_per_node // 4, 2)
+            # and initialize each node with a chunk of tests
+            for node in self.nodes:
+                self._send_tests(node, node_chunksize)
 
         if not self.pending:
             # initial distribution sent all tests, start node shutdown
diff --git a/testing/test_dsession.py b/testing/test_dsession.py
index d3a57152..86273b8c 100644
--- a/testing/test_dsession.py
+++ b/testing/test_dsession.py
@@ -115,18 +115,18 @@ def test_schedule_batch_size(self, pytester: pytest.Pytester) -> None:
         # assert not sched.tests_finished
         sent1 = node1.sent
         sent2 = node2.sent
-        assert sent1 == [0, 2]
-        assert sent2 == [1, 3]
+        assert sent1 == [0, 1]
+        assert sent2 == [2, 3]
         assert sched.pending == [4, 5]
         assert sched.node2pending[node1] == sent1
         assert sched.node2pending[node2] == sent2
         assert len(sched.pending) == 2
         sched.mark_test_complete(node1, 0)
-        assert node1.sent == [0, 2, 4]
+        assert node1.sent == [0, 1, 4]
         assert sched.pending == [5]
-        assert node2.sent == [1, 3]
-        sched.mark_test_complete(node1, 2)
-        assert node1.sent == [0, 2, 4, 5]
+        assert node2.sent == [2, 3]
+        sched.mark_test_complete(node1, 1)
+        assert node1.sent == [0, 1, 4, 5]
         assert not sched.pending
 
     def test_schedule_fewer_tests_than_nodes(self, pytester: pytest.Pytester) -> None: