diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG b/activerecord/CHANGELOG
index c7fc7aaf54..db41ef69bf 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *CVS*
 
+* Added reverse order of deleting fixtures, so referential keys can be maintained #247 [Tim Bates]
+
 * Added relative path search for sqlite dbfiles in database.yml (if RAILS_ROOT is defined) #233 [bitsweat]
 
 * Added option to establish_connection where you'll be able to leave out the parameter to have it use the RAILS_ENV environment variable
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb
index f17768e1f2..df41a1e370 100755
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/fixtures.rb
@@ -63,10 +63,13 @@ class Fixtures < Hash
 
     begin
       ActiveRecord::Base.logger.level = Logger::ERROR
-      fixtures = connection.transaction do
-        table_names.flatten.map do |table_name|
+      fixtures = []
+      connection.transaction do
+        fixtures = table_names.flatten.map do |table_name|
           Fixtures.new(connection, table_name.to_s, File.join(fixtures_directory, table_name.to_s))
         end
+        fixtures.reverse.each{ |fixture| fixture.delete_existing_fixtures }
+        fixtures.each{ |fixture| fixture.insert_fixtures }
       end
       return fixtures.size > 1 ? fixtures : fixtures.first
     ensure
@@ -79,8 +82,16 @@ class Fixtures < Hash
     @class_name = Inflector.classify(@table_name)
 
     read_fixture_files
-    delete_existing_fixtures
-    insert_fixtures
+  end
+
+  def delete_existing_fixtures
+    @connection.delete "DELETE FROM #{@table_name}"
+  end
+
+  def insert_fixtures
+    values.each do |fixture|
+      @connection.execute "INSERT INTO #{@table_name} (#{fixture.key_list}) VALUES(#{fixture.value_list})"
+    end
   end
 
   private
@@ -96,16 +107,6 @@ class Fixtures < Hash
       end
     end
 
-    def delete_existing_fixtures
-      @connection.delete "DELETE FROM #{@table_name}"
-    end
-
-    def insert_fixtures
-      values.each do |fixture|
-        @connection.execute "INSERT INTO #{@table_name} (#{fixture.key_list}) VALUES(#{fixture.value_list})"
-      end
-    end
-
     def yaml_file_path
       @fixture_path + ".yml"
     end
@@ -205,4 +206,4 @@ class Test::Unit::TestCase #:nodoc:
     def fixture_table_names
       self.class.read_inheritable_attribute("fixture_table_names")
     end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb
index 2eb6ba267e..3325c10eda 100755
--- a/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/associations_test.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ raise "ActiveRecord should have barked on bad collection keys" unless bad_collec
 
 class AssociationsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
-    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "accounts", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects"  
+    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects"  
     @signals37 = Firm.find(1)
   end
   
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ end
 
 class HasOneAssociationsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
-    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "accounts", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects"
+    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects"
     @signals37 = Firm.find(1)
   end
   
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ end
 
 class HasManyAssociationsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
-    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "accounts", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects", "topics"
+    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects", "topics"
     @signals37 = Firm.find(1)
   end
   
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ end
 
 class BelongsToAssociationsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
-    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "accounts", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects", "topics"
+    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects", "topics"
     @signals37 = Firm.find(1)
   end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/test/deprecated_associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/deprecated_associations_test.rb
index cb3d1aec8a..b5a3c6355d 100755
--- a/activerecord/test/deprecated_associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/deprecated_associations_test.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ raise "ActiveRecord should have barked on bad collection keys" unless bad_collec
 
 class DeprecatedAssociationsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
-    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "accounts", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects", "topics"
+    create_fixtures "accounts", "companies", "developers", "projects", "developers_projects", "topics"
     @signals37 = Firm.find(1)
   end
 
@@ -332,4 +332,4 @@ class DeprecatedAssociationsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal 2, Firm.find_first.find_all_in_clients("type = 'Client'").length
     assert_equal 1, Firm.find_first.find_all_in_clients("name = 'Summit'").length
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb b/activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb
index 015b6ababe..5b4bf9a922 100755
--- a/activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/fixtures_test.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'fixtures/developer'
 require 'fixtures/company'
 
 class FixturesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
-  fixtures :topics, :developers, :accounts, :developers
+  fixtures :topics, :developers, :accounts
   
   FIXTURES = %w( accounts companies customers
                  developers developers_projects entrants
@@ -81,4 +81,4 @@ class FixturesTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal 10, @developers.size
     assert_equal "fixture_5", @dev_5.name
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end