diff --git a/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php b/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php
index a7584dd8fd1..8c2727d83ec 100644
--- a/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php
+++ b/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php
@@ -467,7 +467,10 @@ class phpunit_util extends testing_util {
         $sequencestart = 100000 + mt_rand(0, 99) * 1000;
 
         $data = preg_replace('|<!--@plugin_suites_start@-->.*<!--@plugin_suites_end@-->|s', $suites, $data, 1);
-        $data = preg_replace('|<!--@PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START@-->|s', $sequencestart, $data, 1);
+        $data = str_replace(
+            '<const name="PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START" value=""/>',
+            '<const name="PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START" value="' . $sequencestart . '"/>',
+            $data);
 
         $result = false;
         if (is_writable($CFG->dirroot)) {
@@ -523,7 +526,10 @@ class phpunit_util extends testing_util {
 
             // Apply it to the file template
             $fcontents = str_replace('<!--@component_suite@-->', $ctemplate, $ftemplate);
-            $fcontents = preg_replace('|<!--@PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START@-->|s', $sequencestart, $fcontents, 1);
+            $fcontents = str_replace(
+                '<const name="PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START" value=""/>',
+                '<const name="PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START" value="' . $sequencestart . '"/>',
+                $fcontents);
 
             // fix link to schema
             $level = substr_count(str_replace('\\', '/', $cpath), '/') - substr_count(str_replace('\\', '/', $CFG->dirroot), '/');
diff --git a/lib/testing/classes/util.php b/lib/testing/classes/util.php
index 1cc7e52b4c0..c6b560a9579 100644
--- a/lib/testing/classes/util.php
+++ b/lib/testing/classes/util.php
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ abstract class testing_util {
         // To reduce the chance of the coding error, we start sequences at different values where possible.
         // In a attempt to avoid tables with existing id's we start at a high number.
         // Reset the value each time all database sequences are reset.
-        if (defined('PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START')) {
+        if (defined('PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START') and PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START) {
             self::$sequencenextstartingid = PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START;
         } else {
             self::$sequencenextstartingid = 100000;
diff --git a/phpunit.xml.dist b/phpunit.xml.dist
index 853b4eef932..1ff48e8800e 100644
--- a/phpunit.xml.dist
+++ b/phpunit.xml.dist
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
     <php>
         <!--<const name="PHPUNIT_LONGTEST" value="1"/> uncomment to execute also slow or otherwise expensive tests-->
-        <const name="PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START" value="<!--@PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START@-->"/>
+        <const name="PHPUNIT_SEQUENCE_START" value=""/>
 
         <!--Following constants instruct tests to fetch external test files from alternative location or skip tests if empty, clone https://github.com/moodlehq/moodle-exttests to local web server-->
         <!--<const name="TEST_EXTERNAL_FILES_HTTP_URL" value="http://download.moodle.org/unittest"/> uncomment and alter to fetch external test files from alternative location-->