diff --git a/lib/inspec/runner.rb b/lib/inspec/runner.rb
index e6a1131b8..73178b6f7 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/runner.rb
@@ -42,14 +42,16 @@ module Inspec
       @ignore_supports = @conf[:ignore_supports]
       @create_lockfile = @conf[:create_lockfile]
       @cache = Inspec::Cache.new(@conf[:vendor_cache])
+
+      # parse any ad-hoc runners reporter formats
+      # this has to happen before we load the test_collector
+      @conf = Inspec::BaseCLI.parse_reporters(@conf) if @conf[:type].nil?
+
       @test_collector = @conf.delete(:test_collector) || begin
         require 'inspec/runner_rspec'
         RunnerRspec.new(@conf)
       end
 
-      # parse any ad-hoc runners reporter formats
-      @conf = Inspec::BaseCLI.parse_reporters(@conf) if @conf[:type].nil?
-
       # list of profile attributes
       @attributes = []
 
diff --git a/lib/inspec/runner_rspec.rb b/lib/inspec/runner_rspec.rb
index f48b9e941..0412edd77 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/runner_rspec.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/runner_rspec.rb
@@ -94,18 +94,18 @@ module Inspec
     #
     #
     def set_optional_formatters
-      return if @conf[:reporter].nil?
-      if @conf[:reporter].key?('json-rspec')
+      return if @conf['reporter'].nil?
+      if @conf['reporter'].key?('json-rspec')
         # We cannot pass in a nil output path. Rspec only accepts a valid string or a IO object.
-        if @conf[:reporter]['json-rspec']&.[]('file').nil?
+        if @conf['reporter']['json-rspec']&.[]('file').nil?
           RSpec.configuration.add_formatter(Inspec::Formatters::RspecJson)
         else
           RSpec.configuration.add_formatter(Inspec::Formatters::RspecJson, @conf[:reporter]['json-rspec']['file'])
         end
-        @conf[:reporter].delete('json-rspec')
+        @conf['reporter'].delete('json-rspec')
       end
 
-      formats = @conf[:reporter].select { |k, _v| %w{documentation progress html}.include?(k) }
+      formats = @conf['reporter'].select { |k, _v| %w{documentation progress html}.include?(k) }
       formats.each do |k, v|
         # We cannot pass in a nil output path. Rspec only accepts a valid string or a IO object.
         if v&.[]('file').nil?
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ module Inspec
         else
           RSpec.configuration.add_formatter(k.to_sym, v['file'])
         end
-        @conf[:reporter].delete(k)
+        @conf['reporter'].delete(k)
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/test/unit/runner_test.rb b/test/unit/runner_test.rb
index 786a2a0aa..0bd61cd3f 100644
--- a/test/unit/runner_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/runner_test.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ describe Inspec::Runner do
         expected = { 'json' => { 'stdout' => true } }
         config['reporter'].must_equal expected
       end
+
+      it 'delets format if set to a rspec format' do
+        opts = { command_runner: :generic, backend_cache: true, 'format' => 'progress' }
+        runner = Inspec::Runner.new(opts)
+        config = runner.instance_variable_get(:"@conf")
+        config['reporter'].must_equal Hash.new
+      end
     end
 
     describe 'when backend caching is enabled' do