diff --git a/docs/config/index.md b/docs/config/index.md
index 499204c6fbb8..16675e53fcc8 100644
--- a/docs/config/index.md
+++ b/docs/config/index.md
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ Handling for dependencies resolution.
 #### deps.experimentalOptimizer
 
 - **Type:** `DepOptimizationConfig & { enabled: boolean }`
-- **Version:** Vitets 0.29.0
+- **Version:** Since Vitest 0.29.0
 - **See also:** [Dep Optimization Options](https://vitejs.dev/config/dep-optimization-options.html)
 
 Enable dependency optimization. If you have a lot of tests, this might improve their performance.
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ Path to cache directory.
 
 ### sequence
 
-- **Type**: `{ sequencer?, shuffle?, seed?, hooks? }`
+- **Type**: `{ sequencer?, shuffle?, seed?, hooks?, setupFiles? }`
 
 Options for how tests should be sorted.
 
@@ -1211,6 +1211,18 @@ Changes the order in which hooks are executed.
 - `list` will order all hooks in the order they are defined
 - `parallel` will run hooks in a single group in parallel (hooks in parent suites will still run before the current suite's hooks)
 
+#### sequence.setupFiles
+
+- **Type**: `'list' | 'parallel'`
+- **Default**: `'parallel'`
+- **CLI**: `--sequence.setupFiles=<value>`
+- **Version**: Since Vitest 0.29.3
+
+Changes the order in which setup files are executed.
+
+- `list` will run setup files in the order they are defined
+- `parallel` will run setup files in parallel
+
 ### typecheck
 
 Options for configuring [typechecking](/guide/testing-types) test environment.
diff --git a/packages/runner/src/setup.ts b/packages/runner/src/setup.ts
index 750a57a18c4d..32c365b3037a 100644
--- a/packages/runner/src/setup.ts
+++ b/packages/runner/src/setup.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,15 @@ import type { VitestRunner, VitestRunnerConfig } from './types'
 
 export async function runSetupFiles(config: VitestRunnerConfig, runner: VitestRunner) {
   const files = toArray(config.setupFiles)
-  await Promise.all(
-    files.map(async (fsPath) => {
+  if (config.sequence.setupFiles === 'parallel') {
+    await Promise.all(
+      files.map(async (fsPath) => {
+        await runner.importFile(fsPath, 'setup')
+      }),
+    )
+  }
+  else {
+    for (const fsPath of files)
       await runner.importFile(fsPath, 'setup')
-    }),
-  )
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/runner/src/types/runner.ts b/packages/runner/src/types/runner.ts
index 8ba40c29abb8..6511441cef1b 100644
--- a/packages/runner/src/types/runner.ts
+++ b/packages/runner/src/types/runner.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { File, SequenceHooks, Suite, TaskResult, Test, TestContext } from './tasks'
+import type { File, SequenceHooks, SequenceSetupFiles, Suite, TaskResult, Test, TestContext } from './tasks'
 
 export interface VitestRunnerConfig {
   root: string
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export interface VitestRunnerConfig {
     shuffle?: boolean
     seed: number
     hooks: SequenceHooks
+    setupFiles: SequenceSetupFiles
   }
   maxConcurrency: number
   testTimeout: number
diff --git a/packages/runner/src/types/tasks.ts b/packages/runner/src/types/tasks.ts
index c917deb5739e..2a5719c29a66 100644
--- a/packages/runner/src/types/tasks.ts
+++ b/packages/runner/src/types/tasks.ts
@@ -230,3 +230,4 @@ export interface TestContext {
 export type OnTestFailedHandler = (result: TaskResult) => Awaitable<void>
 
 export type SequenceHooks = 'stack' | 'list' | 'parallel'
+export type SequenceSetupFiles = 'list' | 'parallel'
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/types/config.ts b/packages/vitest/src/types/config.ts
index 5ddb7a3a704a..7bd231f47f71 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/types/config.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/types/config.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { AliasOptions, CommonServerOptions, DepOptimizationConfig } from 'vite'
 import type { PrettyFormatOptions } from 'pretty-format'
 import type { FakeTimerInstallOpts } from '@sinonjs/fake-timers'
+import type { SequenceHooks, SequenceSetupFiles } from '@vitest/runner'
 import type { BuiltinReporters } from '../node/reporters'
 import type { TestSequencerConstructor } from '../node/sequencers/types'
 import type { CoverageOptions, ResolvedCoverageOptions } from './coverage'
@@ -10,11 +11,12 @@ import type { SnapshotStateOptions } from './snapshot'
 import type { Arrayable } from './general'
 import type { BenchmarkUserOptions } from './benchmark'
 
+export type { SequenceHooks, SequenceSetupFiles } from '@vitest/runner'
+
 export type BuiltinEnvironment = 'node' | 'jsdom' | 'happy-dom' | 'edge-runtime'
 // Record is used, so user can get intellisense for builtin environments, but still allow custom environments
 export type VitestEnvironment = BuiltinEnvironment | (string & Record<never, never>)
 export type CSSModuleScopeStrategy = 'stable' | 'scoped' | 'non-scoped'
-export type SequenceHooks = 'stack' | 'list' | 'parallel'
 
 export type ApiConfig = Pick<CommonServerOptions, 'port' | 'strictPort' | 'host'>
 
@@ -498,6 +500,13 @@ export interface InlineConfig {
      * @default false
      */
     shuffle?: boolean
+    /**
+     * Defines how setup files should be ordered
+     * - 'parallel' will run all setup files in parallel
+     * - 'list' will run all setup files in the order they are defined in the config file
+     * @default 'parallel'
+     */
+    setupFiles?: SequenceSetupFiles
     /**
      * Seed for the random number generator.
      * @default Date.now()
@@ -648,6 +657,7 @@ export interface ResolvedConfig extends Omit<Required<UserConfig>, 'config' | 'f
   sequence: {
     sequencer: TestSequencerConstructor
     hooks: SequenceHooks
+    setupFiles: SequenceSetupFiles
     shuffle?: boolean
     seed: number
   }