diff --git a/ixmp/core.py b/ixmp/core.py
index 1aa2b2431..454d16e01 100644
--- a/ixmp/core.py
+++ b/ixmp/core.py
@@ -586,16 +586,16 @@ def __init__(self, mp, model, scenario, version=None, scheme=None,
             warn('Using `ixmp.Scenario` for MESSAGE-scheme scenarios is '
                  'deprecated, please use `message_ix.Scenario`')
 
-    @property
-    def _cache(self):
-        return hasattr(self.platform._backend, '_cache')
-
         # Retrieve the Model class correlating to the *scheme*
         model_class = get_model(scheme).__class__
 
         # Use the model class to initialize the Scenario
         model_class.initialize(self, **model_init_args)
 
+    @property
+    def _cache(self):
+        return hasattr(self.platform._backend, '_cache')
+
     @classmethod
     def from_url(cls, url, errors='warn'):
         """Instantiate a Scenario given an ixmp-scheme URL.