adding tests to see why the PR failed.

flask_admin/base.py

@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ class Admin(object):
         self.template_mode = template_mode or 'bootstrap2'
         self.category_icon_classes = category_icon_classes or dict()
 
-        # Add predefined index view
+        # Add index view
         self._set_admin_index_view(index_view=index_view, endpoint=endpoint, url=url)
 
         # Register with application
@@ -541,25 +541,29 @@ class Admin(object):
 
         self._add_view_to_menu(view)
 
-	def _set_admin_index_view(self, index_view=None,
+    def _set_admin_index_view(self, index_view=None,
                               endpoint=None, url=None):
- 	    """
- 	    	Add the admin index view.
- 	    	
-           :param index_view:
-                Home page view to use. Defaults to `AdminIndexView`.
-            :param url:
-                Base URL
-           :param endpoint:
-                Base endpoint name for index view. If you use multiple instances of the `Admin` class with
-                a single Flask application, you have to set a unique endpoint name for each instance.
- 	    """                            
+        """
+            Add the admin index view.
+
+          :param index_view:
+               Home page view to use. Defaults to `AdminIndexView`.
+           :param url:
+               Base URL
+          :param endpoint:
+               Base endpoint name for index view. If you use multiple instances of the `Admin` class with
+               a single Flask application, you have to set a unique endpoint name for each instance.
+        """
         self.index_view = index_view or AdminIndexView(endpoint=endpoint, url=url)
         self.endpoint = endpoint or self.index_view.endpoint
         self.url = url or self.index_view.url
 
         # Add predefined index view
-        self.add_view(self.index_view)
+        # assume index view is always the first element of views.
+        if len(self._views) > 0:
+            self._views[0] = self.index_view
+        else:
+            self.add_view(self.index_view)
 
     def add_views(self, *args):
         """
@@ -659,12 +663,13 @@ class Admin(object):
 
         self._init_extension()
 
+        # Register Index view
+        self._set_admin_index_view(index_view=index_view, endpoint=endpoint, url=url)
+
         # Register views
         for view in self._views:
             app.register_blueprint(view.create_blueprint(self))
-            
-        # Register Index view
-        self._set_admin_index_view(index_view=index_view, endpoint=endpoint, url=url)
+
 
     def _init_extension(self):
         if not hasattr(self.app, 'extensions'):

flask_admin/tests/test_base.py

@@ -114,6 +114,25 @@ def test_custom_index_view():
     eq_(admin._views[0], view)
 
 
+def test_custom_index_view_in_init_app():
+    view = base.AdminIndexView(name='a', category='b', endpoint='c',
+                               url='/d', template='e')
+    app = Flask(__name__)
+    admin = base.Admin()
+    admin.init_app(app, index_view=view)
+
+    eq_(admin.endpoint, 'c')
+    eq_(admin.url, '/d')
+    ok_(admin.index_view is view)
+    eq_(view.name, 'a')
+    eq_(view.category, 'b')
+    eq_(view._template, 'e')
+
+    # Check if view was added
+    eq_(len(admin._views), 1)
+    eq_(admin._views[0], view)
+
+
 def test_base_registration():
     app = Flask(__name__)
     admin = base.Admin(app)