diff --git a/.travis.sh b/.travis.sh
index b27ec81b0..2a9e1f213 100755
--- a/.travis.sh
+++ b/.travis.sh
@@ -1,46 +1,85 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-set -e   # Make sure any error makes the script to return an error code
-set -x   # echo
-
-SOURCE_DIR=`pwd`
-BUILD_DIR=build
-
-#CMAKE_C_FLAGS="-Wall -Wextra -Wabi -O2"
-#CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-Wall -Wextra -Wabi -O2"
-
-function build_and_test ()
+# common tasks before either build or test
+function prepare ()
 {
+  set -e   # Make sure any error makes the script to return an error code
+  set -x   # echo
+
+  SOURCE_DIR=`pwd`
+  BUILD_DIR=build
+
   #env
   git clean -fd || true
   rm -fr $BUILD_DIR || true
   mkdir $BUILD_DIR && cd $BUILD_DIR
 
+  if [ -z "$CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE" ]; then
+    CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+  fi
+
+  if [ -z "$GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4" ]; then
+    GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=OFF
+  fi
+
   if [ ! -z "$GCC_VERSION" ]; then
     sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-$GCC_VERSION 60 \
                          --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-$GCC_VERSION
     sudo update-alternatives --set gcc /usr/bin/gcc-$GCC_VERSION
   fi
+}
 
-  cmake $SOURCE_DIR \
-      -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE \
-      -DGTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=$GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS \
-      -DGTSAM_BUILD_UNSTABLE=$GTSAM_BUILD_UNSTABLE \
-      -DGTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=$GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS \
-      -DGTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=$GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4
-
-  # Actual build:
-  make -j2
-
-  # Run tests:
-  if [ "$GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS" == "ON" ]; then
-    make check
-  fi
-
+# common tasks after either build or test
+function finish ()
+{
   # Print ccache stats
   ccache -s
 
   cd $SOURCE_DIR
 }
 
-build_and_test
+# compile the code with the intent of populating the cache
+function build ()
+{
+  prepare
+
+  cmake $SOURCE_DIR \
+      -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE \
+      -DGTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
+      -DGTSAM_BUILD_UNSTABLE=ON \
+      -DGTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON \
+      -DGTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=$GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4
+
+  # Actual build:
+  make -j2
+
+  finish
+}
+
+# run the tests
+function test ()
+{
+  prepare
+
+  cmake $SOURCE_DIR \
+      -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE \
+      -DGTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=ON \
+      -DGTSAM_BUILD_UNSTABLE=ON \
+      -DGTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=OFF \
+      -DGTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=OFF
+
+  # Actual build:
+  make -j2 check
+
+  finish
+}
+
+# select between build or test
+case $1 in
+  -b)
+    build
+    ;;
+  -t)                      
+    test
+    ;;
+esac
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index d8d1c07b5..bdf8d570a 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ install:
   - if [ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]; then HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1 brew install ccache  ; fi
   - if [ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]; then export PATH="/usr/local/opt/ccache/libexec:$PATH" ; fi
 
-script:
-  - bash .travis.sh
-
 # We first do the compile stage specified below, then the matrix expansion specified after.
 stages:
   - compile
@@ -38,43 +35,52 @@ jobs:
   - stage: compile
     os: osx
     compiler: gcc
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
   - stage: compile
     os: osx
     compiler: gcc
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
 # on Mac, CLANG
   - stage: compile
     os: osx
     compiler: clang
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
   - stage: compile
     os: osx
     compiler: clang
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
 # on Linux, GCC
   - stage: compile
     os: linux
     compiler: gcc
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
   - stage: compile
     os: linux
     compiler: gcc
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
 # on Linux, CLANG
   - stage: compile
     os: linux
     compiler: clang
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
   - stage: compile
     os: linux
     compiler: clang
-    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
 # on Linux, with deprecated ON to make sure that path still compiles
   - stage: compile
     os: linux
     compiler: clang
-    env: GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=ON GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=OFF GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=ON
+    env: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=ON
+    script: bash .travis.sh -b
 
 # Matrix configuration:
 os:
@@ -87,13 +93,12 @@ env:
   global:
     - MAKEFLAGS="-j2"
     - CCACHE_SLOPPINESS=pch_defines,time_macros
-    - GTSAM_BUILD_UNSTABLE=ON
     - GTSAM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED_SINCE_V4=OFF
-    - GTSAM_BUILD_EXAMPLES_ALWAYS=OFF
-    - GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS=ON
   matrix:
     - CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
     - CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+script:
+  - bash .travis.sh -t
 
 # Uncomment this if you want to exclude clang on linux
 # matrix: