diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index fac2e3b17f..ffbbb5d41e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,44 +1,60 @@
-# trusty dist provides a modern build chain (as opposed to 'precise' dist)
-# which absolves us from having to install compilers and stuff
-dist: trusty
+# these are executed in order.  each must pass for the next to be run
+stages:
+  - smoke # this ensures a "user" install works properly
+  - lint # lint code and docs
+  - test # all tests
 
+# defaults
 language: node_js
+node_js: '9'
+cache:
+  directories:
+    - ~/.npm
+    - node_modules
 
-matrix:
-  fast_finish: true
+jobs:
+  include:
+    - script: COVERAGE=1 npm start test.node
+      after_success: npm start coveralls
 
-before_install: scripts/travis-before-install.sh
+    - &node
+      script: npm start test.node
+      node_js: '8'
+      cache: false
 
-before_script: scripts/travis-before-script.sh
+    - <<: *node
+      node_js: '6'
+
+    - <<: *node
+      node_js: '4'
+
+    - script: npm start test.bundle test.browser
+      before_script: mkdir -p .karma
+      addons:
+        artifacts:
+          paths:
+            - .karma/
+            - ./mocha.js
+        chrome: stable
+        sauce_connect: true
 
-jobs:
-  include:
     - stage: lint
+      script: npm start lint
+
+    - &smoke
+      stage: smoke
+      env: NPM_CONFIG_PRODUCTION=1
+      script: ./bin/mocha --opts /dev/null --reporter spec test/sanity/sanity.spec.js
+      cache: false
+
+    - <<: *smoke
       node_js: '8'
-      env: TARGET=lint
-      script: npm start $TARGET
-    - stage: test
-      node_js: '9'
-      env: TARGET=test.node COVERAGE=true
-      script: npm start $TARGET
-    - node_js: '8'
-      env: TARGET=test.node
-      script: npm start $TARGET
-    - node_js: '6'
-      env: TARGET=test.node
-      script: npm start $TARGET
-    - node_js: '4'
-      env: TARGET=test.node
-      script: npm start $TARGET
-    - node_js: '8'
-      env: TARGET=test.browser
-      script: npm start $TARGET
 
-stages:
-  - lint
-  - test
+    - <<: *smoke
+      node_js: '6'
 
-after_success: npm start coveralls
+    - <<: *smoke
+      node_js: '4'
 
 notifications:
   email: false
@@ -49,15 +65,3 @@ notifications:
     - secure: rGMGYWBaZgEa9i997jJHKzjI8WxECqLi6BqsMhvstDq9EeTeXkZFVfz4r6G3Xugsk3tFwb/pDpiYo1OK36kA5arUJTCia51u4Wn+c7lHKcpef/vXztoyucvw6/jXdVm/FQz1jztYYbqdyAOWC2BV8gYvg5F8TpK05UGCe5R0bRA=
   on_success: change
   on_failure: always
-
-addons:
-  artifacts:
-    paths:
-      - .karma/
-      - ./mocha.js
-  sauce_connect: true
-  chrome: stable
-cache:
-  directories:
-    - ~/.npm
-    - node_modules
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 22a30ddfac..f362788bf6 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@
     "browser-stdout": {
       "version": "1.3.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/browser-stdout/-/browser-stdout-1.3.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-qhAVI1+Av2X7qelOfAIYwXONood6XlZE/fXaBSmW/T5SzLAmCgzi+eiWE7fUvbHaeNBQH13UftjpXxsfLkMpgw=="
+      "integrity": "sha1-uqVZ7hTO1zRSIputcyZGfGH6vWA="
     },
     "browserify": {
       "version": "14.4.0",
@@ -1687,7 +1687,7 @@
     "commander": {
       "version": "2.11.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-2.11.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-b0553uYA5YAEGgyYIGYROzKQ7X5RAqedkfjiZxwi0kL1g3bOaBNNZfYkzt/CL0umgD5wc9Jec2FbB98CjkMRvQ=="
+      "integrity": "sha1-FXFS/R56bI2YpbcVzzdt+SgARWM="
     },
     "comment-regex": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
@@ -2246,7 +2246,7 @@
     "debug": {
       "version": "3.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-3.1.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-OX8XqP7/1a9cqkxYw2yXss15f26NKWBpDXQd0/uK/KPqdQhxbPa994hnzjcE2VqQpDslf55723cKPUOGSmMY3g==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-W7WgZyYotkFJVmuhaBnmFRjGcmE=",
       "requires": {
         "ms": "2.0.0"
       }
@@ -2622,7 +2622,7 @@
     "diff": {
       "version": "3.5.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/diff/-/diff-3.5.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-A46qtFgd+g7pDZinpnwiRJtxbC1hpgf0uzP3iG89scHk0AUC7A1TGxf5OiiOUv/JMZR8GOt8hL900hV0bOy5xA=="
+      "integrity": "sha1-gAwN0eCov7yVg1wgKtIg/jF+WhI="
     },
     "diffie-hellman": {
       "version": "5.0.2",
@@ -4962,7 +4962,7 @@
     "glob": {
       "version": "7.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob/-/glob-7.1.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-MJTUg1kjuLeQCJ+ccE4Vpa6kKVXkPYJ2mOCQyUuKLcLQsdrMCpBPUi8qVE6+YuaJkozeA9NusTAw3hLr8Xe5EQ==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-wZyd+aAocC1nhhI4SmVSQExjbRU=",
       "requires": {
         "fs.realpath": "1.0.0",
         "inflight": "1.0.6",
@@ -5200,7 +5200,7 @@
     "growl": {
       "version": "1.10.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/growl/-/growl-1.10.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-hKlsbA5Vu3xsh1Cg3J7jSmX/WaW6A5oBeqzM88oNbCRQFz+zUaXm6yxS4RVytp1scBoJzSYl4YAEOQIt6O8V1Q=="
+      "integrity": "sha1-GSa6kM8+3+KttJJ/WIC8IsZseQ8="
     },
     "gulp-decompress": {
       "version": "1.2.0",
@@ -7281,7 +7281,7 @@
     "minimatch": {
       "version": "3.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/minimatch/-/minimatch-3.0.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-yJHVQEhyqPLUTgt9B83PXu6W3rx4MvvHvSUvToogpwoGDOUQ+yDrR0HRot+yOCdCO7u4hX3pWft6kWBBcqh0UA==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-UWbihkV/AzBgZL5Ul+jbsMPTIIM=",
       "requires": {
         "brace-expansion": "1.1.8"
       }
@@ -13716,7 +13716,7 @@
     "supports-color": {
       "version": "4.4.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/supports-color/-/supports-color-4.4.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-rKC3+DyXWgK0ZLKwmRsrkyHVZAjNkfzeehuFWdGGcqGDTZFH73+RH6S/RDAAxl9GusSjZSUWYLmT9N5pzXFOXQ==",
+      "integrity": "sha1-iD992rwWUUKyphQn8zUt7RldGj4=",
       "requires": {
         "has-flag": "2.0.0"
       }
diff --git a/scripts/travis-before-install.sh b/scripts/travis-before-install.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index d33eeaefa9..0000000000
--- a/scripts/travis-before-install.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-runSanityTest () {
-  # avoids our mocha.opts (and thus devDependencies) in a roundabout way
-  ./bin/mocha --opts /dev/null --reporter spec test/sanity/sanity.spec.js
-}
-
-npm install --production
-runSanityTest
diff --git a/scripts/travis-before-script.sh b/scripts/travis-before-script.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 3e8a45c0bf..0000000000
--- a/scripts/travis-before-script.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-# bundle artifacts to AWS go here
-mkdir -p .karma