diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c74b23852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+language: erlang
+sudo: true
+otp_release:
+  - 20.3.8
+script:
+  - ./rebar3 eunit
+
+  ## for deps tests:
+  # - ./rebar3 as test compile
+  # - make test
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0747cd5f1..d4ed58ba8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ REBAR           ?= $(BASE_DIR)/rebar3
 OVERLAY_VARS    ?=
 TEST_IGNORE     ?=
 TEST_DEPS_DIR   ?= _build/test/lib
+DEPS_DIR        ?= _build/default/lib
 REL_DIR         ?= _build/default/rel
-DEPS             = $(patsubst $(TEST_DEPS_DIR)/%, %, $(wildcard $(TEST_DEPS_DIR)/*))
-TEST_DEPS        = $(filter-out $(TEST_IGNORE), $(DEPS))
+DEPS            = $(patsubst $(DEPS_DIR)/%, %, $(wildcard $(DEPS_DIR)/*))
+TEST_DEPS       = $(filter-out $(TEST_IGNORE), $(DEPS))
 
 RIAK_CORE_STAT_PREFIX = riak
 export RIAK_CORE_STAT_PREFIX
@@ -47,24 +48,31 @@ TEST_LOG_FILE := eunit.log
 testclean:
 	@rm -f $(TEST_LOG_FILE)
 
-TMP_CONFIG=rebar.config.tmp
+TMP_CONFIG=rebar.config.deptest
+
+TEST_IGNORE += riak
 
 # Tricking rebar3 to use the dependencies from the top-level _build directory.
 testdep-% :
 	@echo "--- Running EUnit tests for $* ---"
-	@rm -rf _build/deptest+test _build/deptest
-	@(cd $(TEST_DEPS_DIR)/$* && \
-	 cp rebar.config $(TMP_CONFIG) && \
-	 echo "" >> $(TMP_CONFIG) && \
-	 echo '{profiles, [{deptest, [{base_dir, "../../.."}]}]}.' >> $(TMP_CONFIG) && \
-	 REBAR_CONFIG=$(TMP_CONFIG) $(REBAR) as deptest eunit) || echo "Eunit: $* FAILED" >> $(TEST_LOG_FILE)
+	@rm -rf _build/deptest+test
+	@(cd $(TEST_DEPS_DIR)/$* \
+	  && escript ../../../../misc/deptest.escript rebar.config $(TMP_CONFIG) \
+	  && REBAR_CONFIG=$(TMP_CONFIG) $(REBAR) as deptest eunit) \
+               || echo "Eunit: $* FAILED" >> $(TEST_LOG_FILE)
 	@(cd $(TEST_DEPS_DIR)/$* && rm -f $(TMP_CONFIG))
 
-test-deps : deps compile testclean $(patsubst %, testdep-%, $(TEST_DEPS))
+TEST_DEPS_RULES = $(patsubst %, testdep-%, $(TEST_DEPS))
 
-# Test each dependency individually in its own VM
-test : test-deps
+
+test-deps : deps compile testclean $(TEST_DEPS_RULES)
+
+test-riak:
 	$(REBAR) eunit
+
+
+# Test each dependency individually in its own VM
+test : test-riak test-deps
 	@if test -s $(TEST_LOG_FILE) ; then \
 						 cat $(TEST_LOG_FILE) && \
 						 exit `wc -l < $(TEST_LOG_FILE)`; \
diff --git a/misc/deptest.escript b/misc/deptest.escript
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e67e2e0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/deptest.escript
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env escript
+
+%% A hack for running dependencies test, see Makefile#deptest.  Adds riak’s _build as
+%% a base_dir to the test profile, renames test profile to deptest
+
+%% E. g. FileIn=rebar.config, FileOut=rebar.config.deptest
+main([FileIn,FileOut]) ->
+    case file:consult(FileIn) of
+        {ok,Conf0} -> ok;
+        _ -> Conf0=[]          % no rebar.config! amazing
+    end,
+    Conf = lists:ukeymerge(1, lists:keysort(1,Conf0), [{profiles,[]}]),
+    [Profiles] = [ P || {profiles,P} <- Conf ],
+    
+    %% if no test profile, add an empty one
+    ProfilesT = lists:ukeymerge(1, lists:keysort(1,Profiles), [{test,[]}]),
+    
+    NewProfiles
+        = [ case P of
+                %% rename test → deptest; add base_dir
+                {test,Spec} -> {deptest, [{base_dir,"../../.."} | Spec]};
+                X -> X
+            end
+            || P <- ProfilesT ],
+
+    NewConf = lists:keyreplace(profiles, 1, Conf, {profiles,NewProfiles}),
+    file:write_file(FileOut, [io_lib:format("~tp.~n", [X]) || X <- NewConf]).
+
+