diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6a5da53b..7b1a1cd1 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,19 @@
-language: haskell
+env:
+ - CABALVER=1.20 GHCVER=7.8.4
+
+# Note: the distinction between `before_install` and `install` is not important.
+before_install:
+ - travis_retry sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:hvr/ghc
+ - travis_retry sudo apt-get update
+ - travis_retry sudo apt-get install cabal-install-$CABALVER ghc-$GHCVER # see note about happy/alex
+ - export PATH=/opt/ghc/$GHCVER/bin:/opt/cabal/$CABALVER/bin:$PATH
 
 install:
-    - cabal update
-    - cabal install -j
+ - cabal --version
+ - echo "$(ghc --version) [$(ghc --print-project-git-commit-id 2> /dev/null || echo '?')]"
+ - travis_retry cabal update
+ - cabal install -j
 
-script: stackage check
+# Here starts the actual work to be performed for the package under test; any command which exits with a non-zero exit code causes the build to fail.
+script:
+ - stackage check