diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2e92ef68f..dfbe28586 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,34 +1,87 @@
-language: haskell
-
+# This file has been generated -- see https://github.com/hvr/multi-ghc-travis
+language: c
 sudo: false
+
 cache:
   directories:
-  - $HOME/.stack/
+    - $HOME/.cabsnap
+    - $HOME/.cabal/packages
+
+before_cache:
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/build-reports.log
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar
 
 matrix:
   include:
-    - env: GHCVER=7.4.2 GHCOPTS=-Werror
+    - env: CABALVER=1.16 GHCVER=7.4.2 GHCOPTS=-Werror
       compiler: ": #GHC 7.4.2"
-      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-7.4.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-    - env: GHCVER=7.6.3 GHCOPTS=-Werror
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.16,ghc-7.4.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.16 GHCVER=7.6.3 GHCOPTS=-Werror
       compiler: ": #GHC 7.6.3"
-      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-7.6.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-    - env: GHCVER=7.8.4 GHCOPTS=-Werror
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.16,ghc-7.6.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.8.4 GHCOPTS=-Werror
       compiler: ": #GHC 7.8.4"
-      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-7.8.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-    - env: GHCVER=7.10.2 GHCOPTS=-Werror
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18,ghc-7.8.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.22 GHCVER=7.10.2 GHCOPTS=-Werror
       compiler: ": #GHC 7.10.2"
-      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-7.10.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.22,ghc-7.10.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
 
 before_install:
-- mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
-- export PATH=~/.local/bin:/opt/ghc/$GHCVER/bin:$PATH
-- travis_retry curl -L https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack/releases/download/v0.1.1.0/stack-0.1.1.0-x86_64-linux.gz | gunzip > ~/.local/bin/stack
-- chmod a+x ~/.local/bin/stack
+ - unset CC
+ - export PATH=/opt/ghc/$GHCVER/bin:/opt/cabal/$CABALVER/bin:$PATH
 
 install:
-  - stack setup --no-terminal --skip-ghc-check
-  - stack test --only-snapshot --no-terminal --skip-ghc-check
+ - cabal --version
+ - echo "$(ghc --version) [$(ghc --print-project-git-commit-id 2> /dev/null || echo '?')]"
+ - if [ -f $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar.gz ];
+   then
+     zcat $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar.gz >
+          $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar;
+   fi
+ - travis_retry cabal update -v
+ - sed -i 's/^jobs:/-- jobs:/' ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+ - cabal install --only-dependencies --enable-tests --enable-benchmarks --dry -v > installplan.txt
+ - sed -i -e '1,/^Resolving /d' installplan.txt; cat installplan.txt
 
+# check whether current requested install-plan matches cached package-db snapshot
+ - if diff -u installplan.txt $HOME/.cabsnap/installplan.txt;
+   then
+     echo "cabal build-cache HIT";
+     rm -rfv .ghc;
+     cp -a $HOME/.cabsnap/ghc $HOME/.ghc;
+     cp -a $HOME/.cabsnap/lib $HOME/.cabsnap/share $HOME/.cabsnap/bin $HOME/.cabal/;
+   else
+     echo "cabal build-cache MISS";
+     rm -rf $HOME/.cabsnap;
+     mkdir -p $HOME/.ghc $HOME/.cabal/lib $HOME/.cabal/share $HOME/.cabal/bin;
+     cabal install --only-dependencies --enable-tests --enable-benchmarks;
+   fi
+ 
+# snapshot package-db on cache miss
+ - if [ ! -d $HOME/.cabsnap ];
+   then
+      echo "snapshotting package-db to build-cache";
+      mkdir $HOME/.cabsnap;
+      cp -a $HOME/.ghc $HOME/.cabsnap/ghc;
+      cp -a $HOME/.cabal/lib $HOME/.cabal/share $HOME/.cabal/bin installplan.txt $HOME/.cabsnap/;
+   fi
+
+# Here starts the actual work to be performed for the package under test;
+# any command which exits with a non-zero exit code causes the build to fail.
 script:
-  - stack test --no-terminal --skip-ghc-check
+ - if [ -f configure.ac ]; then autoreconf -i; fi
+ - cabal configure --enable-tests --enable-benchmarks -v2  # -v2 provides useful information for debugging
+ - cabal build --ghc-options=$GHCOPTS  # this builds all libraries and executables (including tests/benchmarks)
+ - cabal test
+ - cabal check
+# Test that a source-distribution can be generated
+# (with cabal >= 1.18 'cabal sdist' would work too):
+ - ./dist/setup/setup sdist
+
+# Check that the resulting source distribution can be built & installed.
+# If there are no other `.tar.gz` files in `dist`, this can be even simpler:
+# `cabal install --force-reinstalls dist/*-*.tar.gz`
+ - SRC_TGZ=$(cabal info . | awk '{print $2;exit}').tar.gz &&
+   (cd dist && cabal install --force-reinstalls "$SRC_TGZ" && cabal test)
+
+# EOF
diff --git a/make_travis_yml.hs b/make_travis_yml.hs
index 84c58d0d0..f29d74020 100644
--- a/make_travis_yml.hs
+++ b/make_travis_yml.hs
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ genTravisFromCabalFile fn xpkgs = do
         , "# If there are no other `.tar.gz` files in `dist`, this can be even simpler:"
         , "# `cabal install --force-reinstalls dist/*-*.tar.gz`"
         , " - SRC_TGZ=$(cabal info . | awk '{print $2;exit}').tar.gz &&"
-        , "   (cd dist && cabal install --force-reinstalls \"$SRC_TGZ\")"
+        , "   (cd dist && cabal install --force-reinstalls \"$SRC_TGZ\" && cabal test)"
         , ""
         , "# EOF"
         ]