diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 89f175449..3ddebeb07 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@ sudo: false
 # The following enables several GHC versions to be tested; often it's enough to test only against the last release in a major GHC version. Feel free to omit lines listings versions you don't need/want testing for.
 matrix:
  include:
-  - env: CABALVER=1.16 GHCVER=7.4.2 GHCOPTS="-Werror"
+  - env: CABALVER=1.16 GHCVER=7.4.2 GHCOPTS="-Werror" JOPTS=""
     addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.16, ghc-7.4.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-  - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.6.3 GHCOPTS="-Werror"
+  - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.6.3 GHCOPTS="-Werror" JOPTS="-j2"
     addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18, ghc-7.6.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-  - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.8.4 GHCOPTS="-Werror"
+  - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.8.4 GHCOPTS="-Werror" JOPTS="-j2"
     addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18, ghc-7.8.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-  - env: CABALVER=1.22 GHCVER=7.10.1 GHCOPTS=""
+  - env: CABALVER=1.22 GHCVER=7.10.1 GHCOPTS="" JOPTS="-j2"
     addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.22, ghc-7.10.1],sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
-#  - env: CABALVER=head GHCVER=head GHCOPTS="-Werror"
+#  - env: CABALVER=head GHCVER=head GHCOPTS="-Werror" JOPTS="-j2"
 #    addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-head,ghc-head],  sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
 
 # Note: the distinction between `before_install` and `install` is not important.
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ before_install:
 install:
  - cabal-$CABALVER update
 # - git clone https://github.com/jgm/pandoc-types && cd pandoc-types && cabal-1.18 install && cd ..
- - cabal-$CABALVER install -j2 --only-dependencies --enable-tests
+ - cabal-$CABALVER install $JOPTS --only-dependencies --enable-tests
 
 # 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:
  - cabal-$CABALVER configure --enable-tests -v2  # -v2 provides useful information for debugging
- - cabal-$CABALVER build -j2 --ghc-options=$GHCOPTS # this builds all libraries and executables (including tests/benchmarks)
+ - cabal-$CABALVER build $JOPTS --ghc-options=$GHCOPTS # this builds all libraries and executables (including tests/benchmarks)
  - cabal-$CABALVER test
  - cabal-$CABALVER check