diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index bbad0cba5..bc8d9652c 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -28,19 +28,24 @@ before_install:
   - hash -r
   - conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no
   - conda update -q conda
-  - conda install --yes python=$TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION conda-build pip coverage
+  # conda-build must be installed in the conda root environment
+  - conda install conda-build
+  # TODO: point at conda.anaconda.org?
   - conda config --add channels http://conda.binstar.org/cwrowley
   - conda info -a
+  - conda create -q -n test-environment python="$TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION" pip coverage slycot
+  - source activate test-environment
+  # coveralls not in conda repos
+  - pip install coveralls
 
 # Install packages
 install:
-  - conda install slycot
-  - conda build conda-recipe
+  - conda build --python "$TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION" conda-recipe
   - conda install control --use-local
-  - pip install coveralls
 
 # command to run tests
 script:
   - coverage run setup.py test
+
 after_success:
   - coveralls