diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index a600f508b0..022462f698 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ env:
     - SRC_DIR=".."
     - BUILD_DIR="build"
     - BASE_CONFIG="--disable-docs --disable-tools"
+    - TEST_BUILD_CMD=""
     - TEST_CMD="make check V=1"
     # This is broadly a list of "mainline" softmmu targets which have support across the major distros
     - MAIN_SOFTMMU_TARGETS="aarch64-softmmu,mips64-softmmu,ppc64-softmmu,riscv64-softmmu,s390x-softmmu,x86_64-softmmu"
@@ -96,6 +97,12 @@ before_script:
 # Main build & test - rarely overridden - controlled by TEST_CMD
 script:
   - BUILD_RC=0 && make -j${JOBS} || BUILD_RC=$?
+  - |
+    if [ "$BUILD_RC" -eq 0 ] && [ -n "$TEST_BUILD_CMD" ]; then
+        ${TEST_BUILD_CMD} || BUILD_RC=$?
+    else
+        $(exit $BUILD_RC);
+    fi
   - if [ "$BUILD_RC" -eq 0 ] ; then travis_retry ${TEST_CMD} ; else $(exit $BUILD_RC); fi
 after_script:
   - if command -v ccache ; then ccache --show-stats ; fi
@@ -368,7 +375,8 @@ matrix:
     - name: "GCC check-tcg (user)"
       env:
         - CONFIG="--disable-system --enable-debug-tcg"
-        - TEST_CMD="make -j${JOBS} check-tcg V=1"
+        - TEST_BUILD_CMD="make -j${JOBS} build-tcg"
+        - TEST_CMD="make check-tcg"
         - CACHE_NAME="${TRAVIS_BRANCH}-linux-gcc-debug-tcg"
 
 
@@ -377,7 +385,8 @@ matrix:
     - name: "GCC plugins check-tcg (user)"
       env:
         - CONFIG="--disable-system --enable-plugins --enable-debug-tcg --target-list-exclude=sparc64-linux-user"
-        - TEST_CMD="make -j${JOBS} check-tcg V=1"
+        - TEST_BUILD_CMD="make -j${JOBS} build-tcg"
+        - TEST_CMD="make check-tcg"
         - CACHE_NAME="${TRAVIS_BRANCH}-linux-gcc-debug-tcg"
 
 
@@ -385,7 +394,8 @@ matrix:
     - name: "GCC check-tcg (some-softmmu)"
       env:
         - CONFIG="--enable-debug-tcg --target-list=xtensa-softmmu,arm-softmmu,aarch64-softmmu,alpha-softmmu"
-        - TEST_CMD="make -j${JOBS} check-tcg V=1"
+        - TEST_BUILD_CMD="make -j${JOBS} build-tcg"
+        - TEST_CMD="make check-tcg"
         - CACHE_NAME="${TRAVIS_BRANCH}-linux-gcc-debug-tcg"
 
 
@@ -393,7 +403,8 @@ matrix:
     - name: "GCC plugins check-tcg (some-softmmu)"
       env:
         - CONFIG="--enable-plugins --enable-debug-tcg --target-list=xtensa-softmmu,arm-softmmu,aarch64-softmmu,alpha-softmmu"
-        - TEST_CMD="make -j${JOBS} check-tcg V=1"
+        - TEST_BUILD_CMD="make -j${JOBS} build-tcg"
+        - TEST_CMD="make check-tcg"
         - CACHE_NAME="${TRAVIS_BRANCH}-linux-gcc-debug-tcg"
 
     - name: "[aarch64] GCC check-tcg"