diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 5b3755c2c..eb06aab14 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ os:
 env:
   - VIA="pypi"
   - VIA="compile"
+  - VIA="sdist"
 
 install:
   - "./travis.sh"
@@ -21,4 +22,5 @@ install:
 script:
   - "pip install pytest"
   - if [[ "${VIA}" == "compile" ]]; then SPACY_DATA=models/en python -m pytest spacy; fi
-  - if [[ "${TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST}" == "false" && "${VIA}" == "pip" ]]; then python -m pytest spacy; fi
+  - if [[ "${VIA}" == "pip" ]]; then python -m pytest spacy; fi
+  - if [[ "${VIA}" == "sdist" ]]; then python -m pytest spacy; fi
diff --git a/travis.sh b/travis.sh
index 7127bb873..bf36ce3b0 100755
--- a/travis.sh
+++ b/travis.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-if [ "${TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST}" == "false" && "${VIA}" == "pypi" ]; then
+if [ "${VIA}" == "pypi" ]; then
     rm -rf *
     pip install spacy
 fi
 
+if [ "${VIA}" == "sdist" ]; then
+  rm -rf *
+  wget https://api.explosion.ai/build/spaCy/$TRAVIS_COMMIT spacy.tgz
+  pip install spacy.tgz
+fi
+
 
 if [ "${VIA}" == "compile" ]; then
   pip install -r requirements.txt