diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 7a2b26ac..b3b76b8a 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ script:
     # confusion.  This is necessary to ensure that the speedups module can
     # be found in the installation directory.
     - cd maint
-    # Copy the coveragerc down so codecov can find it.
+    # Copy the coveragerc down so coverage.py can find it.
     - cp ../.coveragerc .
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION != 'pypy'* ]]; then export TORNADO_EXTENSION=1; fi
     - export TARGET="-m tornado.test.runtests"
@@ -67,16 +67,16 @@ script:
     #- if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION != pypy* && $DEPS == true ]]; then python $TARGET --resolver=tornado.platform.caresresolver.CaresResolver; fi
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == '3.3' ]]; then python $TARGET --ioloop_time_monotonic; fi
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == '3.4' ]]; then python $TARGET --ioloop_time_monotonic; fi
+    # make coverage reports for Codecov to find
+    - coverage xml
     - export TORNADO_EXTENSION=0
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == '3.4' && $DEPS == true ]]; then cd ../docs && mkdir sphinx-out && sphinx-build -E -n -W -b html . sphinx-out; fi
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == '2.7' && $DEPS == true ]]; then cd ../docs && mkdir sphinx-doctest-out && sphinx-build -E -n -b doctest . sphinx-out; fi
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == '3.4' && $DEPS == true ]]; then cd ../docs && mkdir sphinx-doctest-out && sphinx-build -E -n -b doctest . sphinx-out; fi
 
 after_success:
-    - echo $PWD
-    - ls -al
-    - coverage xml
-    - codecov -e DEPS
+    # call codecov from project root
+    - cd ../ && codecov -e DEPS
 
 # This reportedly works around an issue downloading packages from pypi on
 # travis.  Consider removing this after the underlying issue is fixed.