diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index ffb1bc46f2..fc5730b085 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ matrix:
       compiler:
       addons:
       before_install:
+    - env: jobname=linux-gcc-4.8
+      os: linux
+      dist: trusty
+      compiler:
     - env: jobname=Linux32
       os: linux
       compiler:
diff --git a/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh b/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh
index cdd2913440..ff0ef7f08e 100755
--- a/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh
+++ b/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ windows*) cmd //c mklink //j t\\.prove "$(cygpath -aw "$cache_dir/.prove")";;
 esac
 
 make
-make test
-if test "$jobname" = "linux-gcc"
-then
+case "$jobname" in
+linux-gcc)
+	make test
 	export GIT_TEST_SPLIT_INDEX=yes
 	export GIT_TEST_FULL_IN_PACK_ARRAY=true
 	export GIT_TEST_OE_SIZE=10
@@ -21,7 +21,16 @@ then
 	export GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=1
 	export GIT_TEST_MULTI_PACK_INDEX=1
 	make test
-fi
+	;;
+linux-gcc-4.8)
+	# Don't run the tests; we only care about whether Git can be
+	# built with GCC 4.8, as it errors out on some undesired (C99)
+	# constructs that newer compilers seem to quietly accept.
+	;;
+*)
+	make test
+	;;
+esac
 
 check_unignored_build_artifacts