diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index f44357e6..80d758a8 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,23 +1,35 @@
 language: go
-go:
-  - 1.x
-
-sudo: required
-services:
-  - docker
-
+sudo: false
 env:
-  - GOVERSION=1.11
-  - GOVERSION=1.12
-
-before_install:
-  - chmod +x ./run_tests.sh
-
-install: true
-
-cache:
-  directories:
-    - ~/.cache
-
+  - GO111MODULE=on
+matrix:
+  include:
+    - os: linux
+      go: 1.12.x
+      cache:
+        directories:
+          - $HOME/.cache/go-build
+          - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
+    - os: linux
+      go: 1.11.x
+      cache:
+        directories:
+          - $HOME/.cache/go-build
+          - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
+    - os: osx
+      go: 1.12.x
+      cache:
+        directories:
+          - $HOME/.cache/go-build
+          - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
+    - os: osx
+      go: 1.11.x
+      cache:
+        directories:
+          - $HOME/Library/Caches/go-build
+          - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
+install:
+  - go get -v github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/cmd/golangci-lint
 script:
-  - ./run_tests.sh docker
+  - env GO111MODULE=on go build ./...
+  - env GO111MODULE=on ./run_tests.sh
diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
index b7867ec4..2d7cf727 100755
--- a/run_tests.sh
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# usage:
-# ./run_tests.sh                         # local, go 1.12
-# GOVERSION=1.11 ./run_tests.sh          # local, go 1.11
-# ./run_tests.sh docker                  # docker, go 1.12
-# GOVERSION=1.11 ./run_tests.sh docker   # docker, go 1.11
-# ./run_tests.sh podman                  # podman, go 1.12
-# GOVERSION=1.11 ./run_tests.sh podman   # podman, go 1.11
-
 set -ex
 
 # The script does automatic checking on a Go package and its sub-packages,
@@ -22,66 +14,38 @@ set -ex
 # golangci-lint (github.com/golangci/golangci-lint) is used to run each each
 # static checker.
 
-# To run on docker on windows, symlink /mnt/c to /c and then execute the script
-# from the repo path under /c.  See:
-# https://github.com/Microsoft/BashOnWindows/issues/1854
-# for more details.
-
-# Default GOVERSION
-[[ ! "$GOVERSION" ]] && GOVERSION=1.12
 REPO=dcrd
 
-testrepo () {
-  GO=go
+go version
 
-  $GO version
+# binary needed for RPC tests
+env CC=gcc go build
+cp "$REPO" "$GOPATH/bin/"
 
-  # binary needed for RPC tests
-  env CC=gcc $GO build
-  cp "$REPO" "$GOPATH/bin/"
+# run tests on all modules
+ROOTPATH=$(go list -m)
+ROOTPATHPATTERN=$(echo $ROOTPATH | sed 's/\\/\\\\/g' | sed 's/\//\\\//g')
+MODPATHS=$(go list -m all | grep "^$ROOTPATHPATTERN" | cut -d' ' -f1)
+for module in $MODPATHS; do
+  echo "==> ${module}"
+  env CC=gcc go test -short -tags rpctest ${module}/...
 
-  # run tests on all modules
-  ROOTPATH=$($GO list -m)
-  ROOTPATHPATTERN=$(echo $ROOTPATH | sed 's/\\/\\\\/g' | sed 's/\//\\\//g')
-  MODPATHS=$($GO list -m all | grep "^$ROOTPATHPATTERN" | cut -d' ' -f1)
-  for module in $MODPATHS; do
-    echo "==> ${module}"
-    env CC=gcc $GO test -short -tags rpctest ${module}/...
+  # check linters
+  MODNAME=$(echo $module | sed -E -e "s/^$ROOTPATHPATTERN//" \
+    -e 's,^/,,' -e 's,/v[0-9]+$,,')
+  if [ -z "$MODNAME" ]; then
+    MODNAME=.
+  fi
+  (cd $MODNAME && \
+    golangci-lint run --build-tags=rpctest --disable-all --deadline=10m \
+      --enable=gofmt \
+      --enable=gosimple \
+      --enable=unconvert \
+      --enable=ineffassign \
+      --enable=govet \
+      --enable=misspell \
+  )
+done
 
-    # check linters
-    MODNAME=$(echo $module | sed -E -e "s/^$ROOTPATHPATTERN//" \
-      -e 's,^/,,' -e 's,/v[0-9]+$,,')
-    if [ -z "$MODNAME" ]; then
-      MODNAME=.
-    fi
-    (cd $MODNAME && \
-      golangci-lint run --build-tags=rpctest --disable-all --deadline=10m \
-        --enable=gofmt \
-        --enable=gosimple \
-        --enable=unconvert \
-        --enable=ineffassign \
-        --enable=govet \
-        --enable=misspell \
-    )
-  done
-
-  echo "------------------------------------------"
-  echo "Tests completed successfully!"
-}
-
-DOCKER=
-[[ "$1" == "docker" || "$1" == "podman" ]] && DOCKER=$1
-if [ ! "$DOCKER" ]; then
-    testrepo
-    exit
-fi
-
-# use Travis cache with docker
-DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG=decred-golang-builder-$GOVERSION
-$DOCKER pull decred/$DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG
-
-$DOCKER run --rm -it -v $(pwd):/src:Z decred/$DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG /bin/bash -c "\
-  rsync -ra --filter=':- .gitignore'  \
-  /src/ /go/src/github.com/decred/$REPO/ && \
-  cd github.com/decred/$REPO/ && \
-  env GOVERSION=$GOVERSION GO111MODULE=on bash run_tests.sh"
+echo "------------------------------------------"
+echo "Tests completed successfully!"