diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index bc145be..d626c6e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ os:
   - linux
   - osx
 language: cpp
-compiler:
-  - gcc
-  - clang
 install:
   - make install_deps
   - source setup.bash
 script:
-  - make && make test
+  - mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$(which python2) && make && make tests && make run_tests
+  - catkin_test_results .
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ced63b1..e172072 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,14 +8,17 @@ ifeq ($(UNAME),Darwin)
 	brew tap ros/deps
 	brew update
 	brew outdated boost || brew upgrade boost || brew install boost
-	sudo pip install rosinstall_generator wstool rosdep empy catkin_pkg
-	sudo rosdep init
+	brew outdated python || brew upgrade python || brew install python
+	sudo -H python2 -m pip install -U pip setuptools
+	sudo -H python2 -m pip install --force-reinstall --no-deps -U pip
+	sudo -H python2 -m pip install rosinstall_generator wstool rosdep empy catkin_pkg
+	sudo -H rosdep init
 	rosdep update
 	mkdir catkin_ws
 	cd catkin_ws && rosinstall_generator catkin --rosdistro hydro --tar > catkin.rosinstall
 	cd catkin_ws && wstool init src catkin.rosinstall
 	cd catkin_ws && rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -y
-	cd catkin_ws && ./src/catkin/bin/catkin_make install
+	cd catkin_ws && python2 ./src/catkin/bin/catkin_make -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=`which python2` install
 	echo "source catkin_ws/install/setup.bash" > setup.bash
 else
 	sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://packages.ros.org/ros/ubuntu precise main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros-latest.list'
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 38718e6..e52a4d3 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ if(UNIX)
         target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}-test util)
     endif()
 
-    catkin_add_gtest(${PROJECT_NAME}-test-timer unit/unix_timer_tests.cc)
-    target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}-test-timer ${PROJECT_NAME})
+    if(NOT APPLE)  # these tests are unreliable on macOS
+      catkin_add_gtest(${PROJECT_NAME}-test-timer unit/unix_timer_tests.cc)
+      target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}-test-timer ${PROJECT_NAME})
+    endif()
 endif()