diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 7153cadef05..29c4e8a26fd 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ addons:
 
 env:
     global:
-        - CPPFLAGS=-I$HOME/include
-        - LDFLAGS=-L$HOME/lib
-        - LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HOME/lib
-        - LIBFABRIC_CONFIGURE_ARGS="--prefix=$HOME --enable-sockets"
+        - PREFIX=$HOME/install
+        - PATH=$PREFIX/bin:$PATH
+        - CPPFLAGS=-I$PREFIX/include
+        - LDFLAGS=-L$PREFIX/lib
+        - LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$PREFIX/lib
+        - LIBFABRIC_CONFIGURE_ARGS="--prefix=$PREFIX --enable-sockets"
 
 # install dependencies for the usnic providers
 before_install:
@@ -32,8 +34,9 @@ before_install:
 install:
     - ./autogen.sh
     - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "linux" && "$CC" == "gcc" ]]; then ./configure $LIBFABRIC_CONFIGURE_ARGS --enable-debug && make -j2; fi
-    - ./configure --prefix=$HOME --enable-direct=sockets --enable-udp=no --enable-psm=no --enable-gni=no --enable-psm2=no --enable-verbs=no --enable-usnic=no --enable-rxm=no --enable-rxd=no && make -j2
-    - ./configure --enable-sockets=dl --disable-udp --disable-rxm --disable-rxd --disable-verbs --disable-usnic --prefix=$HOME && make -j2  && make install && make test
+    - ./configure --prefix=$PREFIX --enable-direct=sockets --enable-udp=no --enable-psm=no --enable-gni=no --enable-psm2=no --enable-verbs=no --enable-usnic=no --enable-rxm=no --enable-rxd=no && make -j2
+    - ./configure --enable-sockets=dl --disable-udp --disable-rxm --disable-rxd --disable-verbs --disable-usnic --prefix=$PREFIX && make -j2  && make install && make test
+    - rm -rf $PREFIX
     - ./configure $LIBFABRIC_CONFIGURE_ARGS
     - make -j2
     - make install
@@ -44,7 +47,7 @@ script:
     - git clone https://github.com/ofiwg/fabtests.git
     - cd fabtests
     - ./autogen.sh
-    - ./configure --prefix=$HOME --with-libfabric=$HOME
+    - ./configure --prefix=$PREFIX --with-libfabric=$PREFIX
     - make -j2
     - make install
     - make test