diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 9c3c0004..8d1de07a 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ matrix:
     - rust: stable
       env:
        - FEATURES='rayon'
+    - rust: stable
+      env:
+       - FEATURES='std'
     - rust: beta
     - rust: nightly
       env:
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d3aef2ad..047c2689 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ fxhash = "0.2.1"
 # Serialization with serde 1.0
 serde-1 = ["serde"]
 
+# Force the use of `std`, bypassing target detection.
+std = []
+
 # for testing only, of course
 test_low_transition_point = []
 test_debug = []
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index 645c0f1c..9f9fa054 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 fn main() {
-    let ac = autocfg::new();
-    ac.emit_sysroot_crate("std");
+    // If "std" is explicitly requested, don't bother probing the target for it.
+    match std::env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_STD") {
+        Some(_) => autocfg::emit("has_std"),
+        None => autocfg::new().emit_sysroot_crate("std"),
+    }
     autocfg::rerun_path("build.rs");
 }