diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 187e26dc..110fa2e5 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -33,13 +33,25 @@ x-clifford-templates:
       - pip install codecov
     script:
       - |
+        PYTEST_ARGS=();
+        if [[ "${MODE}" == "bench" ]]; then
+          PYTEST_ARGS+=(--benchmark-only);
+        else
+          PYTEST_ARGS+=(--benchmark-skip);
+        fi;
+        if [[ "${MODE}" == "very_slow" ]]; then
+          PYTEST_ARGS+=(-m "veryslow");
+        else
+          PYTEST_ARGS+=(-m "not veryslow");
+        fi;
+
         pytest clifford/test \
-          ${PYTEST_ARGS} \
+          "${PYTEST_ARGS[@]}" \
           --doctest-modules \
           --junitxml=junit/test-results.xml \
           --durations=25 \
           --cov=clifford \
-          --cov-branch
+          --cov-branch;
     after_success:
       - codecov
 
@@ -64,52 +76,57 @@ matrix:
       stage: Lint
       <<: *lint_job
 
+    # fastest job first
     - os: linux
-      python: '3.5'
+      python: '3.8'
       env:
-        - CONDA=false
-        - PYTEST_ARGS=--benchmark-skip
+        - NUMBA_DISABLE_JIT=1
       stage: Test
       <<: *test_job
 
+    # really slow job second, so it runs in parallel with the others
     - os: linux
       python: '3.8'
       env:
-        - CONDA=false
-        - PYTEST_ARGS=--benchmark-skip
+        - MODE=very_slow
       stage: Test
       <<: *test_job
 
+    # non-conda jobs
     - os: linux
       python: '3.8'
-      env:
-        - CONDA=false
-        - PYTEST_ARGS=--benchmark-only
       stage: Test
       <<: *test_job
 
     - os: linux
       python: '3.5'
+      stage: Test
+      <<: *test_job
+
+    # conda jobs
+    - os: linux
+      python: '3.8'
       env:
         - CONDA=true
-        - PYTEST_ARGS=--benchmark-skip
       stage: Test
       <<: *test_job
 
     - os: linux
-      python: '3.8'
+      python: '3.5'
       env:
         - CONDA=true
-        - PYTEST_ARGS=--benchmark-skip
       stage: Test
       <<: *test_job
+
+    # benchmark
     - os: linux
       python: '3.8'
       env:
-        - NUMBA_DISABLE_JIT=1
+        - MODE=bench
       stage: Test
       <<: *test_job
 
+    # deployment
     - os: linux
       python: '3.8'
       stage: Deploy
diff --git a/clifford/test/test_algebra_initialisation.py b/clifford/test/test_algebra_initialisation.py
index 60203b7e..9267bc88 100644
--- a/clifford/test/test_algebra_initialisation.py
+++ b/clifford/test/test_algebra_initialisation.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ def test_speed(self, n, benchmark):
         benchmark(Cl, n)
 
     @too_slow_without_jit
+    @pytest.mark.veryslow
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         'algebra',
         [Cl(i) for i in [4]] + [conformalize(Cl(3)[0])],
diff --git a/clifford/test/test_g3c_tools.py b/clifford/test/test_g3c_tools.py
index 8fa46fa2..c4b838d6 100644
--- a/clifford/test/test_g3c_tools.py
+++ b/clifford/test/test_g3c_tools.py
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ def test_general_logarithm_TRS(self):
         random_point_pair, random_line, random_circle, random_plane
     ])
     def test_general_logarithm_conformal(self, obj_gen):
-        for i in range(10000):
+        for i in range(1000):
             X = obj_gen()
             Y = obj_gen()
             R = rotor_between_objects(X, Y)
@@ -890,6 +890,7 @@ def test_assign_objects_to_objects(self, obj_gen):
 @too_slow_without_jit
 class TestModelMatching:
 
+    @pytest.mark.veryslow
     def test_fingerprint_match(self):
 
         object_generator = random_line
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 8b87e51d..09c48fa4 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -63,3 +63,7 @@ per-file-ignores =
 
     # generated, so we don't really care
     clifford/tools/g3c/cuda_products.py:F401,E302,E231,W391
+
+[tool:pytest]
+markers =
+    veryslow: mark a test as unreasonably slow (> 30s on travis)