diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 84e3bfdd8..cf01b7d5c 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -53,14 +53,17 @@ before_install:
   - perl -V
   - cpanm --quiet --notest ExtUtils::F77 Term::ReadLine::Gnu PGPLOT # do not need tests
   - cpanm --quiet --notest Devel::CheckLib # specify this now because this is a CONFIGURE_REQUIRES for author-side
+  - if [ "$AUTHOR_TESTING" == 1 ]; then cpanm --quiet --notest CPAN::Changes; fi # for author tests (AUTHOR_TESTING is set to true by default by init)
   - cpanm --force --verbose ExtUtils::ParseXS # we install the latest ExtUtils::ParseXS
   - if [ "$EUMM_BLEAD" == 1 ]; then cpanm --quiet --notest --dev ExtUtils::MakeMaker; fi
   - build-dist
+  - SRC_DIR=$(pwd)
   - cd $BUILD_DIR             # $BUILD_DIR is set by the build-dist command
 install:
   - cpan-install --deps       # installs prereqs, including recommends
   - cpan-install --coverage   # installs coverage prereqs, if enabled
   - prove t/00-report-prereqs.t t/01-checkmanifest.t
+  - prove -b -v $SRC_DIR/xt/00-check-changelog.t # run the author test out of the source directory
   # SYSTEM_CORES set by travis-perl-helpers
   - if [ "$SERIAL_BUILD" == 1 ]; then make; else make -j$(( $SYSTEM_CORES * 2 )); fi
 before_script: