diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 69cb8522a83d..9600935b1610 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -44,10 +44,11 @@ matrix:
       script:
         - ./script/plugin_tools.sh format --travis --clang-format=clang-format-5.0
         - ./script/plugin_tools.sh test
-    # Job 3) Build example APKs and run Java tests
+    # Job 3.1) Build example APKs and run Java tests, shard 1/2
     - os: linux
       env:
-        - SHARD=Build-example-APKs+Java-Tests
+        - SHARD="Build example apks 1/2"
+        - PLUGIN_SHARDING="--shardIndex 0 --shardCount 2"
       jdk: oraclejdk8
       sudo: false
       addons:
@@ -60,51 +61,57 @@ matrix:
             - libstdc++6
             - fonts-droid
       before_script:
-        - wget https://dl.google.com/android/repository/sdk-tools-linux-3859397.zip
-        - mkdir android-sdk
-        - unzip -qq sdk-tools-linux-3859397.zip -d android-sdk
+        - ./script/before_build_apks.sh
         - export ANDROID_HOME=`pwd`/android-sdk
-        - export PATH=`pwd`/android-sdk/tools/bin:$PATH
-        - mkdir -p /home/travis/.android # silence sdkmanager warning
-        - echo 'count=0' > /home/travis/.android/repositories.cfg # silence sdkmanager warning
-        # suppressing output of sdkmanager to keep log under 4MB (travis limit)
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "tools" >/dev/null
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "platform-tools" >/dev/null
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "build-tools;26.0.3" >/dev/null
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "platforms;android-26" >/dev/null
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "extras;android;m2repository" >/dev/null
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "extras;google;m2repository" >/dev/null
-        - echo y | sdkmanager "patcher;v4" >/dev/null
-        - sdkmanager --list
-        - wget http://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.1-bin.zip
-        - unzip -qq gradle-4.1-bin.zip
-        - export GRADLE_HOME=$PWD/gradle-4.1
-        - export PATH=$GRADLE_HOME/bin:$PATH
-        - gradle -v
-        - git clone https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
         - export PATH=`pwd`/flutter/bin:`pwd`/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin:$PATH
-        - flutter doctor
-        - pub global activate flutter_plugin_tools
       script:
         - ./script/plugin_tools.sh build-examples --apk
         - ./script/plugin_tools.sh java-test  # must come after apk build
-    # Job 4) Build example IPAs
+    # Job 3.2) Build example APKs and run Java tests, shard 2/2
+    - os: linux
+      env:
+        - SHARD="Build example apks 2/2"
+        - PLUGIN_SHARDING="--shardIndex 1 --shardCount 2"
+      jdk: oraclejdk8
+      sudo: false
+      addons:
+        apt:
+          # Flutter depends on /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6 version GLIBCXX_3.4.18
+          sources:
+            - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test # if we don't specify this, the libstdc++6 we get is the wrong version
+          packages:
+            - lib32stdc++6 # https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/6207
+            - libstdc++6
+            - fonts-droid
+      before_script:
+        - ./script/before_build_apks.sh
+        - export ANDROID_HOME=`pwd`/android-sdk
+        - export PATH=`pwd`/flutter/bin:`pwd`/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin:$PATH
+      script:
+        - ./script/plugin_tools.sh build-examples --apk
+        - ./script/plugin_tools.sh java-test  # must come after apk build
+    # Job 4.1) Build example IPAs, shard 1/2
     - os: osx
       env:
-        - SHARD=Build-example-IPAs
+        - SHARD="Build example ipas 1/2"
+        - PLUGIN_SHARDING="--shardIndex 0 --shardCount 2"
       language: generic
       osx_image: xcode9.3
       before_script:
-        - brew update
-        - brew install libimobiledevice
-        - brew install ideviceinstaller
-        - brew install ios-deploy
-        - pod repo update
-        - gem update cocoapods
-        - git clone https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
+        - ./script/before_build_ipas.sh
+        - export PATH=`pwd`/flutter/bin:`pwd`/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin:$PATH
+      script:
+        - ./script/plugin_tools.sh build-examples --ipa
+    # Job 4.2) Build example IPAs, shard 2/2
+    - os: osx
+      env:
+        - SHARD="Build example ipas 2/2"
+        - PLUGIN_SHARDING="--shardIndex 1 --shardCount 2"
+      language: generic
+      osx_image: xcode9.3
+      before_script:
+        - ./script/before_build_ipas.sh
         - export PATH=`pwd`/flutter/bin:`pwd`/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin:$PATH
-        - flutter doctor
-        - pub global activate flutter_plugin_tools
       script:
         - ./script/plugin_tools.sh build-examples --ipa
 
diff --git a/script/before_build_apks.sh b/script/before_build_apks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..145e05653876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/before_build_apks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+wget https://dl.google.com/android/repository/sdk-tools-linux-3859397.zip
+mkdir android-sdk
+unzip -qq sdk-tools-linux-3859397.zip -d android-sdk
+export ANDROID_HOME=`pwd`/android-sdk
+export PATH=`pwd`/android-sdk/tools/bin:$PATH
+mkdir -p /home/travis/.android # silence sdkmanager warning
+echo 'count=0' > /home/travis/.android/repositories.cfg # silence sdkmanager warning
+        # suppressing output of sdkmanager to keep log under 4MB (travis limit)
+echo y | sdkmanager "tools" >/dev/null
+echo y | sdkmanager "platform-tools" >/dev/null
+echo y | sdkmanager "build-tools;26.0.3" >/dev/null
+echo y | sdkmanager "platforms;android-26" >/dev/null
+echo y | sdkmanager "extras;android;m2repository" >/dev/null
+echo y | sdkmanager "extras;google;m2repository" >/dev/null
+echo y | sdkmanager "patcher;v4" >/dev/null
+sdkmanager --list
+wget http://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-4.1-bin.zip
+unzip -qq gradle-4.1-bin.zip
+export GRADLE_HOME=$PWD/gradle-4.1
+export PATH=$GRADLE_HOME/bin:$PATH
+gradle -v
+git clone https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
+export PATH=`pwd`/flutter/bin:`pwd`/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin:$PATH
+flutter doctor
+pub global activate flutter_plugin_tools
diff --git a/script/before_build_ipas.sh b/script/before_build_ipas.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..93ffb37d7612
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/before_build_ipas.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+brew update
+brew install libimobiledevice
+brew install ideviceinstaller
+brew install ios-deploy
+pod repo update
+gem update cocoapods
+git clone https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
+export PATH=`pwd`/flutter/bin:`pwd`/flutter/bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin:$PATH
+flutter doctor
+pub global activate flutter_plugin_tools
diff --git a/script/plugin_tools.sh b/script/plugin_tools.sh
index c2a3a0a49db7..3edbb89d2f85 100755
--- a/script/plugin_tools.sh
+++ b/script/plugin_tools.sh
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 set -ev
 
 if [ "${TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST}" = "false" ]; then
-  echo "Running for all packages"
-  pub global run flutter_plugin_tools "$@"
+  echo "Running for all packages ($PLUGIN_SHARDING)"
+  pub global run flutter_plugin_tools "$@" $PLUGIN_SHARDING
 else
   FLUTTER_CHANGED_GLOBAL=`git diff --name-only $TRAVIS_COMMIT_RANGE | grep -v packages | wc -l`
   FLUTTER_CHANGED_PACKAGES=`git diff --name-only $TRAVIS_COMMIT_RANGE | grep -o "packages/[^/]*" | sed -e "s/packages\///g" | sort | uniq | paste -s -d, -`
   if [ "${FLUTTER_CHANGED_PACKAGES}" = "" ] || [ $FLUTTER_CHANGED_GLOBAL -gt 0 ]; then
-    echo "Running for all packages"
-    pub global run flutter_plugin_tools "$@"
+    echo "Running for all packages ($PLUGIN_SHARDING)"
+    pub global run flutter_plugin_tools "$@" $PLUGIN_SHARDING
   else
     echo "Running only for $FLUTTER_CHANGED_PACKAGES"
     pub global run flutter_plugin_tools "$@" --plugins=$FLUTTER_CHANGED_PACKAGES