diff --git a/.ci/first_startup.sh b/.ci/first_startup.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8b7453bef126
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/first_startup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+echo "Testing for correct startup:"
+bash run.sh --daemon && sleep 30s && curl -I localhost:8080
+EXIT_CODE=$?
+echo "exit code:$EXIT_CODE, showing startup log:"
+cat paster.log
+exit $EXIT_CODE
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b5b7dbc7ed26..156a6bfe265f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 language: python
 python: 2.7
+os:
+  - linux
 env:
   - TOX_ENV=py34-lint
   - TOX_ENV=py27-lint
@@ -7,10 +9,23 @@ env:
   - TOX_ENV=py27-unit
   - TOX_ENV=py26-unit
   - TOX_ENV=qunit
+  - TOX_ENV=first_startup
+matrix:
+  include:
+  - os: osx
+    env: TOX_ENV=first_startup
+    language: generic
+  - os: osx
+    env: TOX_ENV=py27-unit
+    language: generic
+
+before_install:
+  - if [ `uname` == "Darwin"  ]; then bash -c "brew update && brew install python"; fi
 
 install:
   - pip install tox
   - if [ "$TOX_ENV" == "qunit" ]; then bash -c 'cd test/qunit && npm install'; fi
+  - if [ "$TOX_ENV" == "first_startup" ]; then bash -c "bash scripts/common_startup.sh && wget -q https://github.com/jmchilton/galaxy-downloads/raw/master/db_gx_rev_0127.sqlite && mv db_gx_rev_0127.sqlite database/universe.sqlite && bash manage_db.sh -c ./config/galaxy.ini.sample upgrade"; fi
 
 script: tox -e $TOX_ENV
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 0e0676b4b191..8cd3ba786d43 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -47,3 +47,7 @@ whitelist_externals = bash
 [testenv:web-controller-line-count]
 commands = bash .ci/check_controller.sh
 whitelist_externals = bash
+
+[testenv:first_startup]
+commands = bash .ci/first_startup.sh
+whitelist_externals = bash