diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2f0ac822c0a..e976043f1cd 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ addons:
 script:
     - perl Configure.pl $RAKUDO_OPTIONS --moar-option=--cc=$(command -v gcc-6 >/dev/null 2>&1; if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then printf "gcc"; else printf "gcc-6"; fi)
     - "make install"
-    - (cd ~/build/rakudo/rakudo/ && prove -e ~/build/rakudo/rakudo/install/bin/perl6 -vlr t)
+    - if [[ $RAKUDO_OPTIONS =~ jvm ]]; then echo "make test is skipped on the jvm backend"; else (cd ~/build/rakudo/rakudo/ && prove -e ~/build/rakudo/rakudo/install/bin/perl6 -vlr t); fi
 
 branches:
    only: