diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2abe9f1558f..93ccfdc2537 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ install:
    - cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR
    - conda env create -f tardis_env27.yml
    - source activate tardis
+   #trouble with building due to segfault at cython (https://github.com/cython/cython/issues/2199)
+   #remove if we can get normal cython through conda
+   - git clone https://github.com/cython/cython
+   - cd cython
+   - git checkout c485b1b77264c3c75d090a3c526de24966830d42
+   - CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -D CYTHON_CLINE_IN_TRACEBACK=0" python setup.py install
+   - cd ..
 
 script:
     - echo CC=$COMPILER python setup.py $SETUP_CMD
diff --git a/tardis_env27.yml b/tardis_env27.yml
index e25ff7ef4c9..57c16774223 100644
--- a/tardis_env27.yml
+++ b/tardis_env27.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ dependencies:
 - matplotlib=2.0
 - astropy=1.3
 - numexpr=2.6
-- Cython=0.28.4
+#- Cython=0.28
 - networkx=1.10
 - pytest=3.0
 - pyyaml=3.12