diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6ecd6bca73..83afb76816 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ env:
 
 cache:
   directories:
+    - $HOME/.m2
     - $HOME/.ivy2/cache
-    - $HOME/.sbt/boot
+    - $HOME/.sbt
     - $HOME/.coursier
+    # Pants cache
+    - $HOME/.cache
+    
diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index b7654f6861..8365bc7022 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ lazy val kernelSettings = Seq(
   resolvers ++= Seq(
     Resolver.sonatypeRepo("releases"),
     Resolver.sonatypeRepo("snapshots")),
+  fork in test := true,
   parallelExecution in Test := false,
   scalacOptions in (Compile, doc) := (scalacOptions in (Compile, doc)).value.filter(_ != "-Xfatal-warnings")
 ) ++ warnUnusedImport ++ update2_12 ++ xlint
@@ -513,7 +514,18 @@ lazy val publishSettings = Seq(
 ) ++ credentialSettings ++ sharedPublishSettings ++ sharedReleaseProcess
 
 // These aliases serialise the build for the benefit of Travis-CI.
-addCommandAlias("buildJVM", "catsJVM/test")
+
+addCommandAlias("buildKernelJVM", ";kernelJVM/test;kernelLawsJVM/test")
+
+addCommandAlias("buildCoreJVM", ";macrosJVM/test;coreJVM/test")
+
+addCommandAlias("buildTestsJVM", ";lawsJVM/test;testkitJVM/test;testsJVM/test;jvm/test")
+
+addCommandAlias("buildFreeJVM", ";freeJVM/test")
+
+addCommandAlias("buildAlleycatsJVM", ";alleycatsCoreJVM/test;alleycatsLawsJVM/test;alleycatsTestsJVM/test")
+
+addCommandAlias("buildJVM", ";buildKernelJVM;buildCoreJVM;buildTestsJVM;buildFreeJVM;buildAlleycatsJVM")
 
 addCommandAlias("validateJVM", ";scalastyle;buildJVM;mimaReportBinaryIssues;makeMicrosite")
 
diff --git a/kernel-laws/src/test/scala/cats/kernel/laws/LawTests.scala b/kernel-laws/src/test/scala/cats/kernel/laws/LawTests.scala
index b5cf16a036..f7f45ae3af 100644
--- a/kernel-laws/src/test/scala/cats/kernel/laws/LawTests.scala
+++ b/kernel-laws/src/test/scala/cats/kernel/laws/LawTests.scala
@@ -87,9 +87,13 @@ class Tests extends FunSuite with Discipline {
   // The scalacheck defaults (100,100) are too high for scala-js.
   final val PropMaxSize: PosZInt = if (Platform.isJs) 10 else 100
   final val PropMinSuccessful: PosInt = if (Platform.isJs) 10 else 100
+  final val PropWorkers: PosInt = if (Platform.isJvm) PosInt(2) else PosInt(1)
 
   implicit override val generatorDrivenConfig: PropertyCheckConfiguration =
-    PropertyCheckConfiguration(minSuccessful = PropMinSuccessful, sizeRange = PropMaxSize)
+    PropertyCheckConfiguration(
+      minSuccessful = PropMinSuccessful,
+      sizeRange = PropMaxSize,
+      workers = PropWorkers)
 
 
   {