diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 7de2255d..8f9ba45f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -20,17 +20,14 @@ before_install:
     - sh -e /etc/init.d/xvfb start
     - sudo apt-get update
 
-    - travis_retry pip install wheel flake8 coveralls nose six
+    - travis_retry pip install wheel flake8 coveralls nose
+
     # on Python 2.7, use the system versions of numpy, scipy, and matplotlib
     -  if [[  $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
             travis_retry sudo apt-get install python-scipy python-matplotlib;
-             travis_retry sudo apt-get install libtiff4-dev libjpeg8-dev zlib1g-dev \
-                      libfreetype6-dev liblcms2-dev libwebp-dev tcl8.5-dev tk8.5-dev \
-                      python-dev python-tk
-            travis_retry pip install pillow cython $WHEELHOUSE;
-     else
-            travis_retry pip install  -r requirements.txt $WHEELHOUSE;
-     fi
+       fi
+
+    - travis_retry pip install  -r requirements.txt $WHEELHOUSE;
     - python check_bento_build.py
 
 install:
@@ -40,23 +37,24 @@ install:
     - python setup.py build_ext --inplace
 
 script:
-    # Run all tests with minimum dependencies
+    - tools/header.py "Run all tests with minimum dependencies"
     - nosetests --exe -v skimage
 
     - tools/header.py "Pep8 and Flake tests"
-
-    # Run pep8 and flake tests
     - flake8 --exit-zero --exclude=test_*,six.py skimage doc/examples viewer_examples
 
-    - tools/header.py "Install  optional dependencies"
+    - tools/header.py "Install optional dependencies"
 
     # Install Qt and then update the Matplotlib settings
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
-        sudo apt-get install python-qt4;
+        sudo apt-get install -q python-qt4;
+        export QT_API=PyQt4;
+
       else
-         sudo apt-get install libqt4-dev;
+         sudo apt-get install -q libqt4-dev;
          travis_retry pip install PySide $WHEELHOUSE;
          python ~/virtualenv/python${TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION}/bin/pyside_postinstall.py -install;
+         export QT_API=Pyside;
       fi
 
     # Matplotlib settings - must be after we install Pyside
@@ -64,22 +62,19 @@ script:
     - mkdir -p $MPL_DIR
     - touch $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc
     - "echo 'backend : Agg' > $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc"
-
-    - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
-          echo 'backend.qt4 : PyQt4' >> $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc;
-      else
-           echo 'backend.qt4 : PySide' >> $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc;
-      fi
+    - "echo 'backend.qt4 : $(QT_API)' >> $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc"
 
     # - imread does NOT support py3.2
     - if [[  $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION != 3.2 ]]; then
-        sudo apt-get install libtiff4-dev libwebp-dev xcftools;
+        sudo apt-get install -q libtiff4-dev libwebp-dev xcftools;
         travis_retry pip install imread;
       fi
+
     # TODO: update when SimpleITK become available on py34 or hopefully pip
     - if [[  $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION != 3.4 ]]; then
         travis_retry easy_install SimpleITK;
       fi
+
       - travis_retry pip install --no-deps astropy
 
       - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.* ]]; then
@@ -87,14 +82,11 @@ script:
        fi
 
     - tools/header.py "Run doc examples"
-
-    # Run all doc examples
     - export PYTHONPATH=$(pwd):$PYTHONPATH
     - for f in doc/examples/*.py; do python "$f"; if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then exit 1; fi done
     - for f in doc/examples/applications/*.py; do python "$f"; if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then exit 1; fi done
 
     - tools/header.py "Run tests with all dependencies"
-
     # run tests again with optional dependencies to get more coverage
     # measure coverage on py3.3
     - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 3.3 ]]; then