diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 189b627b..a879d652 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 cython>=0.19.2
-matplotlib>=1.1.0
+matplotlib>=1.0
 numpy>=1.6.1
 scipy>=0.9
 six>=1.3
diff --git a/tools/travis_before_install.sh b/tools/travis_before_install.sh
index fc6df38e..03828fd2 100755
--- a/tools/travis_before_install.sh
+++ b/tools/travis_before_install.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,24 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -ex
 
 export WHEELHOUSE="--no-index --find-links=http://travis-wheels.scikit-image.org/"
 
 
-repip () {
-    travis_retry pip $@
+retry () {
+    # https://gist.github.com/fungusakafungus/1026804
+    local retry_max=3
+    local count=$retry_max
+    while [ $count -gt 0 ]; do
+        "$@" && break
+        count=$(($count - 1))
+        sleep 1
+    done
+
+    [ $count -eq 0 ] && {
+        echo "Retry failed [$retry_max]: $@" >&2
+        return 1
+    }
+    return 0
 }
 
 
@@ -15,37 +29,40 @@ if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
     sudo apt-get install python-scipy python-matplotlib
     sed -i 's/cython>=/cython==/g' requirements.txt
     sed -i 's/networkx>=/networkx==/g' requirements.txt
+    sed -i '/matplotlib/d' requirements.txt
+    sed -i '/scipy/d' requirements.txt
 else
     virtualenv -p python --system-site-packages ~/venv
 fi
 
 source ~/venv/bin/activate
-repip install wheel flake8 coveralls nose
+retry pip install wheel flake8 coveralls nose
 
 # install system tk for matplotlib
 sudo apt-get install python-tk
 
 
 # on Python 3.2, use matplotlib 1.3.1
-if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
+if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 3.2 ]]; then
     sed -i 's/matplotlib>=*.*.*/matplotlib==1.3.1/g' requirements.txt
 fi
 
-repip install $WHEELHOUSE -r requirements.txt
+retry pip install $WHEELHOUSE -r requirements.txt
 
 # clean up disk space
 sudo apt-get clean
 sudo rm -rf /tmp/*
 
 
-fold_start () {
+section () {
     echo -en "travis_fold:start:$1\r"
+    tools/header.py $1
 }
 
-fold_end () {
+section_end () {
     echo -en "travis_fold:end:$1\r"
 }
 
-export -f fold_start
-export -f fold_end
-export -f repip
+export -f section
+export -f section_end
+export -f retry
diff --git a/tools/travis_script.sh b/tools/travis_script.sh
index fea6bbbc..ffd21f26 100755
--- a/tools/travis_script.sh
+++ b/tools/travis_script.sh
@@ -1,31 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -ex
 
-fold_start "script.setup"
+section "Script Setup"
 sh -e /etc/init.d/xvfb start
 export DISPLAY=:99.0
 PYTHONWARNINGS="all"
 TEST_ARGS="--exe --ignore-files=^_test -v --with-doctest --ignore-files=^setup.py$"
-fold_end "script.setup"
+section_end "Script Setup"
 
 
-fold_start "test.min"
-tools/header.py "Test with min requirements"
-
+section "Test with min requirements"
 nosetests $TEST_ARGS skimage
-fold_end "test.min"
+section_end "Test with min requirements"
 
 
-fold_start "test.flake8"
-tools/header.py "Flake8 test"
-
+section "Flake8 test"
 flake8 --exit-zero --exclude=test_*,six.py skimage doc/examples viewer_examples
-fold_end "test.flake8"
+section_end "Flake8 test"
 
 
-
-fold_start "install.all"
-tools/header.py "Install optional dependencies"
+section "Install optional dependencies"
 
 # Install Qt and then update the Matplotlib settings
 if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
@@ -47,37 +41,42 @@ if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
 
 else
     sudo apt-get install -q libqt4-dev
-    repip install -q PySide $WHEELHOUSE
+    retry pip install -q PySide $WHEELHOUSE
     python ~/venv/bin/pyside_postinstall.py -install
 fi
 
 # imread does NOT support py3.2
 if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION != 3.2 ]]; then
     sudo apt-get install -q libtiff4-dev libwebp-dev libpng12-dev xcftools
-    repip install -q imread
+    retry pip  install -q imread
 fi
 
 # Install SimpleITK from wheelhouse if available (not 3.2 or 3.4)
 if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION =~ 3\.[24] ]]; then
     echo "SimpleITK unavailable on $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION"
 else
-    repip install -q SimpleITK $WHEELHOUSE
+    retry pip  install -q SimpleITK $WHEELHOUSE
 fi
 
 sudo apt-get install -q libfreeimage3
-repip install -q astropy $WHEELHOUSE
+retry pip install -q astropy $WHEELHOUSE
 
 if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.* ]]; then
-    repip install -q pyamg
+    retry pip install -q pyamg
 fi
 
-repip install -q tifffile
+retry pip install -q tifffile
 
-fold_end "install.all"
+section_end "Install optional dependencies"
 
 
-fold_start "doc.examples"
-tools/header.py "Run doc examples"
+section "Run doc examples"
+
+# Matplotlib settings - do not show figures during doc examples
+MPL_DIR=$HOME/.config/matplotlib
+mkdir -p $MPL_DIR
+touch $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc
+echo 'backend : Template' > $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc
 
 for f in doc/examples/*.py; do
     python "$f"
@@ -86,11 +85,10 @@ for f in doc/examples/*.py; do
     fi
 done
 
-fold_end "doc.examples"
+section_end "Run doc examples"
 
 
-fold_start "doc.applications"
-tools/header.py "Run doc applications"
+section "Run doc applications"
 
 for f in doc/examples/applications/*.py; do
     python "$f"
@@ -100,14 +98,20 @@ for f in doc/examples/applications/*.py; do
 done
 
 # Now configure Matplotlib to use Qt4
+if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.7* ]]; then
+    MPL_QT_API=PyQt4
+    export QT_API=pyqt
+else
+    MPL_QT_API=PySide
+    export QT_API=pyside
+fi
 echo 'backend: Agg' > $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc
 echo 'backend.qt4 : '$MPL_QT_API >> $MPL_DIR/matplotlibrc
 
-fold_end "doc.applications"
+section_end "Run doc applications"
 
 
-fold_start "test.all"
-tools/header.py "Test with optional dependencies"
+section "Test with optional dependencies"
 
 # run tests again with optional dependencies to get more coverage
 if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 3.3 ]]; then
@@ -115,4 +119,4 @@ if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 3.3 ]]; then
 fi
 nosetests $TEST_ARGS
 
-fold_end "test.all"
+section_end "Test with optional dependencies"