diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 0f74c56acf592..49816709b38ed 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -19,35 +19,54 @@ addons:
     - libsfml-dev
 
 before_install:
-  - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then brew update; fi
-  - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then brew install boehmgc; fi
-  - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then brew install sfml; fi
+  - |
+    if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then
+      brew update
+      brew install boehmgc
+      brew install sfml
+    fi
 
 before_script:
-  - set -e
-  - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then unset -f cd; fi
-  - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then shell_session_update() { :; }; fi
-  - git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nim-lang/csources.git
-  - cd csources
-  - sh build.sh
-  - cd ..
-  - export PATH=$(pwd)/bin${PATH:+:$PATH}
+  - |
+    if [ "$TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST" != "false" ]; then
+      TRAVIS_COMMIT_RANGE="FETCH_HEAD...$TRAVIS_BRANCH"
+    fi
+    export SKIPTESTS="false"
+    git diff --name-only $TRAVIS_COMMIT_RANGE | grep -qvE '(\.md$)|(\.txt$)(\.rst)|(^(doc|icons|web|))/' || {
+      echo "Only the docs were updated, the tests will not run."
+      export SKIPTESTS="true"
+    }
+    set -e
+    if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then
+      # see https://github.com/travis-ci/travis-ci/issues/8703#issuecomment-389117994
+      unset -f cd
+      shell_session_update() { :; };
+    fi
+    git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nim-lang/csources.git
+    cd csources
+    sh build.sh
+    cd ..
+    export PATH=$(pwd)/bin${PATH:+:$PATH}
 script:
-  - nim c koch
-  - ./koch boot
-  - ./koch boot -d:release
-  - ./koch nimble
-  - nim e tests/test_nimscript.nims
-  - nimble install zip -y
-  - nimble install opengl
-  - nimble install sdl1
-  - nimble install jester@#head -y
-  - nimble install niminst
-  - nim c --taintMode:on -d:nimCoroutines tests/testament/tester
-  - tests/testament/tester --pedantic all -d:nimCoroutines
-  - nim c -o:bin/nimpretty nimpretty/nimpretty.nim
-  - nim c -r nimpretty/tester.nim
-  - ./koch web
-  - ./koch csource
-  - ./koch nimsuggest
-  - nim c -r nimsuggest/tester
+  - |
+    set -e
+    nim c koch
+    ./koch boot
+    ./koch boot -d:release
+    if [ "$SKIPTESTS" != "true" ]; then
+      ./koch nimble
+      nim e tests/test_nimscript.nims
+      nimble install zip -y
+      nimble install opengl
+      nimble install sdl1
+      nimble install jester@#head -y
+      nimble install niminst
+      nim c --taintMode:on -d:nimCoroutines tests/testament/tester
+      tests/testament/tester --pedantic all -d:nimCoroutines
+      nim c -o:bin/nimpretty nimpretty/nimpretty.nim
+      nim c -r nimpretty/tester.nim
+      ./koch csource
+      ./koch nimsuggest
+    fi
+    ./koch web
+    nim c -r nimsuggest/tester