diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 04ac97dd..8a199f2f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ notifications:
 # uncomment the following lines to override the default test script
 script:
  - if [[ -a .git/shallow ]]; then git fetch --unshallow; fi
- - julia -e 'Pkg.clone(pwd()); Pkg.build("Plots"); Pkg.add("Gadfly"); Pkg.clone("https://github.com/tbreloff/Qwt.jl.git"); Pkg.test("Plots"; coverage=true)'
+ - julia -e 'Pkg.clone(pwd()); Pkg.build("Plots"); Pkg.add("Gadfly"); Pkg.test("Plots"; coverage=true)'
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index a5d4bf32..daf74a04 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -3,64 +3,76 @@ module PlotsTests
 using Plots
 using FactCheck
 
-
-facts("Qwt") do
-  plotDefault!(:show, false)
-
-  @fact plotter!(:qwt) --> Plots.QwtPackage()
-  @fact plotter() --> Plots.QwtPackage()
-  @fact typeof(plot(1:10)) --> Plot
-
-  # plot(y::AVec; kw...)                       # one line... x = 1:length(y)
-  @fact plot(1:10) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact length(currentPlot().o.lines) --> 1
-
-  # plot(x::AVec, y::AVec; kw...)              # one line (will assert length(x) == length(y))
-  @fact plot(Int[1,2,3], rand(3)) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact_throws plot(1:5, 1:4)
-  
-  # plot(y::AMat; kw...)                       # multiple lines (one per column of x), all sharing x = 1:size(y,1)
-  @fact plot!(rand(10,2)) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact length(currentPlot().o.lines) --> 3
-
-  # plot(x::AVec, y::AMat; kw...)              # multiple lines (one per column of x), all sharing x (will assert length(x) == size(y,1))
-  @fact plot(sort(rand(10)), rand(Int, 10, 3)) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact_throws(plot!(rand(10), rand(9,2)))
-
-  # plot(x::AMat, y::AMat; kw...)              # multiple lines (one per column of x/y... will assert size(x) == size(y))
-  @fact plot!(rand(10,3), rand(10,3)) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact_throws plot!(rand(10,3), rand(10,2))
-
-  # plot(x::AVec, f::Function; kw...)          # one line, y = f(x)
-  @fact plot(1:10, sin) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].y --> sin(collect(1:10))
-
-  # plot(x::AMat, f::Function; kw...)          # multiple lines, yᵢⱼ = f(xᵢⱼ)
-  @fact plot(rand(10,2), sin) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact length(currentPlot().o.lines) --> 2
-
-  # plot(x::AVec, fs::AVec{Function}; kw...)   # multiple lines, yᵢⱼ = fⱼ(xᵢ)
-  @fact plot(1:10, Function[sin,cos]) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].y --> sin(collect(1:10))
-  @fact currentPlot().o.lines[2].y --> cos(collect(1:10))
-
-  # plot(y::AVec{AVec}; kw...)                 # multiple lines, each with x = 1:length(y[i])
-  @fact plot([11:20 ; rand(10)]) --> not(nothing)
-  @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].x[4] --> 4
-  @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].y[4] --> 14
-
-  # plot(x::AVec, y::AVec{AVec}; kw...)        # multiple lines, will assert length(x) == length(y[i])
+# don't actually show the plots
+plotDefault!(:show, false)
 
 
-  # plot(x::AVec{AVec}, y::AVec{AVec}; kw...)  # multiple lines, will assert length(x[i]) == length(y[i])
-  # plot(n::Integer; kw...)                    # n lines, all empty (for updating plots)
+# note: we wrap in a try block so that the tests only run if we have the backend installed
+try
+  Pkg.installed("Gadfly")
+  facts("Gadfly") do
+    @fact plotter!(:gadfly) --> Plots.GadflyPackage()
+    @fact plotter() --> Plots.GadflyPackage()
+    @fact typeof(plot(1:10)) --> Plot
+
+
+    # plot(x::AVec, y::AVec; kw...)              # one line (will assert length(x) == length(y))
+    @fact plot(Int[1,2,3], rand(3)) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact_throws plot(1:5, 1:4)
+
+    # plot(x::AVec, y::AMat; kw...)              # multiple lines (one per column of x), all sharing x (will assert length(x) == size(y,1))
+    @fact plot(sort(rand(10)), rand(Int, 10, 3)) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact_throws(plot!(rand(10), rand(9,2)))
+
+    # plot(x::AMat, y::AMat; kw...)              # multiple lines (one per column of x/y... will assert size(x) == size(y))
+    @fact plot!(rand(10,3), rand(10,3)) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact_throws plot!(rand(10,3), rand(10,2))
+
+
+    # plot(x::AVec, y::AVec{AVec}; kw...)        # multiple lines, will assert length(x) == length(y[i])
+
+
+    # plot(x::AVec{AVec}, y::AVec{AVec}; kw...)  # multiple lines, will assert length(x[i]) == length(y[i])
+    # plot(n::Integer; kw...)                    # n lines, all empty (for updating plots)
+  end
 end
 
-facts("Gadfly") do
-  @fact plotter!(:gadfly) --> Plots.GadflyPackage()
-  @fact plotter() --> Plots.GadflyPackage()
-  @fact typeof(plot(1:10)) --> Plot
+# note: we wrap in a try block so that the tests only run if we have the backend installed
+try
+  Pkg.installed("Qwt")
+  facts("Qwt") do
+    @fact plotter!(:qwt) --> Plots.QwtPackage()
+    @fact plotter() --> Plots.QwtPackage()
+    @fact typeof(plot(1:10)) --> Plot
+
+    # plot(y::AVec; kw...)                       # one line... x = 1:length(y)
+    @fact plot(1:10) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact length(currentPlot().o.lines) --> 1
+
+    # plot(x::AVec, f::Function; kw...)          # one line, y = f(x)
+    @fact plot(1:10, sin) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].y --> sin(collect(1:10))
+
+    # plot(x::AMat, f::Function; kw...)          # multiple lines, yᵢⱼ = f(xᵢⱼ)
+    @fact plot(rand(10,2), sin) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact length(currentPlot().o.lines) --> 2
+
+    # plot(y::AMat; kw...)                       # multiple lines (one per column of x), all sharing x = 1:size(y,1)
+    @fact plot!(rand(10,2)) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact length(currentPlot().o.lines) --> 4
+
+    # plot(x::AVec, fs::AVec{Function}; kw...)   # multiple lines, yᵢⱼ = fⱼ(xᵢ)
+    @fact plot(1:10, Function[sin,cos]) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].y --> sin(collect(1:10))
+    @fact currentPlot().o.lines[2].y --> cos(collect(1:10))
+
+    # plot(y::AVec{AVec}; kw...)                 # multiple lines, each with x = 1:length(y[i])
+    @fact plot([11:20 ; rand(10)]) --> not(nothing)
+    @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].x[4] --> 4
+    @fact currentPlot().o.lines[1].y[4] --> 14
+  end
 end
 
+
 FactCheck.exitstatus()
 end # module