diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f3d26df3ec..4416848a58 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ configure
 .libs/
 Makefile.in
 aclocal.m4
-autogen.sh
 autom4te.cache/
 config.log
 config.status
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab8cb6983e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+language: cpp
+compiler: gcc
+install:
+  - sudo apt-get install yasm libgmp-dev
+env:
+  global:
+    - FIELD=auto      BIGNUM=auto     ENDOMORPHISM=no  BUILD=check
+  matrix:
+    - FIELD=gmp       BIGNUM=gmp
+    - FIELD=gmp       BIGNUM=openssl
+    - FIELD=64bit_asm BIGNUM=gmp
+    - FIELD=64bit_asm BIGNUM=openssl
+    - FIELD=64bit     BIGNUM=gmp
+    - FIELD=64bit     BIGNUM=openssl
+    - FIELD=32bit     BIGNUM=gmp
+    - FIELD=32bit     BIGNUM=openssl
+    - FIELD=gmp       BIGNUM=gmp      ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=gmp       BIGNUM=openssl  ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=64bit_asm BIGNUM=gmp      ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=64bit_asm BIGNUM=openssl  ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=64bit     BIGNUM=gmp      ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=64bit     BIGNUM=openssl  ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=32bit     BIGNUM=gmp      ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - FIELD=32bit     BIGNUM=openssl  ENDOMORPHISM=yes
+    - BUILD=distcheck
+before_script: ./autogen.sh
+script: ./configure --enable-endomorphism=$ENDOMORPHISM --with-field=$FIELD --with-bignum=$BIGNUM && make -j2 $BUILD
+os: linux
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e3334284f4..99800847f4 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ tests_LDFLAGS = -static
 TESTS = tests
 endif
 
-EXTRA_DIST = nasm_lt.sh
+EXTRA_DIST = autogen.sh nasm_lt.sh
 
 #x86_64 only
 if USE_ASM
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4151314845..419f28c28b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,9 +41,7 @@ Build steps
 
 libsecp256k1 is built using autotools:
 
-    $ aclocal
-    $ autoreconf --install
-    $ automake
+    $ ./autogen.sh  # not necessary when building from release tarballs
     $ ./configure
     $ make
     $ sudo make install  # optional
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..4e7cc05373
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+autoreconf -if