diff --git a/misc/make-deps.sh b/misc/make-deps.sh
index 03cc7c3e..9d8ff40d 100755
--- a/misc/make-deps.sh
+++ b/misc/make-deps.sh
@@ -4,10 +4,7 @@ XPWD=`pwd`
 ROOT="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && cd .. && pwd )"	# dir!
 cd "${ROOT}" >/dev/null
 
-travis=0
-if env | grep -q '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
-	travis=1
-fi
+. ${ROOT}/test/util.sh
 
 sudo_command=$(command -v sudo)
 
@@ -81,7 +78,7 @@ if [ ! -z "$PACMAN" ]; then
 	$sudo_command $PACMAN -S --noconfirm --asdeps --needed libvirt augeas rubygems libpcap
 fi
 
-if [ $travis -eq 0 ]; then
+if ! in_ci; then
 	if [ ! -z "$YUM" ]; then
 		if [ -z "$GO" ]; then
 			$sudo_command $YUM install -y golang golang-googlecode-tools-stringer || $sudo_command $YUM install -y golang-bin # centos-7 epel
@@ -132,8 +129,10 @@ go get golang.org/x/lint/golint				# for `golint`-ing
 go get golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports		# for fmt
 go get github.com/tmthrgd/go-bindata/go-bindata	# for compiling in non golang files
 go get github.com/dvyukov/go-fuzz/go-fuzz		# for fuzzing the mcl lang bits
-if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$' -e '^JENKINS_URL=' -e '^BUILD_TAG=jenkins'; then
-	go get -u gopkg.in/alecthomas/gometalinter.v1 && mv "$(dirname $(command -v gometalinter.v1))/gometalinter.v1" "$(dirname $(command -v gometalinter.v1))/gometalinter" && gometalinter --install	# bonus
+if in_ci; then
+	go get -u gopkg.in/alecthomas/gometalinter.v1 && \
+	mv "$(dirname $(command -v gometalinter.v1))/gometalinter.v1" "$(dirname $(command -v gometalinter.v1))/gometalinter" && \
+	gometalinter --install	# bonus
 fi
 command -v mdl &>/dev/null || gem install mdl --no-document || true	# for linting markdown files
 command -v fpm &>/dev/null || gem install fpm --no-document || true	# for cross distro packaging
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index 69c86166..4e91fc29 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ fi
 # run-test ./test/test-crossbuild.sh
 
 # do these longer tests only when running on ci
-if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$' -e '^JENKINS_URL=' -e '^BUILD_TAG=jenkins'; then
-
+if in_ci; then
 	if label-block "shell"; then
 		run-testsuite ./test/test-shell.sh
 	fi
diff --git a/test/shell/net.sh b/test/shell/net.sh
index d95ec2cc..22d515bd 100755
--- a/test/shell/net.sh
+++ b/test/shell/net.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 . "$(dirname "$0")/../util.sh"
 
-if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
+if in_ci travis; then
 	# this often fails in travis with: `address already in use`
 	echo "Travis gives wonky results here, skipping test!"
 	exit
diff --git a/test/shell/t3.sh b/test/shell/t3.sh
index b7734f11..f4f73bec 100755
--- a/test/shell/t3.sh
+++ b/test/shell/t3.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 . "$(dirname "$0")/../util.sh"
 
-if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
+if in_ci travis jenkins; then
 	# inotify doesn't seem to work properly on travis
 	echo "Travis and Jenkins give wonky results here, skipping test!"
 	exit
diff --git a/test/shell/yaml-change1.sh b/test/shell/yaml-change1.sh
index 93299e46..9c206985 100755
--- a/test/shell/yaml-change1.sh
+++ b/test/shell/yaml-change1.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 exit 0	# TODO: this test needs to be update to use deploys instead
 
-#if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
+#if in_ci; then
 #	# inotify doesn't seem to work properly on travis
 #	echo "Travis and Jenkins give wonky results here, skipping test!"
 #	exit
diff --git a/test/test-gotest.sh b/test/test-gotest.sh
index dfbab47c..b9eccae7 100755
--- a/test/test-gotest.sh
+++ b/test/test-gotest.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ cd "${ROOT}"
 . test/util.sh
 
 # travis is slow for some reason
-if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
+if in_ci travis; then
 	export GO_TEST_TIMEOUT_SCALE=3
 fi
 
diff --git a/test/test-yamlfmt.sh b/test/test-yamlfmt.sh
index 83923412..d285fb4e 100755
--- a/test/test-yamlfmt.sh
+++ b/test/test-yamlfmt.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE}")/..
 cd "${ROOT}"
 . test/util.sh
 
-#if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$' -e '^JENKINS_URL=' -e '^BUILD_TAG=jenkins'; then
+#if in_ci travis jenkins; then
 #	echo "Travis and Jenkins give wonky results here, skipping test!"
 #	exit 0
 #fi
diff --git a/test/util.sh b/test/util.sh
index e4613172..3e026a5f 100755
--- a/test/util.sh
+++ b/test/util.sh
@@ -20,26 +20,43 @@ fi
 
 TIMEOUT="$timeout --kill-after=360s --signal=QUIT 300s"
 
-fail_test()
-{
+in_ci() {
+	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
+		test -n "$CI" -o -n "$TRAVIS" -o -n "$JENKINS_URL"
+		return $?
+	fi
+
+	for var in "$@"; do
+		case "$var" in
+		travis)
+			test "$TRAVIS" = "true" && return 0;;
+		jenkins)
+			test -n "$JENKINS_URL" && return 0;;
+		*)
+			continue;;
+		esac
+	done
+	return 1
+}
+
+fail_test() {
 	echo -e "FAIL: $@"
 	exit 1
 }
 
-function run-test()
-{
+function run-test() {
 	"$@" || failures=$( [ -n "$failures" ] && echo "$failures\\n$@" || echo "$@" )
 }
 
 # travis expander helpers from:
 # https://github.com/travis-ci/travis-rubies/blob/build/build.sh
 fold_start() {
-	if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
-		echo -e "travis_fold:start:$1\033[33;1m$2\033[0m"
+	if in_ci travis; then
+		echo -e "travis_fold:start:$1\033[33;1m${@:2}\033[0m"
 	fi
 }
 fold_end() {
-	if env | grep -q -e '^TRAVIS=true$'; then
+	if in_ci travis; then
 		echo -e "\ntravis_fold:end:$1\r"
 	fi
 }