diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 1fafc73082..ab58d50285 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -30,13 +30,14 @@ env:
   # GITHUB_TOKEN_ANGULAR
   - secure: "fq/U7VDMWO8O8SnAQkdbkoSe2X92PVqg4d044HmRYVmcf6YbO48+xeGJ8yOk0pCBwl3ISO4Q2ot0x546kxfiYBuHkZetlngZxZCtQiFT9kyId8ZKcYdXaIW9OVdw3Gh3tQyUwDucfkVhqcs52D6NZjyE2aWZ4/d1V4kWRO/LMgo="
   matrix:
-    # Make slowest build on top, so that we don't hog VMs while waiting for others to complete.
+    # Order: slowest build on top, so that we don't hog VMs while waiting for others to complete.
     - MODE=dart DART_CHANNEL=stable
     - MODE=dart DART_CHANNEL=dev
+    # Disabled until we can make it pass.
+    # - MODE=saucelabs DART_CHANNEL=dev
     - MODE=dart_experimental DART_CHANNEL=dev
     - MODE=js DART_CHANNEL=dev
-    # Dissabled until we can make it pass.
-    # - MODE=saucelabs DART_CHANNEL=dev
+    - MODE=lint DART_CHANNEL=dev
 
 matrix:
   allow_failures:
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index b622c1e8ba..bb5f6df5ee 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ function getBrowsersFromCLI() {
   return {
     browsersToRun: outputList.filter(function(item, pos, self) {return self.indexOf(item) == pos;}),
     isSauce: isSauce
-  }
+  };
 }
 
 gulp.task('test.unit.js', ['build.js.dev'], function (done) {
@@ -574,8 +574,13 @@ gulp.task('test.unit.js', ['build.js.dev'], function (done) {
 gulp.task('test.unit.js.sauce', ['build.js.dev'], function (done) {
   var browserConf = getBrowsersFromCLI();
   if (browserConf.isSauce) {
-    karma.server.start({configFile: __dirname + '/karma-js.conf.js',
-      singleRun: true, browserNoActivityTimeout: 240000, captureTimeout: 120000, reporters: ['dots'], browsers: browserConf.browsersToRun}, 
+    karma.server.start({
+        configFile: __dirname + '/karma-js.conf.js',
+        singleRun: true,
+        browserNoActivityTimeout: 240000,
+        captureTimeout: 120000,
+        reporters: ['dots'],
+        browsers: browserConf.browsersToRun},
       function(err) {done(); process.exit(err ? 1 : 0)});
   } else {
     throw new Error('ERROR: no Saucelabs browsers provided, add them with the --browsers option');
@@ -727,14 +732,20 @@ gulp.task('test.transpiler.unittest', function(done) {
 });
 
 // -----------------
-// Pre/Post-test checks
+// Pre-test checks
 
 gulp.task('pre-test-checks', function(done) {
   runSequence('build/checkCircularDependencies', sequenceComplete(done));
 });
 
-gulp.task('post-test-checks', function(done) {
-  runSequence('lint', 'enforce-format', sequenceComplete(done));
+// -----------------
+// Checks which should fail the build, but should not block us running the tests.
+// This task is run in a separate travis worker, so these checks provide faster
+// feedback while allowing tests to execute.
+gulp.task('static-checks', ['!build.tools'], function(done) {
+  runSequence(
+    ['enforce-format', 'lint', 'test.typings'],
+    sequenceComplete(done));
 });
 
 
diff --git a/scripts/ci/build_and_test.sh b/scripts/ci/build_and_test.sh
index 4c00c92d77..6b50542829 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/build_and_test.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/build_and_test.sh
@@ -8,16 +8,14 @@ echo ===========================================================================
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $0)
 cd $SCRIPT_DIR/../..
 
-if [ "$MODE" = "dart_experimental" ]
-then
+if [ "$MODE" = "dart_experimental" ]; then
   ${SCRIPT_DIR}/build_$MODE.sh
+elif [ "$MODE" = "saucelabs" ]; then
+  ${SCRIPT_DIR}/test_$MODE.sh
+elif [ "$MODE" = "lint" ]; then
+  ./node_modules/.bin/gulp static-checks
 else
-  if [ "$MODE" = "saucelabs" ]
-  then
-    ${SCRIPT_DIR}/test_$MODE.sh
-  else
-    ${SCRIPT_DIR}/build_$MODE.sh
-    mkdir deploy; tar -czpf deploy/dist.tgz -C dist .
-    ${SCRIPT_DIR}/test_$MODE.sh
-  fi
+  ${SCRIPT_DIR}/build_$MODE.sh
+  mkdir deploy; tar -czpf deploy/dist.tgz -C dist .
+  ${SCRIPT_DIR}/test_$MODE.sh
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/ci/test_js.sh b/scripts/ci/test_js.sh
index 17433d11db..3b5e502352 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/test_js.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/test_js.sh
@@ -15,4 +15,3 @@ fi
 ./node_modules/.bin/gulp pre-test-checks
 ./node_modules/.bin/gulp test.js --browsers=${KARMA_BROWSERS:-ChromeCanary}
 ${SCRIPT_DIR}/test_e2e_js.sh
-./node_modules/.bin/gulp post-test-checks