diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index f4b2cd62..00e4b840 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 language: cpp
-compiler:
-  - g++
-  - clang
 
 sudo: false
 env:
@@ -9,7 +6,10 @@ env:
   - JIT_OPTS='' TARGET_OPTS='target.py'
 
 matrix:
-  fast_finish: true 
+  fast_finish: true
+
+install:
+  - if [ "$CXX" = "g++" ]; then export CXX="g++-4.8" CC="gcc-4.8"; fi
 
 script:
   - make PYTHON=python build
@@ -19,12 +19,16 @@ script:
 
 addons:
   apt:
+    sources:
+    - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test
     packages:
-      - libffi-dev
-      - libedit-dev
-      - libboost-all-dev
-      - zlib1g-dev
-      - zlib-bin
+    - libffi-dev
+    - libedit-dev
+    - libboost-all-dev
+    - zlib1g-dev
+    - zlib-bin
+    - gcc-4.8
+    - g++-4.8
 
 notifications:
   irc: "chat.freenode.net#pixie-lang"
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 358f5022..c660fe0b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -18,17 +18,17 @@ help:
 	@echo "make build_no_jit           - build without jit"
 	@echo "make fetch_externals	   - download and unpack external deps"
 
-build_with_jit: fetch_externals
+build_with_jit: fetch_externals re2_cre2
 	@if [ ! -d /usr/local/include/boost -a ! -d /usr/include/boost ] ; then echo "Boost C++ Library not found" && false; fi && \
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) --opt=jit target.py && \
 	make compile_basics
 
-build_no_jit: fetch_externals
+build_no_jit: fetch_externals re2_cre2
 	@if [ ! -d /usr/local/include/boost -a ! -d /usr/include/boost ] ; then echo "Boost C++ Library not found" && false; fi && \
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) target.py && \
 	make compile_basics
 
-build_no_jit_shared: fetch_externals
+build_no_jit_shared: fetch_externals re2_cre2
 	@if [ ! -d /usr/local/include/boost -a ! -d /usr/include/boost ] ; then echo "Boost C++ Library not found" && false; fi && \
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) --shared target.py && \
 	make compile_basics
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ build_no_jit_shared: fetch_externals
 
 compile_basics:
 	@echo -e "\n\n\n\nWARNING: Compiling core libs. If you want to modify one of these files delete the .pxic files first\n\n\n\n"
-	./pixie-vm -c pixie/uv.pxi -c pixie/io.pxi -c pixie/stacklets.pxi -c pixie/stdlib.pxi -c pixie/repl.pxi
+	./pixie-vm -c pixie/uv.pxi -c pixie/io.pxi -c pixie/stacklets.pxi -c pixie/stdlib.pxi -c pixie/repl.pxi -c pixie/re.pxi
 
 build: fetch_externals re2_cre2
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) $(JIT_OPTS) $(TARGET_OPTS)
@@ -65,10 +65,8 @@ $(EXTERNALS)/re2: $(EXTERNALS)
 	shasum -a 256 re2.tar.gz | grep -q f246c43897ac341568a7460622138ec0dd8de9b6f5459686376fa23e9d8c1bb8 && \
   mkdir -p re2 && \
   cd re2 && \
-	tar -zxf ../re2.tar.gz --strip-components=1
-
-$(EXTERNALS)/re2/obj/libre2.a: $(EXTERNALS)/re2
-	cd $(EXTERNALS)/re2 && make
+	tar -zxf ../re2.tar.gz --strip-components=1 && \
+	make
 
 $(EXTERNALS)/cre2: $(EXTERNALS)
 	cd $(EXTERNALS) && \
@@ -76,19 +74,16 @@ $(EXTERNALS)/cre2: $(EXTERNALS)
   shasum -a 256 cre2.tar.xz | grep -q d31118dbc9d2b1cf95c1b763ca92ae2ec4e262b1f8d8e995c1ffdc8eb40a82fc && \
   mkdir -p cre2 && \
   cd cre2 && \
-	tar -Jxf ../cre2.tar.xz --strip-components=1
-
-$(EXTERNALS)/cre2/build/.libs/libcre2.a: $(EXTERNALS)/cre2
-	cd $(EXTERNALS)/cre2 && \
+	tar -Jxf ../cre2.tar.xz --strip-components=1 && \
 	mkdir -p build && \
 	cd build && \
 	../configure LDFLAGS="-L`pwd`/../../re2/obj" CPPFLAGS="-I`pwd`/../../re2" && \
   chmod +x ../meta/autotools/install-sh && \
 	make
 
-re2: $(EXTERNALS)/re2/obj/libre2.a
+re2: $(EXTERNALS)/re2
 
-cre2: $(EXTERNALS)/cre2/build/.libs/libcre2.a
+cre2: $(EXTERNALS)/cre2
 
 re2_cre2: re2 cre2