diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2de6aafd99..7835f0e612 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ env:
   - BUILD=site
   - BUILD=sonar
 
+matrix:
+  fast_finish: true
+
 before_install:
   - bash .travis/setup-secrets.sh
   - bash .travis/configure-maven.sh
 install: true
 before_script: true
-script: bash .travis/build-$BUILD.sh
+script: source .travis/build-$BUILD.sh
 after_success: true
 
 
diff --git a/.travis/background-job-funcs.sh b/.travis/background-job-funcs.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 5db6740207..0000000000
--- a/.travis/background-job-funcs.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-#
-# Helper functions to run a chatty, long task in the background,
-# redirecting the output to file and keep travis happy by regularly
-# writing to the log.
-#
-# This is to workaround the travis log length limit of 4MB
-# Solution from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26082444/how-to-work-around-travis-cis-4mb-output-limit/26082445#26082445
-#
-# Source this file into the shell script, that needs it.
-#
-# expected variables
-# Name          |   Example Value
-# PING_SLEEP    |   30s
-# BUILD_OUTPUT  |   /tmp/build-step-logfile.out
-# PING_PID_FILE |   /tmp/build-step-ping.pid
-
-touch $BUILD_OUTPUT
-
-dump_output() {
-   echo Tailing the last 100 lines of output:
-   tail -100 $BUILD_OUTPUT
-}
-kill_ping() {
-  if [ -e $PING_PID_FILE ]; then
-    PING_LOOP_PID=$(cat $PING_PID_FILE)
-    kill $PING_LOOP_PID
-    rm $PING_PID_FILE
-  fi
-}
-error_handler() {
-  kill_ping
-  echo ERROR: An error was encountered with the build.
-  dump_output
-  exit 1
-}
-# If an error occurs, run our error handler to output a tail of the build
-trap 'error_handler' ERR
-
-# Set up a repeating loop to send some output to Travis.
-bash -c "while true; do echo \$(date) - building ...; sleep $PING_SLEEP; done" &
-PING_LOOP_PID=$!
-echo "$PING_LOOP_PID" > $PING_PID_FILE
-
diff --git a/.travis/build-site.sh b/.travis/build-site.sh
index c681625621..5b34191d3f 100644
--- a/.travis/build-site.sh
+++ b/.travis/build-site.sh
@@ -13,21 +13,9 @@ fi
 
 
 (
-    export PING_SLEEP=30s
-    export BUILD_OUTPUT=/tmp/build-site.out
-    export PING_PID_FILE=/tmp/build-site-ping.pid
-
-    source .travis/background-job-funcs.sh
-
-    # Run the build, redirect output into the file
-    ./mvnw install -DskipTests=true -B -V >> $BUILD_OUTPUT 2>&1
-    ./mvnw site site:stage -Psite -B -V >> $BUILD_OUTPUT 2>&1
-
-    # The build finished without returning an error so dump a tail of the output
-    dump_output
-
-    # nicely terminate the ping output loop
-    kill_ping
+    # Run the build, truncate output due to Travis log limits
+    travis_wait ./mvnw install -DskipTests=true -B -V | tail -100
+    travis_wait ./mvnw site site:stage -Psite -B -V | tail -100
 )
 
 # create pmd-doc archive
@@ -44,20 +32,7 @@ fi
 
 (
     if [[ "$VERSION" == *-SNAPSHOT && "$TRAVIS_BRANCH" == "master" ]]; then
-        # this can take very long and no output is generated. therefore use the background job again
-        export PING_SLEEP=30s
-        export BUILD_OUTPUT=/tmp/build-site-upload.out
-        export PING_PID_FILE=/tmp/build-site-upload-ping.pid
-
-        source .travis/background-job-funcs.sh
-
         # Uploading snapshot site...
-        rsync -ah --stats --delete target/pmd-doc-${VERSION}/ ${PMD_SF_USER}@web.sourceforge.net:/home/project-web/pmd/htdocs/snapshot/
-
-        # The build finished without returning an error so dump a tail of the output
-        dump_output
-
-        # nicely terminate the ping output loop
-        kill_ping
+        travis_wait rsync -ah --stats --delete target/pmd-doc-${VERSION}/ ${PMD_SF_USER}@web.sourceforge.net:/home/project-web/pmd/htdocs/snapshot/ | tail -100
     fi
 )
diff --git a/.travis/build-sonar.sh b/.travis/build-sonar.sh
index 19ea2009fb..60b4003e23 100644
--- a/.travis/build-sonar.sh
+++ b/.travis/build-sonar.sh
@@ -12,18 +12,6 @@ if ! travis_isPush; then
 fi
 
 
-export PING_SLEEP=30s
-export BUILD_OUTPUT=/tmp/build-sonar.out
-export PING_PID_FILE=/tmp/build-sonar-ping.pid
-
-source .travis/background-job-funcs.sh
-
-# Run the build, redirect output into the file
-./mvnw clean org.jacoco:jacoco-maven-plugin:prepare-agent package sonar:sonar -Dsonar.host.url=https://sonarqube.com -Dsonar.login=${SONAR_TOKEN} -B -V >> $BUILD_OUTPUT 2>&1
-
-# The build finished without returning an error so dump a tail of the output
-dump_output
-
-# nicely terminate the ping output loop
-kill_ping
+# Run the build, truncate output due to Travis log limits
+travis_wait ./mvnw clean org.jacoco:jacoco-maven-plugin:prepare-agent package sonar:sonar -Dsonar.host.url=https://sonarqube.com -Dsonar.login=${SONAR_TOKEN} -B -V | tail -100