diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2b7a34d7..e3028fad 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ env:
   matrix:
     - LUA=5.2 LUANAME=lua5.2 BUILD_APIDOC=true DO_COVERAGE=true
     # Note: luarocks does not work with Lua 5.0.
-    - LUA=5.1 LUANAME=lua5.1
+    - LUA=5.1 LUANAME=lua5.1 BUILD_IN_DIR=/tmp/awesome-build
     # luajit: installed from source.
     - LUA=5.1 LUANAME=luajit-2.0 LUALIBRARY=/usr/lib/libluajit-5.1.so LUAROCKS_ARGS=--lua-suffix=jit-2.0.4
     # Lua 5.2 with older lgi and screen size not divisible by 2.
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ install:
 
 script:
   - export CMAKE_ARGS="-DLUA_LIBRARY=${LUALIBRARY} -DLUA_INCLUDE_DIR=${LUAINCLUDE} -D OVERRIDE_VERSION=$AWESOME_VERSION"
+  - |
+    if [ -n "$BUILD_IN_DIR" ]; then
+        SOURCE_DIRECTORY="$PWD"
+        mkdir "$BUILD_IN_DIR"
+        cd "$BUILD_IN_DIR"
+        cmake $CMAKE_ARGS "$SOURCE_DIRECTORY"
+    fi
   - make && sudo env PATH=$PATH make install && awesome --version && make check
   - |
     if [ "$DO_COVERAGE" = "true" ]; then
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 14a06e02..cf8045e3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ endif()
 # {{{ Tests
 set(CHECK_TARGETS check-integration)
 add_custom_target(check-integration
-    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/run.sh"
+    sh -c "CMAKE_BINARY_DIR='${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}' ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/run.sh"
     WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
     COMMENT "Running integration tests"
     VERBATIM)
diff --git a/tests/run.sh b/tests/run.sh
index 3780ca14..bb52bdf2 100755
--- a/tests/run.sh
+++ b/tests/run.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ if [ "$CI" = true ]; then
     set -x
 fi
 
+source_dir="$PWD"
+build_dir="$CMAKE_BINARY_DIR"
+if [ -z "$build_dir" ]; then
+    build_dir="$PWD/build"
+fi
+
 # Change to file's dir (POSIXly).
 cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "$0")"
 this_dir=$PWD
@@ -28,8 +34,6 @@ else
     tests=$this_dir/test*.lua
 fi
 
-root_dir=$PWD/..
-
 # Travis.
 if [ "$CI" = true ]; then
     HEADLESS=1
@@ -44,13 +48,13 @@ export TEST_PAUSE_ON_ERRORS  # Used in tests/_runner.lua.
 
 XEPHYR=Xephyr
 XVFB=Xvfb
-AWESOME=$root_dir/build/awesome
+AWESOME=$build_dir/awesome
 if ! [ -x "$AWESOME" ]; then
     echo "$AWESOME is not executable." >&2
     exit 1
 fi
-RC_FILE=$root_dir/build/awesomerc.lua
-AWESOME_CLIENT="$root_dir/utils/awesome-client"
+RC_FILE=$build_dir/awesomerc.lua
+AWESOME_CLIENT="$source_dir/utils/awesome-client"
 D=:5
 SIZE="${TESTS_SCREEN_SIZE:-1024x768}"
 
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ else
     # ( sleep 1; kill -USR1 $xserver_pid ) &
 fi
 
-cd $root_dir/build
+cd $build_dir
 
 LUA_PATH="$(lua -e 'print(package.path)');lib/?.lua;lib/?/init.lua"
 # Add test dir (for _runner.lua).
@@ -160,21 +164,21 @@ eval $(DISPLAY="$D" dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session)
 if [ "$CI" != true ]; then
     # Prepare a config file pointing to a working theme
     # Handle old filename of config files (useful for git-bisect).
-    if [ -f $root_dir/awesomerc.lua.in ]; then
+    if [ -f $source_dir/awesomerc.lua.in ]; then
         SED_IN=.in
     fi
     RC_FILE=$tmp_files/awesomerc.lua
     THEME_FILE=$tmp_files/theme.lua
-    sed -e "s:.*beautiful.init(.*default/theme.lua.*:beautiful.init('$THEME_FILE'):" $root_dir/awesomerc.lua$SED_IN > $RC_FILE
-    sed -e "s:@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar:$root_dir/build/themes/default/titlebar:"  \
-        -e "s:@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@:$root_dir/themes/:" \
-        -e "s:@AWESOME_ICON_PATH@:$root_dir/icons:" $root_dir/themes/default/theme.lua$SED_IN > $THEME_FILE
+    sed -e "s:.*beautiful.init(.*default/theme.lua.*:beautiful.init('$THEME_FILE'):" $source_dir/awesomerc.lua$SED_IN > $RC_FILE
+    sed -e "s:@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar:$build_dir/themes/default/titlebar:"  \
+        -e "s:@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@:$source_dir/themes/:" \
+        -e "s:@AWESOME_ICON_PATH@:$source_dir/icons:" $source_dir/themes/default/theme.lua$SED_IN > $THEME_FILE
 fi
 
 # Start awesome.
 start_awesome() {
     export DISPLAY="$D"
-    cd $root_dir/build
+    cd $build_dir
     DISPLAY="$D" "$AWESOME" -c "$RC_FILE" $AWESOME_OPTIONS > $awesome_log 2>&1 &
     awesome_pid=$!
     cd - >/dev/null