diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile
index d52f576be243..788341de3fa6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 source "https://rubygems.org"
 
-gem "travis"
+gem "travis", "1.8.8"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile.lock b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile.lock
index 529be0793605..a1c8332a3d44 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/Gemfile.lock
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ PLATFORMS
   ruby
 
 DEPENDENCIES
-  travis
+  travis (= 1.8.8)
 
 BUNDLED WITH
-   1.14.4
+   1.14.6
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/default.nix
index a520c4deb342..b5c5740e80ff 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/default.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 { lib, bundlerEnv, ruby }:
 
+# Maintainer notes for updating
+# 1. increment version number in Gemfile
+# 2. run $ nix-shell --command "bundler install && bundix"
+#    in the travis directory in nixpkgs
+
 bundlerEnv {
   inherit ruby;
   pname = "travis";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/gemset.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/gemset.nix
index 148923848beb..c9a54bd324c2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/gemset.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/gemset.nix
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     version = "3.6.8";
   };
   ethon = {
+    dependencies = ["ffi"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "1i873cvma4j52xmij7kasjylh66vf60cy5prkp4cz4hcn9jlkznl";
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@
     version = "0.10.1";
   };
   faraday = {
+    dependencies = ["multipart-post"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "18p1csdivgwmshfw3mb698a3bn0yrykg30khk5qxjf6n168g91jr";
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@
     version = "0.11.0";
   };
   faraday_middleware = {
+    dependencies = ["faraday"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "0bcarc90brm1y68bl957w483bddsy9idj2gghqnysk6bbxpsvm00";
@@ -48,6 +51,7 @@
     version = "1.9.18";
   };
   gh = {
+    dependencies = ["addressable" "backports" "faraday" "multi_json" "net-http-persistent" "net-http-pipeline"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "0g4df0jsscq16g6f27flfmvk7p4sbq81d5mdylbz4ikqq60kywzg";
@@ -72,6 +76,7 @@
     version = "2.0.3";
   };
   launchy = {
+    dependencies = ["addressable"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "190lfbiy1vwxhbgn4nl4dcbzxvm049jwc158r2x7kq3g5khjrxa2";
@@ -112,6 +117,7 @@
     version = "1.0.1";
   };
   pusher-client = {
+    dependencies = ["json" "websocket"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "18ymxz34gmg7jff3h0nyzp5vdg5i06dbdxlrdl2nq4hf14qwj1f4";
@@ -120,6 +126,7 @@
     version = "0.6.2";
   };
   travis = {
+    dependencies = ["backports" "faraday" "faraday_middleware" "gh" "highline" "launchy" "pusher-client" "typhoeus"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "02bjz73f6r9b7nskwzcvcbr4hlvgwrf9rnr6d218d2i1rk4ww936";
@@ -128,6 +135,7 @@
     version = "1.8.8";
   };
   typhoeus = {
+    dependencies = ["ethon"];
     source = {
       remotes = ["https://rubygems.org"];
       sha256 = "03x3fxjsnhgayl4s96h0a9975awlvx2v9nmx2ba0cnliglyczdr8";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/shell.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/shell.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ddcf493bb468
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/travis/shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Env to update Gemfile.lock / gemset.nix
+
+with import <nixpkgs> {};
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "env";
+  buildInputs = [
+    ruby.devEnv
+    gnumake
+    bundix
+  ];
+}