diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 620543516..f071e49c0 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ script:
   - touch lib/mathlib.cpp test/testmathlib.cpp
   - make test -j4 CPPFLAGS=-DTEST_MATHLIB_VALUE
   - touch lib/mathlib.cpp test/testmathlib.cpp
+# slow test in testtokenizer that is only executed on travis
+  - touch test/testtokenizer.cpp
+  - make testrunner -j4 CPPFLAGS=-DTRAVIS && ./testrunner TestTokenizer
+  - touch test/testtokenizer.cpp
 # compile cppcheck, default build
   - make test -j4
 # compile gui
diff --git a/test/testtokenize.cpp b/test/testtokenize.cpp
index 997065a6c..c44d38ca8 100644
--- a/test/testtokenize.cpp
+++ b/test/testtokenize.cpp
@@ -8342,6 +8342,9 @@ private:
     }
 
     void compileLimits() {
+#ifdef TRAVIS
+        // FIXME: this test is very slow when old preprocessor is used. therefore it is only run on travis.
+
         const char raw_code[] = "#define PTR1 (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (*\n"
                                 "#define PTR2 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1 PTR1\n"
                                 "#define PTR3 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2 PTR2\n"
@@ -8367,6 +8370,7 @@ private:
         const std::string code = preprocessor.getcode(filedata, emptyString, emptyString);
 
         tokenizeAndStringify(code.c_str()); // just survive...
+#endif
     }
 
     bool isStartOfExecutableScope(int offset, const char code[]) {