diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 71ff7c8366..505979fe70 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -21,17 +21,18 @@ env:
         PROTOBUF_VERSION=3.4.0
 
 install:
-    - curl -LO "https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/download/v${PROTOBUF_VERSION}/protoc-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip"
-    - unzip "protoc-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip" -d protoc
-    - export PATH="$(pwd)/protoc/bin:$PATH"
     - pip install --upgrade pip wheel setuptools
     - pip install pipenv
     - pipenv install
+    # make sure pipenv is installable without protobuf - install protoc later
+    - curl -LO "https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/download/v${PROTOBUF_VERSION}/protoc-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip"
+    - unzip "protoc-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip" -d protoc
+    - export PATH="$(pwd)/protoc/bin:$PATH"
 
 script:
     - pipenv run make style_check
-    - pipenv run make -C core templates_check
     - pipenv run make defs_check
+    - pipenv run make gen_check
 
 notifications:
     webhooks:
diff --git a/ci/prebuild.yml b/ci/prebuild.yml
index 11318696f5..f3af89b937 100644
--- a/ci/prebuild.yml
+++ b/ci/prebuild.yml
@@ -10,3 +10,8 @@ prebuild common:
   stage: prebuild
   script:
     - pipenv run make defs_check
+
+prebuild gen:
+  stage: prebuild
+  script:
+    - pipenv run make gen_check