diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 3a288be460f..28330ba4641 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@ jobs:
     - script: "docker run -v $PWD:$PWD -w $PWD quay.io/coreos/golang-testing golint -set_exit_status installer/..."
       name: Go lint
     - stage: Build
-      script: "chmod 0777 $PWD && docker run -v $PWD:$PWD:rw -w $PWD $BAZEL_IMG bazel build tarball"
+      script: ./hack/test-bazel-build-tarball.sh
       name: Build tarball
diff --git a/hack/test-bazel-build-tarball.sh b/hack/test-bazel-build-tarball.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..5e9b6429291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/test-bazel-build-tarball.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+if [ "$IS_CONTAINER" != "" ]; then
+  set -x
+  bazel --output_base=/tmp build tarball
+else
+  docker run -e IS_CONTAINER='TRUE' --rm -v "$PWD":"$PWD" -v /tmp:/tmp:rw -w "$PWD" quay.io/coreos/tectonic-builder:bazel-v0.3 ./hack/test-bazel-build-tarball.sh
+fi