diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6bcc7994f..736b78847 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,20 @@ matrix:
         - PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH
         - VARIANT=examples
       addons: *ao_gcc5
+    # build the python extension 
+    - compiler: gcc
+      env:
+        - GCC_VER=5
+        - ADDRESS_MODEL=64
+        - BUILD_SYSTEM=cmake
+        - PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH
+        - VARIANT=python-api
+      addons: &ao_gcc5
+        apt:
+          sources: 
+            - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test
+          packages: 
+            - libboost-python-dev
           
 cache:
   directories:
diff --git a/dlib/travis/build-and-test.sh b/dlib/travis/build-and-test.sh
index 4aa729c54..a6cd6a88e 100755
--- a/dlib/travis/build-and-test.sh
+++ b/dlib/travis/build-and-test.sh
@@ -15,4 +15,7 @@ if [ "$VARIANT" = "examples" ]; then
   ../cmake/bin/cmake --build . -- -j 2
 fi
 
-cd ..
\ No newline at end of file
+if [ "$VARIANT" = "python-api" ]; then
+  ../cmake/bin/cmake ../tools/python -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+  ../cmake/bin/cmake --build . -- -j 2
+fi