diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b5dbba148..15d89ccf7 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ before_script:
 script:
   - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "linux" ]]; then bash packaging/ubuntu/ubuntu_package_setup.sh -t; fi
   - if [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "osx" ]]; then cd packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app && ./setup_app.sh && cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR; fi
-  # fail the build if this is a build for a tag and we don't have the versions matching
-  - if [[ -n "${TRAVIS_TAG}" ]]; then if [[ "v`python setup.py -V`" = "${TRAVIS_TAG}" ]]; then true; else false; fi; fi
+  # fail the build if this is a build for a tag and we don't have the versions matching; allow tags that start with 'test' to pass
+  - if [[ -n "${TRAVIS_TAG}" ]]; then if [[ "${TRAVIS_TAG}" == test* ]] || [[ "v`python setup.py -V`" = "${TRAVIS_TAG}" ]]; then true; else false; fi; fi
 
 deploy:
   - provider: releases