diff --git a/dist/tools/travis-scripts/build_and_test.sh b/dist/tools/travis-scripts/build_and_test.sh
index 17daf5dbe4..49fac0312b 100755
--- a/dist/tools/travis-scripts/build_and_test.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/travis-scripts/build_and_test.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 # directory for more details.
 #
 
+CI_BASE_BRANCH=${CI_BASE_BRANCH:-master}
+
 if [[ $BUILDTEST_MCU_GROUP ]]
 then
 
@@ -15,14 +17,14 @@ then
         RESULT=0
         RECALL="$1"
 
-        if git diff master HEAD -- .travis.yml &> /dev/null; then
+        if git diff ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} HEAD -- .travis.yml &> /dev/null; then
             # check if .travis.yml was changed in the current PR and skip if so
-            if ! git diff --name-only $(git merge-base HEAD master)..HEAD -- \
+            if ! git diff --name-only $(git merge-base HEAD ${CI_BASE_BRANCH})..HEAD -- \
                 .travis.yml &> 1; then
                 echo "==============================================================" >&2
                 echo -e "\033[1;31m.travis.yml differs in upstream.\033[0m"
                 echo -e "\033[1;31mPlease rebase your PR to current upstream or expect errors!!!!\033[0m" >&2
-                echo "    git fetch https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT master" >&2
+                echo "    git fetch https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT ${CI_BASE_BRANCH}" >&2
                 echo "    git rebase FETCH_HEAD" >&2
                 echo "    git push -f origin $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)" >&2
                 echo "==============================================================" >&2
@@ -31,8 +33,8 @@ then
         fi
 
         if [ "$RECALL" != "recall" ]; then
-            if git diff master HEAD -- "$0" &> /dev/null; then
-                git rebase master || git rebase --abort
+            if git diff ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} HEAD -- "$0" &> /dev/null; then
+                git rebase ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} || git rebase --abort
 
                 "$0" "recall"
                 exit $?
@@ -41,30 +43,30 @@ then
 
         trap "RESULT=1" ERR
 
-        git rebase master || git rebase --abort
+        git rebase ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} || git rebase --abort
         if [ $RESULT -ne 0 ]; then
             exit $RESULT
         fi
 
-        ./dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh master
+        ./dist/tools/whitespacecheck/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH}
 
-        ./dist/tools/licenses/check.sh master --diff-filter=MR --error-exitcode=0
+        ./dist/tools/licenses/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} --diff-filter=MR --error-exitcode=0
 
-        ./dist/tools/licenses/check.sh master --diff-filter=AC
+        ./dist/tools/licenses/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} --diff-filter=AC
 
-        ./dist/tools/doccheck/check.sh master
+        ./dist/tools/doccheck/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH}
 
-        ./dist/tools/externc/check.sh master
+        ./dist/tools/externc/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH}
 
         # TODO:
-        #   Remove all but `master` parameters to cppcheck (and remove second
+        #   Remove all but `${CI_BASE_BRANCH}` parameters to cppcheck (and remove second
         #   invocation) once all warnings of cppcheck have been taken care of
-        #   in master.
-        ./dist/tools/cppcheck/check.sh master --diff-filter=MR --error-exitcode=0
+        #   in ${CI_BASE_BRANCH}.
+        ./dist/tools/cppcheck/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} --diff-filter=MR --error-exitcode=0
 
-        ./dist/tools/cppcheck/check.sh master --diff-filter=AC
+        ./dist/tools/cppcheck/check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH} --diff-filter=AC
 
-        ./dist/tools/pr_check/pr_check.sh master
+        ./dist/tools/pr_check/pr_check.sh ${CI_BASE_BRANCH}
 
         exit $RESULT
     fi