diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index bd8c86992..42a18e82b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,3 +18,5 @@ benchmarks/files/numbers/*.json
 .idea
 cmake-build-debug
 
+
+test/test-*
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 8a9b10324..945623574 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ matrix:
         sources: ['ubuntu-toolchain-r-test']
         packages: [g++-4.9, valgrind]
     after_success:
-      - valgrind --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=full test/json_unit
+      - make check TEST_PREFIX="valgrind --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=full " TEST_PATTERN=""
 
   # cppcheck
 
@@ -68,9 +68,10 @@ matrix:
       - tar xf lcov_1.11.orig.tar.gz
       - sudo make -C lcov-1.11/ install
       - gem install coveralls-lcov
+      - pip install --user cpp-coveralls
     after_success:
       - make clean
-      - CXXFLAGS="--coverage -g -O0" CPPFLAGS="-DNDEBUG" make
+      - CXXFLAGS="--coverage -g -O0" CPPFLAGS="-DNDEBUG" make json_unit
       - test/json_unit "*"
       - coveralls --build-root test --exclude src/catch.hpp --exclude src/unit-algorithms.cpp --exclude src/unit-allocator.cpp --exclude src/unit-capacity.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_const_iterator.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_iterator.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_lexer.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_parser.cpp --exclude src/unit-comparison.cpp --exclude src/unit-concepts.cpp --exclude src/unit-constructor1.cpp --exclude src/unit-constructor2.cpp --exclude src/unit-convenience.cpp --exclude src/unit-conversions.cpp --exclude src/unit-deserialization.cpp --exclude src/unit-element_access1.cpp --exclude src/unit-element_access2.cpp --exclude src/unit-inspection.cpp --exclude src/unit-iterator_wrapper.cpp --exclude src/unit-iterators1.cpp --exclude src/unit-iterators2.cpp --exclude src/unit-json_patch.cpp --exclude src/unit-json_pointer.cpp --exclude src/unit-modifiers.cpp --exclude src/unit-pointer_access.cpp --exclude src/unit-readme.cpp --exclude src/unit-reference_access.cpp --exclude src/unit-regression.cpp --exclude src/unit-serialization.cpp --exclude src/unit-testsuites.cpp --exclude src/unit-unicode.cpp --include ../src/json.hpp --gcov-options '\-lp' --gcov 'gcov-4.9'
       - lcov --directory src --directory test/src --capture --output-file coverage.info --rc lcov_branch_coverage=1 --no-external
@@ -248,11 +249,8 @@ script:
   - uname -a
   - $CXX --version
 
-  # compile
-  - make
-
-  # execute unit tests
-  - test/json_unit "*"
+  # compile and execute unit tests
+  - make check
 
   # check if homebrew works (only checks develop branch)
   - if [ `which brew` ]; then
@@ -261,51 +259,3 @@ script:
     brew install nlohmann_json --HEAD ;
     brew test nlohmann_json ;
     fi
-
-#language: cpp
-#
-#dist: trusty
-#sudo: required
-#
-#env:
-#  global:
-#   # The next declaration is the encrypted COVERITY_SCAN_TOKEN, created
-#   #   via the "travis encrypt" command using the project repo's public key
-#   - secure: "m89SSgE+ASLO38rSKx7MTXK3n5NkP9bIx95jwY71YEiuFzib30PDJ/DifKnXxBjvy/AkCGztErQRk/8ZCvq+4HXozU2knEGnL/RUitvlwbhzfh2D4lmS3BvWBGS3N3NewoPBrRmdcvnT0xjOGXxtZaJ3P74TkB9GBnlz/HmKORA="
-#
-## from http://stackoverflow.com/a/32127147/266378
-#matrix:
-#  include:
-#    - os: linux
-#      compiler: gcc
-#      addons:
-#        apt:
-#          sources: ['ubuntu-toolchain-r-test']
-#          packages: ['g++-4.9', 'valgrind', 'python-pip', 'python-yaml']
-#      before_script:
-#        - pip install --user git+git://github.com/eddyxu/cpp-coveralls.git
-#      after_success:
-#        - make clean
-#        - touch src/json.hpp
-#        - make json_unit CXXFLAGS="-fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage -std=c++11 -lstdc++" CXX=$COMPILER
-#        - test/json_unit "*"
-#        - coveralls --build-root test --exclude src/catch.hpp --exclude src/unit-algorithms.cpp --exclude src/unit-allocator.cpp --exclude src/unit-capacity.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_const_iterator.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_iterator.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_lexer.cpp --exclude src/unit-class_parser.cpp --exclude src/unit-comparison.cpp --exclude src/unit-concepts.cpp --exclude src/unit-constructor1.cpp --exclude src/unit-constructor2.cpp --exclude src/unit-convenience.cpp --exclude src/unit-conversions.cpp --exclude src/unit-deserialization.cpp --exclude src/unit-element_access1.cpp --exclude src/unit-element_access2.cpp --exclude src/unit-inspection.cpp --exclude src/unit-iterator_wrapper.cpp --exclude src/unit-iterators1.cpp --exclude src/unit-iterators2.cpp --exclude src/unit-json_patch.cpp --exclude src/unit-json_pointer.cpp --exclude src/unit-modifiers.cpp --exclude src/unit-pointer_access.cpp --exclude src/unit-readme.cpp --exclude src/unit-reference_access.cpp --exclude src/unit-regression.cpp --exclude src/unit-serialization.cpp --exclude src/unit-testsuites.cpp --exclude src/unit-unicode.cpp --include ../src/json.hpp --gcov-options '\-lp' --gcov 'gcov-4.9'
-#      env: COMPILER=g++-4.9  
-#
-#    - os: linux
-#      compiler: gcc
-#      before_install: echo -n | openssl s_client -connect scan.coverity.com:443 | sed -ne '/-BEGIN CERTIFICATE-/,/-END CERTIFICATE-/p' | sudo tee -a /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
-#      addons:
-#        apt:
-#          sources: ['ubuntu-toolchain-r-test']
-#          packages: ['g++-5', 'valgrind']
-#        coverity_scan:
-#          project:
-#            name: "nlohmann/json"
-#            description: "Build submitted via Travis CI"
-#          notification_email: niels.lohmann@gmail.com
-#          build_command_prepend: "make clean ; sudo cp $(which g++-5) $(which g++)"
-#          build_command: "make"
-#          branch_pattern: coverity_scan
-#      env: COMPILER=g++-5
-#
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3fd6d54b1..fcce453e2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ RE2C = re2c
 SED = sed
 
 # main target
-all: json_unit
+all:
+	$(MAKE) -C test
 
 # clean up
 clean:
@@ -21,14 +22,14 @@ clean:
 
 # build unit tests
 json_unit:
-	@$(MAKE) -C test
+	@$(MAKE) json_unit -C test
 
 # run unit tests
-check: json_unit
-	test/json_unit "*"
+check:
+	$(MAKE) check -C test
 
-check-fast: json_unit
-	test/json_unit
+check-fast:
+	$(MAKE) check -C test TEST_PATTERN=""
 
 
 ##########################################################################
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ cppcheck:
 clang_sanitize: clean
 	CXX=clang++ CXXFLAGS="-g -O2 -fsanitize=address -fsanitize=undefined -fno-omit-frame-pointer" $(MAKE)
 
+
 ##########################################################################
 # maintainer targets
 ##########################################################################
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index a12760fbe..de02dcfef 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -42,7 +42,20 @@ SOURCES = src/unit.cpp \
 
 OBJECTS = $(SOURCES:.cpp=.o)
 
-all: json_unit
+TESTCASES = $(patsubst src/unit-%.cpp,test-%,$(wildcard src/unit-*.cpp))
+
+##############################################################################
+# main rules
+##############################################################################
+
+all: $(TESTCASES)
+
+clean:
+	rm -fr json_unit $(OBJECTS) $(SOURCES:.cpp=.gcno) $(SOURCES:.cpp=.gcda) $(TESTCASES)
+
+##############################################################################
+# single test file
+##############################################################################
 
 json_unit: $(OBJECTS) ../src/json.hpp src/catch.hpp
 	@echo "[CXXLD] $@"
@@ -52,5 +65,16 @@ json_unit: $(OBJECTS) ../src/json.hpp src/catch.hpp
 	@echo "[CXX]   $@"
 	@$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
-clean:
-	rm -fr json_unit $(OBJECTS) $(SOURCES:.cpp=.gcno) $(SOURCES:.cpp=.gcda)
+
+##############################################################################
+# individual test cases
+##############################################################################
+
+test-%: src/unit-%.cpp
+	@echo "[CXXLD] $@"
+	@$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -DCATCH_CONFIG_MAIN $< -o $@
+
+TEST_PATTERN = "*"
+TEST_PREFIX = ""
+check: $(TESTCASES)
+	@cd .. ; for testcase in $(TESTCASES); do echo "Executing $$testcase..."; $(TEST_PREFIX)test/$$testcase $(TEST_PATTERN) -r compact; done