diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2f06c436..344f5ab7 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ install:
   - TEST=--enable-tests
   - BENCH=--enable-benchmarks
   - HEADHACKAGE=false
-  - HEADHACKAGE=true
+  - if [ $HCNUMVER -gt 80801 ] ; then HEADHACKAGE=true ; fi
   - rm -f $CABALHOME/config
   - |
     echo "verbose: normal +nowrap +markoutput"          >> $CABALHOME/config
diff --git a/cabal.haskell-ci b/cabal.haskell-ci
index fbe3e24b..2a8d1fe9 100644
--- a/cabal.haskell-ci
+++ b/cabal.haskell-ci
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ghc-head:               True
 no-tests-no-benchmarks: False
 unconstrained:          False
-head-hackage:           >=8.8
-travis-patches:         travis.yml.patch
 
 raw-project
   -- Work around https://github.com/haskell/cabal/issues/5586
diff --git a/travis.yml.patch b/travis.yml.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 9cfeb895..00000000
--- a/travis.yml.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
-index f7433ed..dda1bd1 100644
---- a/.travis.yml
-+++ b/.travis.yml
-@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ matrix:
-       addons: {"apt":{"sources":["hvr-ghc"],"packages":["ghc-head","cabal-install-head"]}}
-   allow_failures:
-     - compiler: ghc-head
--    - compiler: ghc-8.8.1
- before_install:
-   - HC=$(echo "/opt/$CC/bin/ghc" | sed 's/-/\//')
-   - WITHCOMPILER="-w $HC"