diff --git a/travis-test.sh b/travis-test.sh
index 65e7e79..de4cd33 100755
--- a/travis-test.sh
+++ b/travis-test.sh
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ SETUP_DIRS=$(echo $SETUP_PATH | tr ":" "\n")
 SCRIPTDIR=$(dirname $(readlinkf $0))/travis
 CURDIR="$PWD"
 CACHEDIR="$HOME/.cache"
-SOURCEDIR="$HOME/.source"
 
 echo "Testing contents of utils.sh"
 
@@ -48,11 +47,15 @@ fn_exists source_set || die "function source_set missing from SCRIPTDIR/utils.sh
 fn_exists update_release_local || die "function update_release_local missing from SCRIPTDIR/utils.sh"
 fn_exists add_dependency || die "function add_dependency missing from SCRIPTDIR/utils.sh"
 
-# test source_set ()
+# test source_set()
+######################################################################
 
 source_set xxdoesnotexistxx | grep -q "does not exist" || die "missing setup file not detected"
 source_set test01 | grep -q "Loading setup file" || die "test01 setup file not found"
 
+# test default settings file
+######################################################################
+
 echo "Testing default settings for completeness and valid git repo settings"
 
 [ -e ./defaults.set ] || die "defaults.set does not exist"
@@ -71,3 +74,75 @@ repo_exists AUTOSAVE || die "Defaults for AUTOSAVE do not point to a valid git r
 repo_exists BUSY || die "Defaults for BUSY do not point to a valid git repository at $repourl"
 repo_exists SSCAN || die "Defaults for SSCAN do not point to a valid git repository at $repourl"
 repo_exists IOCSTATS || die "Defaults for IOCSTATS do not point to a valid git repository at $repourl"
+
+# test update_release_local()
+######################################################################
+
+echo "Testing updating the RELEASE.local file"
+
+release_local=$CACHEDIR/RELEASE.local
+
+rm -f $release_local
+
+# Set a module
+update_release_local MOD1 /tmp/mod1
+updated_line="MOD1=/tmp/mod1"
+grep -q "MOD1=" $release_local || die "Line for MOD1 not added to RELEASE.local"
+existing_line=$(grep "MOD1=" $release_local)
+[ "${existing_line}" = "${updated_line}" ] || die "Wrong line for MOD1 in RELEASE.local (expected=\"$updated_line\" found=\"$existing_line\")"
+
+# Set base
+update_release_local EPICS_BASE /tmp/base
+updated_line="EPICS_BASE=/tmp/base"
+grep -q "EPICS_BASE=" $release_local || die "Line for EPICS_BASE not added to RELEASE.local"
+
+# Set another module
+update_release_local MOD2 /tmp/mod2
+updated_line="MOD2=/tmp/mod2"
+grep -q "MOD2=" $release_local || die "Line for MOD2 not added to RELEASE.local"
+existing_line=$(grep "MOD2=" $release_local)
+[ "${existing_line}" = "${updated_line}" ] || die "Wrong line for MOD2 in RELEASE.local (expected=\"$updated_line\" found=\"$existing_line\")"
+tail -n 1 $release_local | grep -q "EPICS_BASE=" || die "Line for EPICS_BASE not moved to the end of RELEASE.local"
+
+# Update a module
+update_release_local MOD1 /tmp/mod1b
+updated_line="MOD1=/tmp/mod1b"
+grep -q "MOD1=" $release_local || die "Line for MOD1 not present in RELEASE.local"
+existing_line=$(grep "MOD1=" $release_local)
+[ "${existing_line}" = "${updated_line}" ] || die "Wrong line for MOD1 in RELEASE.local (expected=\"$updated_line\" found=\"$existing_line\")"
+head -n 1 $release_local | grep -q "MOD1=" || die "Line for MOD1 not at the top of RELEASE.local"
+tail -n 1 $release_local | grep -q "EPICS_BASE=" || die "Line for EPICS_BASE not moved to the end of RELEASE.local"
+
+rm -f $release_local
+
+# test add_dependency()
+######################################################################
+
+echo "Testing adding a specific commit (branch or tag) of a dependency"
+
+hash_3_15_6="ce7943fb44beb22b453ddcc0bda5398fadf72096"
+location=$CACHEDIR/base-R3.15.6
+
+# CAREFUL: order of the following check matters (speeds up the test)
+
+# dependency does not exist in the cache
+rm -fr $location
+add_dependency BASE R3.15.6
+[ -e $location/LICENSE ] || die "Missing dependency was not checked out"
+BUILT=$(cat "$location/built")
+[ "$BUILT" != "$hash_3_15_6" ] && die "Wrong commit of dependency checked out (expected=\"$hash_3_15_6\" found=\"$BUILT\")"
+
+# up-to-date dependency does exist in the cache
+( cd $CACHEDIR; git clone --quiet --depth 5 --recursive --branch R3.15.6 https://github.com/epics-base/epics-base.git base-R3.15.6 )
+rm -f $location/LICENSE
+add_dependency BASE R3.15.6
+[ -e $location/LICENSE ] && die "Existing correct dependency was checked out on top"
+
+# dependency in the cache is outdated
+echo "nottherighthash" > "$location/built"
+add_dependency BASE R3.15.6
+[ -e $location/LICENSE ] || die "Outdated dependency was not checked out"
+BUILT=$(cat "$location/built")
+[ "$BUILT" != "$hash_3_15_6" ] && die "Wrong commit of dependency checked out (expected=\"$hash_3_15_6\" found=\"$BUILT\")"
+
+rm -fr $location