diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 8c9d15b..a16d8ad 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 version: '{build}'
 
+image: Visual Studio 2015
+
 cache:
-- x86_64-4.9.2-release-win32-seh-rt_v4-rev4.7z
-- i686-4.9.2-release-win32-dwarf-rt_v4-rev4.7z
-- Nim
+- NimBinaries
 
 matrix:
   # We always want 32 and 64-bit compilation
@@ -13,74 +13,27 @@ platform:
   - x86
   - x64
 
+# when multiple CI builds are queued, the tested commit needs to be in the last X commits cloned with "--depth X"
+clone_depth: 10
+
 install:
   - git submodule update --init --recursive
-  - setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
 
-  - IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x86" (
-      SET "MINGW_ARCHIVE=i686-4.9.2-release-win32-dwarf-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
-      SET "MINGW_URL=https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%%20targetting%%20Win32/Personal%%20Builds/mingw-builds/4.9.2/threads-win32/dwarf/i686-4.9.2-release-win32-dwarf-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
-      SET "MINGW_DIR=mingw32"
-    ) ELSE (
-      IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" (
-        SET "MINGW_ARCHIVE=x86_64-4.9.2-release-win32-seh-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
-        SET "MINGW_URL=https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%%20targetting%%20Win64/Personal%%20Builds/mingw-builds/4.9.2/threads-win32/seh/x86_64-4.9.2-release-win32-seh-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
-        SET "MINGW_DIR=mingw64"
-      ) else (
-        echo "Unknown platform"
-      )
-    )
-
-  - SET PATH=%CD%\%MINGW_DIR%\bin;%CD%\Nim\bin;%PATH%
-
-  # Unpack mingw
-  - IF NOT EXIST "%MINGW_ARCHIVE%" appveyor DownloadFile "%MINGW_URL%" -FileName "%MINGW_ARCHIVE%"
-  - 7z x -y "%MINGW_ARCHIVE%" > nul
+  # use the newest versions documented here: https://www.appveyor.com/docs/windows-images-software/#mingw-msys-cygwin
+  - IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x86" SET PATH=C:\mingw-w64\i686-6.3.0-posix-dwarf-rt_v5-rev1\mingw32\bin;%PATH%
+  - IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" SET PATH=C:\mingw-w64\x86_64-8.1.0-posix-seh-rt_v6-rev0\mingw64\bin;%PATH%
 
   # build nim from our own branch - this to avoid the day-to-day churn and
   # regressions of the fast-paced Nim development while maintaining the
   # flexibility to apply patches
-  - SET "NEED_REBUILD="
-
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\.git\\" (
-      git clone https://github.com/status-im/Nim.git
-    ) ELSE (
-      ( cd Nim ) &
-      ( git pull ) &
-      ( cd .. )
-    )
-
-  # Rebuild Nim if HEAD has moved or if we don't yet have a cached version
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\ver.txt" (
-      SET NEED_REBUILD=1
-    ) ELSE (
-      ( CD Nim ) &
-      ( git rev-parse HEAD > ..\\cur_ver.txt ) &
-      ( fc ver.txt ..\\cur_ver.txt || SET NEED_REBUILD=1 ) &
-      ( cd .. )
-    )
-
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\bin\\nim.exe" SET NEED_REBUILD=1
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\bin\\nimble.exe" SET NEED_REBUILD=1
-
-  # after building nim, wipe csources to save on cache space
-  - IF DEFINED NEED_REBUILD (
-      cd Nim &
-      ( IF EXIST "csources" rmdir /s /q csources ) &
-      git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nim-lang/csources &
-      cd csources &
-      ( IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" ( build64.bat ) else ( build.bat ) ) &
-      cd .. &
-      bin\nim c koch &
-      koch boot -d:release &
-      koch nimble &
-      git rev-parse HEAD > ver.txt &
-      rmdir /s /q csources
-    )
+  - curl -O -L -s -S https://raw.githubusercontent.com/status-im/nimbus/devel/build_nim.sh
+  - env MAKE="mingw32-make -j2" ARCH_OVERRIDE=%PLATFORM% bash build_nim.sh Nim csources dist/nimble NimBinaries
+  - SET PATH=%CD%\Nim\bin;%PATH%
 
 build_script:
   - cd C:\projects\%APPVEYOR_PROJECT_SLUG%
   - nimble install -y
+
 test_script:
   - nimble test
 
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 490c9d6..277aa91 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,15 @@
-language: c # or other C/C++ variants
-
-# xenial is required for GO 1.11.x
-# dist: xenial
-sudo: false
+language: c
 
 # https://docs.travis-ci.com/user/caching/
-#
-# Caching the whole nim folder is better than relying on ccache - this way, we
-# skip the expensive bootstrap process and linking
 cache:
   directories:
-    - nim
+    - NimBinaries
     - $HOME/go/src/gx
 
+git:
+  # when multiple CI builds are queued, the tested commit needs to be in the last X commits cloned with "--depth X"
+  depth: 10
+
 matrix:
   include:
     - os: linux
@@ -26,25 +23,14 @@ matrix:
           update: true
       before_install:
         - export GOPATH=$HOME/go
+
 install:
   # build nim from our own branch - this to avoid the day-to-day churn and
   # regressions of the fast-paced Nim development while maintaining the
   # flexibility to apply patches
-  #
-  # check version of remote branch
-  - "export NIMVER=$(git ls-remote https://github.com/status-im/nim.git HEAD | cut -f 1)"
-
-  # after building nim, wipe csources to save on cache space
-  - "{ [ -f nim/$NIMVER/bin/nim ] && [ -f nim/$NIMVER/bin/nimble ] ; } ||
-      { rm -rf nim ;
-        mkdir -p nim ;
-        git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/status-im/nim.git nim/$NIMVER ;
-        cd nim/$NIMVER ;
-        sh build_all.sh ;
-        rm -rf csources ;
-        cd ../.. ;
-      }"
-  - export PATH=$PWD/nim/$NIMVER/bin:$GOPATH/bin:$PATH
+  - curl -O -L -s -S https://raw.githubusercontent.com/status-im/nimbus/devel/build_nim.sh
+  - env MAKE="make -j2" bash build_nim.sh Nim csources dist/nimble NimBinaries
+  - export PATH="$PWD/Nim/bin:$GOPATH/bin:$PATH"
   - go version
   - git clone https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-daemon
   - cd go-libp2p-daemon