diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2c31704e..d620772d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -54,3 +54,4 @@ after_failure:
   - $ISLANDORA_DIR/tests/scripts/travis_after_failure.sh
 notifications:
   irc: "irc.freenode.org#islandora"
+sudo: required
diff --git a/includes/admin.form.inc b/includes/admin.form.inc
index 4259c956..eb975f5d 100644
--- a/includes/admin.form.inc
+++ b/includes/admin.form.inc
@@ -59,6 +59,21 @@ function islandora_repository_admin(array $form, array &$form_state) {
             ),
           ),
         ),
+        'islandora_sparql_endpoint_externalized' => array(
+          '#type' => 'checkbox',
+          '#title' => t('Use an external SPARQL Query endpoint'),
+          '#description' => t('If an external query endpoint is used, the repository must be configured to update it.'),
+          '#default_value' => variable_get('islandora_sparql_endpoint_externalized', FALSE),
+        ),
+        'islandora_sparql_endpoint' => array(
+          '#type' => 'textfield',
+          '#title' => t('SPARQL Query Endpoint'),
+          '#default_value' => variable_get('islandora_sparql_endpoint', ""),
+          '#description' => t("An external SPARQL Query endpoint to use."),
+          '#required' => FALSE,
+          '#states' => array(
+            'invisible' => array(':input[name="islandora_sparql_endpoint_externalized"]' => array('checked' => FALSE))),
+        ),
         'islandora_repository_pid' => array(
           '#type' => 'textfield',
           '#title' => t('Root Collection PID'),
diff --git a/includes/tuque.inc b/includes/tuque.inc
index 7aed2556..26698e02 100644
--- a/includes/tuque.inc
+++ b/includes/tuque.inc
@@ -65,8 +65,10 @@ class IslandoraTuque {
    *   A Drupal user.
    * @param string $url
    *   The url to the fedora instance.
+   * @param string $sparql_endpoint
+   *   The URL of a SPARQL Query endpoint for this connection.
    */
-  public function __construct($user = NULL, $url = NULL) {
+  public function __construct($user = NULL, $url = NULL, $sparql_endpoint = NULL) {
     if (!isset($user)) {
       global $user;
     }
@@ -84,9 +86,18 @@ class IslandoraTuque {
       $url = variable_get('islandora_base_url', 'http://localhost:8080/fedora');
     }
 
+    if (!isset($sparql_endpoint)) {
+      if (variable_get('islandora_sparql_endpoint_externalized', FALSE)) {
+        $sparql_endpoint = variable_get('islandora_sparql_endpoint', $url);
+      }
+      else {
+        $sparql_endpoint = $url;
+      }
+    }
+
     if (self::exists()) {
       module_load_include('inc', 'islandora', 'includes/tuque_wrapper');
-      $this->connection = new IslandoraRepositoryConnection($url, $user_string, $pass_string);
+      $this->connection = new IslandoraRepositoryConnection($url, $user_string, $pass_string, $sparql_endpoint);
       $this->connection->reuseConnection = TRUE;
       $this->api = new IslandoraFedoraApi($this->connection);
       $this->cache = new IslandoraSimpleCache();
diff --git a/tests/scripts/travis_setup.sh b/tests/scripts/travis_setup.sh
index db50a52d..bdb56ebc 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/travis_setup.sh
+++ b/tests/scripts/travis_setup.sh
@@ -73,4 +73,12 @@ drush en --user=1 --yes islandora
 drush cc all
 # The shebang in this file is a bogeyman that is haunting the web test cases.
 rm /home/travis/.phpenv/rbenv.d/exec/hhvm-switcher.bash
-sleep 20
+
+# wait for Fedora to come up
+fedoraIsUp=1
+until [ $fedoraIsUp -eq "0" ]; do
+  echo "Waiting for Fedora to boot..."
+  sleep 10
+  (curl http://localhost:8080/fedora)
+  fedoraIsUp=$?
+done