diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index e21b629..e71a16d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ sudo: required
 
 matrix:
     include:
-        - name: "Windows, Python Latest"
+        - name: "Windows, Python Latest: multiprocessing"
           os: windows
           language: sh
           python: 3.x  # only works on linux
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ matrix:
               - export PATH="/c/Python:/c/Python/Scripts:$PATH"
               - python -m pip install --upgrade pip wheel
 
-        - name: "Windows, Python 3.7"
+        - name: "Windows, Python 3.7: multiprocessing"
           os: windows
           python: 3.7  # only works on linux
           language: sh
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ matrix:
 
         - name: "Python 3.7: multiprocessing"
           python: 3.7  # this works for Linux but is ignored on macOS or Windows
-          env: SPAWN_BACKEND=mp
+          env: SPAWN_BACKEND="mp"
         - name: "Python 3.7: trio-run-in-process"
           python: 3.7  # this works for Linux but is ignored on macOS or Windows
-          env: SPAWN_BACKEND=trio_run_in_process
+          env: SPAWN_BACKEND="trio_run_in_process"
 
         - name: "Pytron 3.8: multiprocessing"
           python: 3.8  # this works for Linux but is ignored on macOS or Windows
-          env: SPAWN_BACKEND=mp
+          env: SPAWN_BACKEND="mp"
         - name: "Python 3.8: trio-run-in-process"
           python: 3.8  # this works for Linux but is ignored on macOS or Windows
-          env: SPAWN_BACKEND=trio_run_in_process
+          env: SPAWN_BACKEND="trio_run_in_process"
 
 install:
     - cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR
@@ -43,4 +43,4 @@ install:
 
 script:
     - mypy tractor/ --ignore-missing-imports
-    - pytest tests/ --no-print-logs --spawn-backend=$SPAWN_BACKEND
+    - pytest tests/ --no-print-logs --spawn-backend=${SPAWN_BACKEND}
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index b7feae4..9675299 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ _arb_addr = '127.0.0.1', random.randint(1000, 9999)
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     parser.addoption(
         "--ll", action="store", dest='loglevel',
-         default=None, help="logging level to set when testing"
+        default=None, help="logging level to set when testing"
     )
 
     parser.addoption(
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
 def pytest_configure(config):
     backend = config.option.spawn_backend
 
-    if plaform.system() == "Windows":
+    if platform.system() == "Windows":
         backend = 'mp'
 
     if backend == 'mp':
@@ -59,13 +59,15 @@ def pytest_generate_tests(metafunc):
         if spawn_backend == 'mp':
             from multiprocessing import get_all_start_methods
             methods = get_all_start_methods()
-            if 'fork' in methods:  # fork not available on windows, so check before removing
-                # XXX: the fork method is in general incompatible with
-                # trio's global scheduler state
+            if 'fork' in methods:
+                # fork not available on windows, so check before
+                # removing XXX: the fork method is in general
+                # incompatible with trio's global scheduler state
                 methods.remove('fork')
         elif spawn_backend == 'trio_run_in_process':
             if platform.system() == "Windows":
-                pytest.fail("Only `--spawn-backend=mp` is supported on Windows")
+                pytest.fail(
+                    "Only `--spawn-backend=mp` is supported on Windows")
 
             methods = ['trio_run_in_process']