diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index ff277e33dc..f8291e7b41 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -5,22 +5,22 @@ matrix:
   include:
     - os: linux
       dist: xenial
-      env: CMAKE_OPTIONS="-DDEBUG=OFF -DPROFILE=OFF -DPYTHON=/usr/bin/python"
+      env: CMAKE_OPTIONS="-DDEBUG=OFF -DPROFILE=OFF -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/usr/bin/python"
       before_install:
         - sudo apt-get update
         - sudo apt-get install -y --allow-unauthenticated libopenblas-dev liblapack-dev g++ libboost-all-dev python-pip cython python-numpy python-pandas
-        - sudo pip install --upgrade --ignore-installed setuptools
+        - sudo pip install --upgrade --ignore-installed setuptools cython
         - curl https://ftp.fau.de/macports/distfiles/armadillo/armadillo-6.500.5.tar.gz | tar xvz && cd armadillo*
         - cmake . && make && sudo make install && cd ..
         - sudo cp .travis/config.hpp /usr/include/armadillo_bits/config.hpp
 
     - os: linux
       dist: xenial
-      env: CMAKE_OPTIONS="-DDEBUG=OFF -DPROFILE=OFF -DPYTHON=/usr/bin/python3"
+      env: CMAKE_OPTIONS="-DDEBUG=OFF -DPROFILE=OFF -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/usr/bin/python3"
       before_install:
         - sudo apt-get update
-        - sudo apt-get install -y --allow-unauthenticated libopenblas-dev liblapack-dev g++ libboost-all-dev python3-pip cython3 python3-numpy python3-pandas
-        - sudo pip3 install --upgrade --ignore-installed setuptools
+        - sudo apt-get install -y --allow-unauthenticated libopenblas-dev liblapack-dev g++ libboost-all-dev python3-pip cython3 python3-numpy
+        - sudo pip3 install --upgrade --ignore-installed setuptools cython pandas
         - curl https://ftp.fau.de/macports/distfiles/armadillo/armadillo-6.500.5.tar.gz | tar xvz && cd armadillo*
         - cmake . && make && sudo make install && cd ..
         - sudo cp .travis/config.hpp /usr/include/armadillo_bits/config.hpp
diff --git a/src/mlpack/bindings/python/mlpack/matrix_utils.py b/src/mlpack/bindings/python/mlpack/matrix_utils.py
index c16337a090..b4bccf0658 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/bindings/python/mlpack/matrix_utils.py
+++ b/src/mlpack/bindings/python/mlpack/matrix_utils.py
@@ -54,19 +54,26 @@ def to_matrix(x, dtype=np.double, copy=False):
       return x, False
   elif (isinstance(x, np.ndarray) and x.dtype == dtype and x.flags.f_contiguous):
     if copy: # Copy the matrix if required.
-      return np.ndarray(x.shape, buffer=x.flatten(), dtype=dtype, order='C').copy("C"), True
+      return np.ndarray(x.shape, buffer=x.flatten(), dtype=dtype,
+          order='C').copy("C"), True
     else:
-      return np.ndarray(x.shape, buffer=x.flatten(), dtype=dtype, order='C'), False
+      return np.ndarray(x.shape, buffer=x.flatten(), dtype=dtype, order='C'), \
+          False
   else:
     if isinstance(x, pd.core.series.Series) or isinstance(x, pd.DataFrame):
+      # We can only avoid a copy if the dtype is the same and the copy flag is
+      # false.  I'm actually not sure if this is possible, since in everything I
+      # have found, Pandas stores with F_CONTIGUOUS not C_CONTIGUOUS.
       y = x.values
-      if copy: # Copy the matrix if required.
-        return np.ndarray(y.shape, buffer=y.flatten(), dtype=dtype, order='C').copy("C"), True
+      if copy == False and y.dtype == dtype and y.flags.c_contiguous:
+        return np.ndarray(y.shape, buffer=y.flatten(), dtype=dtype, order='C'),\
+            False
       else:
-        return np.ndarray(y.shape, buffer=y.flatten(), dtype=dtype, order='C'), False
+        # We have to make a copy or change the dtype, so just do this directly.
+        return np.array(y, dtype=dtype, order='C', copy=True), True
     else:
       return np.array(x, copy=True, dtype=dtype, order='C'), True
-    
+
 
 def to_matrix_with_info(x, dtype, copy=False):
   """