diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec8978d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: CI
+
+on: [pull_request]
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@master
+
+    - name: Set up Go 1.12
+      uses: actions/setup-go@v1
+      with:
+        version: 1.12
+      id: go
+
+    - name: Build
+      run: script/cibuild
diff --git a/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d775131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: migration tests
+
+on: [pull_request]
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@master
+
+    - name: Set up Go 1.12
+      uses: actions/setup-go@v1
+      with:
+        version: 1.12
+      id: go
+
+    - name: migration tests
+      run:  script/cibuild-gh-ost-replica-tests
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b6b68f3..c1c1891 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 language: go
 
 go:
-  - "1.9"
-  - "1.10"
+  - "1.12.x"
 
 os:
   - linux
 
+services:
+  - mysql
+
 env:
 - MYSQL_USER=root
 - CURRENT_CI_ENV=travis
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 008c65b..cd6f592 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ Please see [Coding gh-ost](doc/coding-ghost.md) for a guide to getting started d
 
 [Download latest release here](https://github.com/github/gh-ost/releases/latest)
 
-`gh-ost` is a Go project; it is built with Go `1.9` and above. To build on your own, use either:
+`gh-ost` is a Go project; it is built with Go `1.12` and above. To build on your own, use either:
 - [script/build](https://github.com/github/gh-ost/blob/master/script/build) - this is the same build script used by CI hence the authoritative; artifact is `./bin/gh-ost` binary.
 - [build.sh](https://github.com/github/gh-ost/blob/master/build.sh) for building `tar.gz` artifacts in `/tmp/gh-ost`
 
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index df9ac7d..b7f3a54 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@ function build {
   GOOS=$3
   GOARCH=$4
 
-
-
-  if ! go version | egrep -q 'go(1[.]9|1[.]1[0-9])' ; then
-    echo "go version is too low. Must use 1.9 or above"
+  if ! go version | egrep -q 'go(1\.1[234])' ; then
+    echo "go version must be 1.12 or above"
     exit 1
   fi
 
diff --git a/go/logic/server.go b/go/logic/server.go
index 774c4ab..4c1f581 100644
--- a/go/logic/server.go
+++ b/go/logic/server.go
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ func (this *Server) applyServerCommand(command string, writer *bufio.Writer) (pr
 	switch command {
 	case "help":
 		{
-			fmt.Fprintln(writer, `available commands:
+			fmt.Fprint(writer, `available commands:
 status                               # Print a detailed status message
 sup                                  # Print a short status message
 coordinates													 # Print the currently inspected coordinates
diff --git a/localtests/test.sh b/localtests/test.sh
index 1078965..d4b3f17 100755
--- a/localtests/test.sh
+++ b/localtests/test.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ verify_master_and_replica() {
   original_sql_mode="$(gh-ost-test-mysql-master -e "select @@global.sql_mode" -s -s)"
   echo "sql_mode on master is ${original_sql_mode}"
 
+  echo "Gracefully sleeping for 3 seconds while replica is setting up..."
+  sleep 3
+
   if [ "$(gh-ost-test-mysql-replica -e "select 1" -ss)" != "1" ] ; then
     echo "Cannot verify gh-ost-test-mysql-replica"
     exit 1
diff --git a/script/ensure-go-installed b/script/ensure-go-installed
index a511e0e..c9c2ae8 100755
--- a/script/ensure-go-installed
+++ b/script/ensure-go-installed
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-PREFERRED_GO_VERSION=go1.9.2
-SUPPORTED_GO_VERSIONS='go1.[89]'
+PREFERRED_GO_VERSION=go1.12.6
+SUPPORTED_GO_VERSIONS='go1.1[234]'
 
 GO_PKG_DARWIN=${PREFERRED_GO_VERSION}.darwin-amd64.pkg
-GO_PKG_DARWIN_SHA=8b4f6ae6deae1150d2e341d02c247fd18a99af387516540eeb84702ffd76d3a1
+GO_PKG_DARWIN_SHA=ea78245e43de2996fa0973033064b33f48820cfe39f4f3c6e953040925cc5815
 
 GO_PKG_LINUX=${PREFERRED_GO_VERSION}.linux-amd64.tar.gz
-GO_PKG_LINUX_SHA=de874549d9a8d8d8062be05808509c09a88a248e77ec14eb77453530829ac02b
+GO_PKG_LINUX_SHA=dbcf71a3c1ea53b8d54ef1b48c85a39a6c9a935d01fc8291ff2b92028e59913c
 
 export ROOTDIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )/.." && pwd )"
 cd $ROOTDIR
 
 # If Go isn't installed globally, setup environment variables for local install.
 if [ -z "$(which go)" ] || [ -z "$(go version | grep "$SUPPORTED_GO_VERSIONS")" ]; then
-  GODIR="$ROOTDIR/.vendor/go19"
+  GODIR="$ROOTDIR/.vendor/golocal"
 
   if [ $(uname -s) = "Darwin" ]; then
     export GOROOT="$GODIR/usr/local/go"
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ if [ -z "$(which go)" ] || [ -z "$(go version | grep "$SUPPORTED_GO_VERSIONS")"
   cd "$GODIR";
 
   if [ $(uname -s) = "Darwin" ]; then
-    curl -L -O https://storage.googleapis.com/golang/$GO_PKG_DARWIN
+    curl -L -O https://dl.google.com/go/$GO_PKG_DARWIN
     shasum -a256 $GO_PKG_DARWIN | grep $GO_PKG_DARWIN_SHA
     xar -xf $GO_PKG_DARWIN
     cpio -i < com.googlecode.go.pkg/Payload
   else
-    curl -L -O https://storage.googleapis.com/golang/$GO_PKG_LINUX
+    curl -L -O https://dl.google.com/go/$GO_PKG_LINUX
     shasum -a256 $GO_PKG_LINUX | grep $GO_PKG_LINUX_SHA
     tar xf $GO_PKG_LINUX
   fi