diff --git a/.update-changes.cfg b/.update-changes.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b968f4d772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.update-changes.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+
+function new_version_hook
+    {
+    # This can be used to automatically adapt version numbers in files,
+    # except it's not used for that currently.  Instead it updates the files
+    # which store the commit hashes associated with the version of external
+    # test suite repos to check out on a CI system.
+    version=$1
+
+    if [ -d testing/external/bro-testing ]; then
+        ( cd testing/external/bro-testing && git rev-parse HEAD ) > testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing
+        git add testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing
+    fi
+
+    if [ -d testing/external/bro-testing-private ]; then
+        ( cd testing/external/bro-testing-private && git rev-parse HEAD ) > testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing-private
+        git add testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing-private
+    fi
+    }
diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index de0216dd75..9b1de51b11 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 
+2.5-890 | 2018-08-21 16:47:52 -0500
+
+  * Fix Travis CI script to checkout particular commits of external tests
+    (Jon Siwek, Corelight)
+
+  * Fix signed/unsigned comparison warning (Jon Siwek, Corelight)
+
 2.5-888 | 2018-08-21 15:54:56 -0500
 
   * Add --with-broker configure option (Jon Siwek, Corelight)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 188a9c8d9a..b6236aaecd 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.5-888
+2.5-890
diff --git a/testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing b/testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9b0c9547a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+489007e9bd035777cd1d33a9e1db9857449f805b
diff --git a/testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing-private b/testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing-private
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..877d2bd8ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/external/commit-hash.bro-testing-private
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ec454469578db00176db08a60363e99cdf1867f3
diff --git a/testing/scripts/travis-job b/testing/scripts/travis-job
index 01065900dd..d3661b363c 100644
--- a/testing/scripts/travis-job
+++ b/testing/scripts/travis-job
@@ -198,10 +198,18 @@ run() {
         make init
     fi
 
+    if [ -d bro-testing ]; then
+        ( cd bro-testing && git checkout `cat ../commit-hash.bro-testing` )
+    fi
+
     if [ ! -d bro-testing-private ]; then
         get_private_tests
     fi
 
+    if [ -d bro-testing-private ]; then
+        ( cd bro-testing-private && git checkout `cat ../commit-hash.bro-testing-private` )
+    fi
+
     echo
     echo "Running external tests ##############################################"
     echo