diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 0b0ce41bea..09bc07bb79 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ common_steps_template: &COMMON_STEPS_TEMPLATE
   install_prerequisites_script: ./cirrusci.sh
   install_host_compiler_script: |
     set -uexo pipefail
-    # kludge for ci.sh
-    if [ "${DMD:0:4}" == "gdmd" ]; then export DMD="gdmd"; fi
     compiler="$DMD"
     if [ -n "${D_VERSION+x}" ]; then compiler="$DMD-$D_VERSION"; fi
     ./ci.sh install_d "$compiler"
@@ -46,7 +44,6 @@ task:
       - TASK_NAME_SUFFIX: x64, LDC
         DMD: ldc
       - TASK_NAME_SUFFIX: x64, GDC
-        GDC_VERSION: 9
         DMD: gdmd-9
   << : *COMMON_STEPS_TEMPLATE
 
diff --git a/ci.sh b/ci.sh
index aee5c857e3..0c3b4dc9ba 100755
--- a/ci.sh
+++ b/ci.sh
@@ -172,23 +172,24 @@ download_install_sh() {
 }
 
 install_d() {
-  if [ "${DMD:-dmd}" == "gdc" ] || [ "${DMD:-dmd}" == "gdmd" ] ; then
-    export DMD=gdmd-${GDC_VERSION}
-    if [ ! -e ~/dlang/gdc-${GDC_VERSION}/activate ] ; then
+  local compiler="$1"
+  if [ "${compiler:0:5}" == "gdmd-" ] ; then
+    local gdc_version="${compiler:5}"
+    if [ ! -e ~/dlang/gdc-$gdc_version/activate ] ; then
         sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test
         sudo apt-get update
-        sudo apt-get install -y gdc-${GDC_VERSION}
+        sudo apt-get install -y gdc-$gdc_version
         # fetch the dmd-like wrapper
-        sudo wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/D-Programming-GDC/GDMD/master/dmd-script -O /usr/bin/gdmd-${GDC_VERSION}
-        sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/gdmd-${GDC_VERSION}
+        sudo curl -fsSL -A "$CURL_USER_AGENT" --connect-timeout 5 --speed-time 30 --speed-limit 1024 --retry 5 --retry-delay 5 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/D-Programming-GDC/GDMD/master/dmd-script -o /usr/bin/gdmd-$gdc_version
+        sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/gdmd-$gdc_version
         # fake install script and create a fake 'activate' script
-        mkdir -p ~/dlang/gdc-${GDC_VERSION}
-        echo "deactivate(){ echo;}" > ~/dlang/gdc-${GDC_VERSION}/activate
+        mkdir -p ~/dlang/gdc-$gdc_version
+        echo "deactivate(){ echo;}" > ~/dlang/gdc-$gdc_version/activate
     fi
   else
     local install_sh="install.sh"
     download_install_sh "$install_sh"
-    CURL_USER_AGENT="$CURL_USER_AGENT" bash "$install_sh" "$1"
+    CURL_USER_AGENT="$CURL_USER_AGENT" bash "$install_sh" "$compiler"
   fi
 }
 
diff --git a/cirrusci.sh b/cirrusci.sh
index 5fabef2965..e67494676d 100755
--- a/cirrusci.sh
+++ b/cirrusci.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ if [ "$OS_NAME" == "linux" ]; then
   fi
   if [ "${DMD:0:4}" == "gdmd" ]; then
     # ci.sh uses `sudo add-apt-repository ...` to add a PPA repo
-    packages="$packages sudo software-properties-common wget"
+    packages="$packages sudo software-properties-common"
   fi
   apt-get -q update
   apt-get install -yq $packages
diff --git a/semaphoreci.sh b/semaphoreci.sh
index 1de4b3d916..f3fc9a346a 100755
--- a/semaphoreci.sh
+++ b/semaphoreci.sh
@@ -30,17 +30,19 @@ else
 fi
 export BRANCH
 
-################################################################################
-# Install D host compiler
-################################################################################
-
-./ci.sh install_d "$DMD"
-
 ################################################################################
 # Define commands
 ################################################################################
 
 case $1 in
-    setup) ./ci.sh setup_repos ;;
-    testsuite) ./ci.sh testsuite ;;
+    setup)
+      ./ci.sh setup_repos
+      ;;
+    testsuite)
+      if [ "$DMD" == "gdc" ] || [ "$DMD" == "gdmd" ] ; then
+        export DMD=gdmd-$GDC_VERSION
+      fi
+      ./ci.sh install_d "$DMD"
+      ./ci.sh testsuite
+      ;;
 esac