diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 # The different configurations we want to test. You could also do things like
 # change flags or use --stack-yaml to point to a different file.
 env:
+- HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/stack-ghc-8.8.yaml"
 - HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/stack-ghc-8.6.yaml"
 - HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/stack-ghc-8.4.yaml"
 - HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/stack-ghc-8.2.yaml"
 - HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/stack-ghc-8.0.yaml"
-- HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/stack-ghc-7.10.yaml"
 
 before_install:
 # Download and unpack the stack executable
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 # This line does all of the work: installs GHC if necessary, build the library,
 # executables, and test suites, and runs the test suites. --no-terminal works
 # around some quirks in Travis's terminal implementation.
-script: stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS --no-terminal --install-ghc test --haddock --cabal-verbose
+script: ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR}/scripts/travis-check
 
 # Caching so the next build will be fast too.
 cache:
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+* 0.14.0.0 (2019-11-26)
+  - support for GHC 8.8
+  - fix for performance problem with long strings
+    https://github.com/skogsbaer/HTF/issues/85
+
 * 0.13.2.5 (2018-11-06)
   - fix build problem with quickcheck:
         https://github.com/skogsbaer/HTF/issues/70
diff --git a/HTF.cabal b/HTF.cabal
--- a/HTF.cabal
+++ b/HTF.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:             HTF
-Version:          0.13.2.5
+Version:          0.14.0.0
 License:          LGPL-2.1
 License-File:     LICENSE
 Copyright:        (c) 2005-2015 Stefan Wehr
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     blog article (<http://factisresearch.blogspot.de/2011/10/new-version-of-htf-with-diffs-colors.html>)
     demonstrating HTF's coloring, pretty-printing and diff functionality.
 
-Build-Type:       Simple
+Build-Type:       Custom
 Cabal-Version:    >= 1.10
 Extra-Source-Files:
   README.md
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@
   ChangeLog
   .travis.yml
   stack.yaml
-  stack-ghc-7.10.yaml
   stack-ghc-8.0.yaml
   stack-ghc-8.2.yaml
   stack-ghc-8.4.yaml
   stack-ghc-8.6.yaml
+  stack-ghc-8.8.yaml
   tests/bbt/should_fail/BBTArgs
   tests/bbt/should_fail/*.err
   tests/bbt/should_fail/*.out
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@
 Source-Repository head
   Type:           git
   Location:       http://github.com/skogsbaer/HTF.git
+
+Custom-Setup
+  Setup-Depends:   base == 4.*,
+                   process,
+                   Cabal
 
 Executable htfpp
   Main-Is:          HTFPP.hs
diff --git a/HTFPP.hs b/HTFPP.hs
--- a/HTFPP.hs
+++ b/HTFPP.hs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 usage =
     hPutStrLn stderr
       ("Preprocessor for the Haskell Test Framework\n\n" ++
-       "Usage: " ++ progName ++ " [--hunit|--debug|--version] [FILE1 [FILE2 [FILE3]]]\n\n" ++
+       "Usage: " ++ progName ++ " [--hunit|--debug|--version|--literate-tex] [FILE1 [FILE2 [FILE3]]]\n\n" ++
        "* If no argument is given, input is read from stdin and\n" ++
        "  output is written to stdout.\n" ++
        "* If only FILE1 is given, input is read from this file\n" ++
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@
        "  FILE1 serves as the original input filename.\n\n" ++
        "The `--hunit' flag causes assert-like macros to be expanded in a way\n" ++
        "that is backwards-compatible with the corresponding functions of the\n" ++
-       "HUnit library.")
+       "HUnit library.\n" ++
+       "The `--literate-tex` flag causes the additional generated code to be wrapped\n" ++
+       "in TeX-style literate code blocks.")
 
 outputVersion :: IO ()
 outputVersion =
@@ -73,9 +75,10 @@
        when ("--version" `elem` args) $
             do outputVersion
                exitWith ExitSuccess
-       let hunitBackwardsCompat = "--hunit" `elem` args
-           debug = "--debug" `elem` args
-           restArgs = flip filter args $ \x -> x /= "--hunit" && x /= "--debug"
+       let transformOpts = TransformOptions { hunitBackwardsCompat = "--hunit" `elem` args
+                                            , debug = "--debug" `elem` args
+                                            , literateTex = "--literate-tex" `elem` args }
+           restArgs = flip filter args $ \x -> not $ x `elem` ["--hunit", "--debug", "--literate-tex"]
        (origInputFilename, hIn, hOut) <-
            case restArgs of
              [] ->
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@
                     usage
                     exitWith (ExitFailure 1)
        input <- hGetContents hIn
-       output <- transform hunitBackwardsCompat debug origInputFilename input `catch`
+       output <- transform transformOpts origInputFilename input `catch`
                    (\ (e::SomeException) ->
                         do hPutStrLn stderr (progName ++
                                              ": unexpected exception: " ++
diff --git a/Setup.hs b/Setup.hs
--- a/Setup.hs
+++ b/Setup.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/runhaskell
 
 import Distribution.Simple
+import System.Process
 
-main = defaultMain
+main = defaultMainWithHooks (simpleUserHooks { preConf = preTestHook })
+    where
+      preTestHook args flags =
+          do system ("bash ./scripts/prepare")
+             preConf simpleUserHooks args flags
diff --git a/Test/Framework/AssertM.hs b/Test/Framework/AssertM.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/AssertM.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/AssertM.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
 {-|
 
 This module defines the 'AssertM' monad, which allows you either to run assertions
@@ -55,7 +56,9 @@
     return = AssertOk
     AssertFailed stack >>= _ = AssertFailed stack
     AssertOk x >>= k = k x
+#if !(MIN_VERSION_base(4,13,0))
     fail msg = AssertFailed [AssertStackElem (Just msg) Nothing]
+#endif
 
 instance AssertM AssertBool where
     genericAssertFailure__ loc s =
diff --git a/Test/Framework/CmdlineOptions.hs b/Test/Framework/CmdlineOptions.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/CmdlineOptions.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/CmdlineOptions.hs
@@ -347,9 +347,12 @@
           case opts_historyFile opts of
             Just fp -> return fp
             Nothing ->
-                do x <- getProgName
-                   createDirectoryIfMissing False ".HTF"
-                   return (".HTF/" ++ x ++ ".history")
+                do progName <- getProgName
+                   let x = if progName == "<interactive>" then "interactive" else progName
+                   curDir <- getCurrentDirectory
+                   let dir = curDir </> ".HTF"
+                   createDirectoryIfMissing False dir
+                   return $ dir </> (x ++ ".history")
       getHistory fp =
           do b <- doesFileExist fp
              if not b
@@ -358,10 +361,10 @@
                      case deserializeTestHistory bs of
                        Right history -> return history
                        Left err ->
-                           do hPutStrLn stderr ("Error deserializing content of history file " ++ fp ++ ": " ++ err)
+                           do hPutStrLn stderr ("Error deserializing content of HTF history file " ++ fp ++ ": " ++ err)
                               return emptyTestHistory
                   `catch` (\(e::IOException) ->
-                               do hPutStrLn stderr ("Error reading history file " ++ fp ++ ": " ++ show e)
+                               do hPutStrLn stderr ("Error reading HTF history file " ++ fp ++ ": " ++ show e)
                                   return emptyTestHistory)
       mergeFilters f1 f2 t =
           f1 t && f2 t
diff --git a/Test/Framework/Diff.hs b/Test/Framework/Diff.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/Diff.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/Diff.hs
@@ -88,12 +88,50 @@
 contextSize :: Int
 contextSize = 10
 
+prepareStringsForDiff :: String -> String -> (String, String, Maybe (String, String))
+prepareStringsForDiff s1 s2 =
+    case (List.splitAt 1024 s1, List.splitAt 1024 s2) of
+      ((start1, rest1@(_:_)), (start2, rest2@(_:_))) -> (start1, start2, Just (rest1, rest2))
+      ((start1, []), (start2, _)) -> (start1, start2, Nothing)
+      ((start1, _), (start2, [])) -> (start1, start2, Nothing)
+
 singleLineDiff :: DiffConfig -> String -> String -> ColorString
-singleLineDiff dc s1 s2
-    | s1 == s2 = emptyColorString
+singleLineDiff dc s1 s2 = loop (0, 0) (s1, s2)
+    where
+      loop :: (Int, Int) -> (String, String) -> ColorString
+      loop (skipped1, skipped2) (s1, s2) =
+          let (start1, start2, cont) = prepareStringsForDiff s1 s2
+          in case singleLineDiff' dc start1 start2 of
+               Just cs ->
+                   let prefix =
+                           if skipped1 == 0 && skipped1 == 0
+                           then emptyColorString
+                           else dc_skip dc
+                                    ("skipped " ++ show skipped1 ++
+                                     " chars from first string, "
+                                    ++ show skipped2 ++ " chars from second string")
+                       suffix =
+                           case cont of
+                             Nothing -> emptyColorString
+                             Just (r1, r2) ->
+                                 dc_skip dc
+                                     ("skipped " ++ show (length r1) ++
+                                      " chars from first string, " ++
+                                      show (length r2) ++ " chars from second string")
+                   in prefix +++ cs +++ suffix
+               Nothing ->
+                   case cont of
+                     Just (r1, r2) ->
+                         loop (skipped1 + length start1, skipped2 + length start2) (r1, r2)
+                     Nothing -> emptyColorString
+
+singleLineDiff' :: DiffConfig -> String -> String -> Maybe ColorString
+singleLineDiff' dc s1 s2
+    | s1 == s2 = Nothing
     | otherwise =
         let groups = D.getGroupedDiff s1 s2
-        in foldr (\(group, pos) string ->
+        in Just $
+           foldr (\(group, pos) string ->
                       (showDiffGroup pos group) +++
                       (if not (isLast pos) then dc_sep dc else emptyColorString) +++
                       string)
@@ -187,7 +225,13 @@
 -}
 multiLineDiffHaskell :: String -> String -> ColorString
 multiLineDiffHaskell left right =
-    noColor $ ppDiff $ D.getGroupedDiff (lines left) (lines right) -- this code is now part of the Diff library (hence the >0.3 in Cabal)
+    if length left > maxLen || length right > maxLen
+    then noColor
+             ("Refusing to compute a multiline diff for strings with more than " ++ show maxLen ++
+              " chars. Please install the 'diff' tool to get a diff ouput.")
+    else noColor $ ppDiff $ D.getGroupedDiff (lines left) (lines right)
+    where
+      maxLen = 10000
 
 main =
     do args <- getArgs
diff --git a/Test/Framework/HUnitWrapper.hs b/Test/Framework/HUnitWrapper.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/HUnitWrapper.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/HUnitWrapper.hs
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@
 import Test.Framework.PrettyHaskell
 
 import qualified Data.Text as T
+import qualified Data.List as List
 
 -- WARNING: do not forget to add a preprocessor macro for new assertions!!
 
@@ -248,8 +249,8 @@
         expected_ = colorize firstDiffColor "* expected:"
         but_got_ = colorize secondDiffColor "* but got:"
         diff_ = colorize diffColor "* diff:"
-    in ("\n" +++ expected_ +++ " " +++ noColor (withNewline exp) +++
-        "\n" +++ but_got_ +++ "  " +++ noColor (withNewline act) +++
+    in ("\n" +++ expected_ +++ " " +++ noColor (withNewline (trim exp)) +++
+        "\n" +++ but_got_ +++ "  " +++ noColor (withNewline (trim act)) +++
         "\n" +++ diff_ +++ "     " +++ newlineBeforeDiff diff +++ diff +++
         (if (exp == act)
          then "\nWARNING: strings are equal but actual values differ!"
@@ -265,6 +266,13 @@
                       Just _ -> "\n"
                       Nothing -> ""
           in noColor' (f True) (f False)
+      trim s =
+          case List.splitAt maxLen s of
+            (_, []) -> s
+            (prefix, rest) ->
+                prefix ++ " (removed " ++ show (length rest) ++ " trailing chars)"
+      maxLen = 100000
+
 
 equalityFailedMessage :: (Show a) => a -> a -> ColorString
 equalityFailedMessage exp act =
diff --git a/Test/Framework/Preprocessor.hs b/Test/Framework/Preprocessor.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/Preprocessor.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/Preprocessor.hs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 module Test.Framework.Preprocessor (
 
-    transform, progName, preprocessorTests
+    transform, progName, preprocessorTests, TransformOptions(..)
 
 ) where
 
@@ -396,8 +396,12 @@
       boolopts = (boolopts defaultCpphsOptions) { lang = True } -- lex as haskell
     }
 
-transform :: Bool -> Bool -> FilePath -> String -> IO String
-transform hunitBackwardsCompat debug originalFileName input =
+data TransformOptions = TransformOptions { hunitBackwardsCompat :: Bool
+                                         , debug :: Bool
+                                         , literateTex :: Bool }
+
+transform :: TransformOptions -> FilePath -> String -> IO String
+transform (TransformOptions hunitBackwardsCompat debug literateTex) originalFileName input =
     do (info, toks, pass1) <- analyze originalFileName fixedInput
        preprocess info toks pass1
     where
@@ -408,7 +412,7 @@
              let opts = mkOptionsForModule info
              preProcessedInput <-
                  runCpphsPass2 (boolopts opts) (defines opts) originalFileName pass1
-             return $ preProcessedInput ++ "\n\n" ++ additionalCode info ++ "\n"
+             return $ preProcessedInput ++ "\n\n" ++ possiblyWrap literateTex (additionalCode info) ++ "\n"
       -- fixedInput serves two purposes:
       -- 1. add a trailing \n
       -- 2. turn lines of the form '# <number> "<filename>"' into line directives '#line <number> <filename>'
@@ -428,6 +432,8 @@
                                     nameDefines info
                               , boolopts = (boolopts defaultCpphsOptions) { lang = True } -- lex as haskell
                               }
+      possiblyWrap :: Bool -> String -> String
+      possiblyWrap b s = if b then "\\begin{code}\n" ++ s ++ "\\end{code}" else s
       additionalCode :: ModuleInfo -> String
       additionalCode info =
           thisModulesTestsFullName (mi_moduleNameWithDefault info) ++ " :: " ++
diff --git a/Test/Framework/TestManager.hs b/Test/Framework/TestManager.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/TestManager.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/TestManager.hs
@@ -419,6 +419,8 @@
             _ -> return ()
       storeHistory file history =
           BS.writeFile file (serializeTestHistory history)
+          `Exc.catch` (\(e::Exc.IOException) ->
+                          hPutStrLn stderr ("Error storing HTF history into file " ++ file ++ ": " ++ show e))
 
 -- | Runs something testable with the given 'TestConfig'.
 -- The result is 'ExitSuccess' if all tests were executed successfully,
diff --git a/Test/Framework/ThreadPool.hs b/Test/Framework/ThreadPool.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/ThreadPool.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/ThreadPool.hs
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 parallelThreadPool :: MonadIO m => Int -> m (ThreadPool m a b)
 parallelThreadPool n =
-    do when (n < 1) $ fail ("invalid number of workers: " ++ show n)
+    do when (n < 1) $ liftIO (fail ("invalid number of workers: " ++ show n))
        return (ThreadPool (runParallel n))
 
 runSequentially :: MonadIO m => [ThreadPoolEntry m a b] -> m ()
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 runParallel :: forall m a b . MonadIO m => Int -> [ThreadPoolEntry m a b] -> m ()
 runParallel _ [] = return ()
 runParallel n entries =
-    do when (n < 1) $ fail ("invalid number of workers: " ++ show n)
+    do when (n < 1) $ liftIO (fail ("invalid number of workers: " ++ show n))
        fromWorker <- liftIO $ newNamedChan "fromWorker"
        let nWorkers = min n (length entries)
        toWorkers <- mapM (\i -> liftIO $ mkWorker i fromWorker) [1..nWorkers]
diff --git a/Test/Framework/Utils.hs b/Test/Framework/Utils.hs
--- a/Test/Framework/Utils.hs
+++ b/Test/Framework/Utils.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE PatternGuards #-}
 --
 -- Copyright (c) 2005, 2012   Stefan Wehr - http://www.stefanwehr.de
@@ -119,7 +120,11 @@
                               (s'',ys) <- mapAccumLM f s' xs
                               return (s'',y:ys)
 
+#if !(MIN_VERSION_base(4,13,0))
 readM :: (Monad m, Read a) => String -> m a
+#else
+readM :: (MonadFail m, Read a) => String -> m a
+#endif
 readM s | [x] <- parse = return x
         | otherwise    = fail $ "Failed parse: " ++ show s
     where
diff --git a/scripts/check.sh b/scripts/check.sh
--- a/scripts/check.sh
+++ b/scripts/check.sh
@@ -24,10 +24,16 @@
     eval yaml="$yaml" # evaluate variables contained in $yaml
     echo >&2 "Checking with $yaml ..."
     export HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS="--stack-yaml $yaml"
+    stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS build
+    ecode=$?
+    if [ $ecode -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo >&2 "Build for $yaml failed!"
+        exit 1
+    fi
     stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS test
     ecode=$?
     if [ $ecode -ne 0 ]; then
-        echo >&2 "Check for $yaml failed!"
+        echo >&2 "Test for $yaml failed!"
         exit 1
     fi
 done
diff --git a/scripts/local-htfpp b/scripts/local-htfpp
--- a/scripts/local-htfpp
+++ b/scripts/local-htfpp
@@ -22,15 +22,6 @@
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$bin" ]; then
-    echo "No executable named htfpp found in $TOP/$dist, trying to build it" >&2
-    stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS build 2> /dev/null > /dev/null
-    find_bin
-    if [ -z "$bin" ]; then
-        echo "Still no executable named htfpp found in $TOP/$dist (even after trying to build it)" >&2
-        echo "TOP=$TOP" >&2
-        echo "dist=$dist" >&2
-        find "$TOP/$dist" -type f >&2
-        exit 1
-    fi
+    echo "No executable named htfpp found in $TOP/$dist. Aborting!" >&2
 fi
 "$bin" "$@"
diff --git a/stack-ghc-7.10.yaml b/stack-ghc-7.10.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
--- a/stack-ghc-7.10.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-resolver: lts-6.35
-flags: {}
-packages:
-- '.'
-extra-deps: []
diff --git a/stack-ghc-8.6.yaml b/stack-ghc-8.6.yaml
--- a/stack-ghc-8.6.yaml
+++ b/stack-ghc-8.6.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-resolver: nightly-2018-11-06
+resolver: lts-14.3
 flags: {}
 packages:
 - '.'
diff --git a/stack-ghc-8.8.yaml b/stack-ghc-8.8.yaml
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stack-ghc-8.8.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+resolver: nightly-2019-11-05
+flags: {}
+packages:
+- '.'
+extra-deps:
+- git: https://github.com/skogsbaer/haskell-src.git
+  commit: ab0e6f8bf004337792365cdc53dc1068eaf51eda
diff --git a/stack.yaml b/stack.yaml
--- a/stack.yaml
+++ b/stack.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-resolver: lts-12.17
+resolver: lts-14.3
 flags: {}
 packages:
 - '.'
diff --git a/tests/TestHTF.hs b/tests/TestHTF.hs
--- a/tests/TestHTF.hs
+++ b/tests/TestHTF.hs
@@ -431,5 +431,3 @@
                      `onException` (do s <- readFile outFile
                                        hPutStrLn stderr s)
                 runRealBlackBoxTests
-                ecode <- system (dirPrefix </> "compile-errors/run-tests.sh")
-                exitWith ecode
diff --git a/tests/compile-errors/run-tests.sh b/tests/compile-errors/run-tests.sh
--- a/tests/compile-errors/run-tests.sh
+++ b/tests/compile-errors/run-tests.sh
@@ -6,18 +6,23 @@
 function check()
 {
     test="$1"
+    echo "Running test $test ..."
     command -v grep >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
         { echo >&2 "Test $0 requires ``grep'' but it's not installed.  Aborting."; exit 1; }
-    compile_cmd="stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS ghc -- -XPackageImports $test"
-    $compile_cmd 2>&1 | grep "$test":$lineno
+    compile_cmd="stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS ghc --package HTF -- -XPackageImports $test"
+    $compile_cmd 2>&1 | grep "$test":$lineno > /dev/null
     grep_ecode=${PIPESTATUS[1]}
     if [ "$grep_ecode" != "0" ]
     then
         echo "Compile error for $test did not occur in line $lineno, exit code of grep: ${grep_ecode}"
+        echo "Compile command: $compile_cmd"
+        echo "Stack version: $(stack --version)"
+        echo "GHC version: $(stack $HTF_TRAVIS_STACK_ARGS ghc -- --version)"
         echo "Here is the output of the compiler:"
         $compile_cmd
         exit 1
     fi
+    echo "Done with test $test"
 }
 
 check Test1.hs