diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,32 +1,88 @@
-# NB: don't set `language: haskell` here
+# This file has been generated -- see https://github.com/hvr/multi-ghc-travis
+language: c
+sudo: false
 
-# See also https://github.com/hvr/multi-ghc-travis for more information
-env:
- # we have to use CABALVER=1.16 for GHC<7.6 as well, as there's
- # no package for earlier cabal versions in the PPA
- - GHCVER=7.4.2 CABALVER=1.16
- - GHCVER=7.6.3 CABALVER=1.16
- - GHCVER=7.8.4 CABALVER=1.18
- - GHCVER=7.10.1 CABALVER=1.22
- - GHCVER=head CABALVER=1.22
+cache:
+  directories:
+    - $HOME/.cabsnap
+    - $HOME/.cabal/packages
 
+before_cache:
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/build-reports.log
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar
+
 matrix:
+  include:
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.0.4
+      compiler: ": #GHC 7.0.4"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.2.2
+      compiler: ": #GHC 7.2.2"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18,ghc-7.2.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.4.2
+      compiler: ": #GHC 7.4.2"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18,ghc-7.4.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.6.3
+      compiler: ": #GHC 7.6.3"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18,ghc-7.6.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.8.4
+      compiler: ": #GHC 7.8.4"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.18,ghc-7.8.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.22 GHCVER=7.10.3
+      compiler: ": #GHC 7.10.3"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.22,ghc-7.10.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=1.24 GHCVER=8.0.1
+      compiler: ": #GHC 8.0.1"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-1.24,ghc-8.0.1], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - env: CABALVER=head GHCVER=head
+      compiler: ": #GHC head"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [cabal-install-head,ghc-head], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+
   allow_failures:
-   - env: GHCVER=head CABALVER=1.22
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.0.4
+    - env: CABALVER=1.18 GHCVER=7.2.2
+    - env: CABALVER=head GHCVER=head
 
-# Note: the distinction between `before_install` and `install` is not
-#       important.
 before_install:
- - travis_retry sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:hvr/ghc
- - travis_retry sudo apt-get update
- - travis_retry sudo apt-get install cabal-install-$CABALVER ghc-$GHCVER
- - export PATH=/opt/ghc/$GHCVER/bin:/opt/cabal/$CABALVER/bin:$PATH
- - cabal --version
+ - unset CC
+ - export PATH=$HOME/.cabal/bin:/opt/ghc/$GHCVER/bin:/opt/cabal/$CABALVER/bin:$PATH
 
 install:
- - travis_retry cabal update
- - cabal install --only-dependencies
+ - cabal --version
+ - echo "$(ghc --version) [$(ghc --print-project-git-commit-id 2> /dev/null || echo '?')]"
+ - if [ -f $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar.gz ];
+   then
+     zcat $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar.gz >
+          $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.tar;
+   fi
+ - travis_retry cabal update -v
+ - sed -i 's/^jobs:/-- jobs:/' ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+ - cabal install --only-dependencies --enable-tests --dry -v > installplan.txt
+ - sed -i -e '1,/^Resolving /d' installplan.txt; cat installplan.txt
 
+# check whether current requested install-plan matches cached package-db snapshot
+ - if diff -u installplan.txt $HOME/.cabsnap/installplan.txt;
+   then
+     echo "cabal build-cache HIT";
+     rm -rfv .ghc;
+     cp -a $HOME/.cabsnap/ghc $HOME/.ghc;
+     cp -a $HOME/.cabsnap/lib $HOME/.cabsnap/share $HOME/.cabsnap/bin $HOME/.cabal/;
+   else
+     echo "cabal build-cache MISS";
+     rm -rf $HOME/.cabsnap;
+     mkdir -p $HOME/.ghc $HOME/.cabal/lib $HOME/.cabal/share $HOME/.cabal/bin;
+     cabal install -j --only-dependencies --enable-tests;
+   fi
+
+# snapshot package-db on cache miss
+ - if [ ! -d $HOME/.cabsnap ];
+   then
+      echo "snapshotting package-db to build-cache";
+      mkdir $HOME/.cabsnap;
+      cp -a $HOME/.ghc $HOME/.cabsnap/ghc;
+      cp -a $HOME/.cabal/lib $HOME/.cabal/share $HOME/.cabal/bin installplan.txt $HOME/.cabsnap/;
+   fi
+
 # Here starts the actual work to be performed for the package under
 # test; any command which exits with a non-zero exit code causes the
 # build to fail.
@@ -38,6 +94,8 @@
  # (including tests/benchmarks)
  - cabal build
 
+ - cabal test --show-details=always
+
  # tests that a source-distribution can be generated
  - cabal sdist
 
@@ -57,4 +115,6 @@
       - "irc.freenode.org#haskell-lens"
     skip_join: true
     template:
-      - "\x0313exceptions\x03/\x0306%{branch}\x03 \x0314%{commit}\x03 %{build_url} %{message}"
+      - "\x0313exceptions\x0f/\x0306%{branch}\x0f \x0314%{commit}\x0f %{message} \x0302\x1f%{build_url}\x0f"
+
+# EOF
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.markdown b/CHANGELOG.markdown
--- a/CHANGELOG.markdown
+++ b/CHANGELOG.markdown
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+0.8.3
+-----
+* `MonadCatch` and `MonadMask` instances for `Either SomeException`
+
 0.8.1
 -----
 * Support for throwing in the `template-haskell` `Q` monad
diff --git a/exceptions.cabal b/exceptions.cabal
--- a/exceptions.cabal
+++ b/exceptions.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name:          exceptions
 category:      Control, Exceptions, Monad
-version:       0.8.2.1
+version:       0.8.3
 cabal-version: >= 1.8
 license:       BSD3
 license-file:  LICENSE
@@ -62,4 +62,4 @@
     mtl,
     test-framework             >= 0.8      && < 0.9,
     test-framework-quickcheck2 >= 0.3      && < 0.4,
-    QuickCheck                 >= 2.5      && < 2.9
+    QuickCheck                 >= 2.5      && < 2.10
diff --git a/src/Control/Monad/Catch.hs b/src/Control/Monad/Catch.hs
--- a/src/Control/Monad/Catch.hs
+++ b/src/Control/Monad/Catch.hs
@@ -183,8 +183,6 @@
   throwM _ = []
 instance MonadThrow Maybe where
   throwM _ = Nothing
-instance e ~ SomeException => MonadThrow (Either e) where
-  throwM = Left . toException
 instance MonadThrow Q where
   throwM = fail . show
 
@@ -200,6 +198,20 @@
   throwM = STM.throwSTM
 instance MonadCatch STM where
   catch = STM.catchSTM
+
+instance e ~ SomeException => MonadThrow (Either e) where
+  throwM = Left . toException
+-- | @since 0.8.3
+instance e ~ SomeException => MonadCatch (Either e) where
+  catch (Left e) f =
+    case fromException e of
+      Nothing -> Left e
+      Just e' -> f e'
+  catch x@(Right _) _ = x
+-- | @since 0.8.3
+instance e ~ SomeException => MonadMask (Either e) where
+  mask f = f id
+  uninterruptibleMask f = f id
 
 instance MonadThrow m => MonadThrow (IdentityT m) where
   throwM e = lift $ throwM e
diff --git a/tests/Control/Monad/Catch/Tests.hs b/tests/Control/Monad/Catch/Tests.hs
--- a/tests/Control/Monad/Catch/Tests.hs
+++ b/tests/Control/Monad/Catch/Tests.hs
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@
         , MSpec "STM" $ io . atomically
         --, MSpec "ContT IO" $ \m -> io $ runContT m return
 
-        , MSpec "CatchT Indentity" $ fromRight . runCatch
+        , MSpec "CatchT Identity" $ fromRight . runCatch
+        , MSpec "Either SomeException" fromRight
         ]
 
     tfst :: (Property, ()) -> Property = fst