diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d93e178bcb940a81a78006441529aaa8a3668a5b..9023c2314bd52fec72fd0f179fbaa32123295403 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -11,27 +11,27 @@ Python 2.7:
     reports:
       junit: test/pytest.xml
 
-Python 3.5:
+Python 3.6:
   script:
-  - export PY_EXE=python3.5
+  - export PY_EXE=python3.6
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/build-and-test-py-project.sh
   - ". ./build-and-test-py-project.sh"
   tags:
-  - python3.5
+  - python3.6
   except:
   - tags
   artifacts:
     reports:
       junit: test/pytest.xml
 
-Python 3.5 small integer opt:
+Python 3.6 small integer opt:
   script:
-  - export PY_EXE=python3.5
+  - export PY_EXE=python3.6
   - curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/build-and-test-py-project.sh
   - ./configure.py --use-imath-sio
   - ". ./build-and-test-py-project.sh"
   tags:
-  - python3.5
+  - python3.6
   except:
   - tags
   artifacts:
diff --git a/build-with-barvinok.sh b/build-with-barvinok.sh
index 079e500b3445a832682f18e294320c1841c806f3..62bd7e8878dd10fce051c000beb70b7d22322f90 100755
--- a/build-with-barvinok.sh
+++ b/build-with-barvinok.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ echo "BUILDING IN $BUILD_DIR"
 
 PREFIX="$HOME/pack/barvinok"
 NTL_VER="10.5.0"
-BARVINOK_GIT_REV="barvinok-0.41"
+BARVINOK_GIT_REV="barvinok-0.41.1"
 NPROCS=30
 
 if true; then
@@ -29,7 +29,17 @@ if true; then
   git clone git://repo.or.cz/barvinok.git
   cd barvinok
   git checkout $BARVINOK_GIT_REV
-  ./get_submodules.sh
+
+  numtries=1
+  while ! ./get_submodules.sh; do
+    sleep 5
+    numtries=$((numtries+1))
+    if test "$numtries" == 5; then
+      echo "*** getting barvinok submodules failed even after a few tries"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  done
+
   sh autogen.sh
   ./configure --prefix="$PREFIX" --with-ntl-prefix="$PREFIX" --enable-shared-barvinok --with-pet=bundled