diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9eed4e489..d1102802f 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -47,14 +47,14 @@ build:
 asm-quest:
   stage: test_std
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests 
   dependencies:
     - build
     
 bench-quest:
   stage: test_std
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks 
   dependencies:
     - build    
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ bench-quest:
 asm1-ver:
   stage: test_std
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator 
   dependencies:
     - build
 
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ asm1-ver:
 asm2-ver:
   stage: test_std
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator 
   dependencies:
     - build    
 
 bench-ver:
   stage: test_std
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator 
   dependencies:
     - build
 
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ torture:
 serp-asm-quest:
   stage: test_serpent
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
   dependencies:
     - build
     
 serp-bench-quest:
   stage: test_serpent
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
   dependencies:
     - build    
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ serp-bench-quest:
 serp-asm1-ver:
   stage: test_serpent
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
   dependencies:
     - build
 
@@ -119,14 +119,14 @@ serp-asm1-ver:
 serp-asm2-ver:
   stage: test_serpent
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
   dependencies:
     - build    
 
 serp-bench-ver:
   stage: test_serpent
   script:
-    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+    - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
   dependencies:
     - build
 
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 9c577bfef..80bc22f1e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -67,26 +67,27 @@ jobs:
     - stage: compile2
       name: build tools
       script:
-        - ci/install-verilator.sh
         - ci/install-fesvr.sh
+        - ci/install-verilator.sh
         - ci/install-dtc.sh
+        - ci/install-spike.sh
     - stage: test
       name: run riscv benchmarks
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
-        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator 
     # rv64ui-p-* tests
     - stage: test
       name: run asm tests1
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
-        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator 
     # rv64ui-v-* tests
     - stage: test
       name: run asm tests2
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
-        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator 
     
     - stage: test
       name: run torture
@@ -94,25 +95,25 @@ jobs:
         - ci/get-torture.sh
         - make clean
         - make torture-gen
-        - make torture-rtest-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+        - make torture-rtest-verilator 
 
     - stage: test
       name: run riscv benchmarks (serpent)
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
-        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator  defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
     # rv64ui-p-* tests
     - stage: test
       name: run asm tests1 (serpent)
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
-        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator  defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
     # rv64ui-v-* tests
     - stage: test
       name: run asm tests2 (serpent)
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
-        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+        - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator  defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
 
     - stage: test
       name: run torture (serpent)
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ jobs:
         - ci/get-torture.sh
         - make clean
         - make torture-gen defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
-        - make torture-rtest-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
+        - make torture-rtest-verilator defines=SERPENT_PULP+AXI64_CACHE_PORTS
 
 
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 59b6f17c8..cf2b12fa7 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ ariane_pkg := include/riscv_pkg.sv         \
 			  include/ariane_pkg.sv        \
               include/std_cache_pkg.sv     \
               include/serpent_cache_pkg.sv \
-			  include/axi_if.sv
+              include/axi_if.sv
 
 # utility modules
 util := $(wildcard src/util/*.svh)         \
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ verilate_command := $(verilator)
                     --exe tb/ariane_tb.cpp tb/dpi/SimDTM.cc tb/dpi/SimJTAG.cc tb/dpi/remote_bitbang.cc
 
 # User Verilator, at some point in the future this will be auto-generated
-verilate: $(dpi-library)/ariane_dpi.so 
+verilate:  
 	$(verilate_command)
 	cd $(ver-library) && make -j${NUM_JOBS} -f Variane_testharness.mk
 
@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ torture-rtest: build
 
 torture-rtest-verilator: verilate
 	cd $(riscv-torture-dir) && printf "#!/bin/sh\ncd $(root-dir) && make run-torture-verilator defines=$(defines)" > call.sh && chmod +x call.sh
-	cd $(riscv-torture-dir) && $(riscv-torture-bin) 'testrun/run -r ./call.sh -a output/test.S' | tee output/test-verilator.log
-	make check-torture-verilator
+	cd $(riscv-torture-dir) && $(riscv-torture-bin) 'testrun/run -r ./call.sh -a output/test.S' | tee output/test.log
+	make check-torture
 
 run-torture: build 
 	vsim${questa_version} +permissive -64 -c -lib ${library} +max-cycles=$(max_cycles)+UVM_TESTNAME=${test_case}  \
@@ -247,16 +247,12 @@ run-torture: build
 	+signature=$(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.rtlsim.sig ++$(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test ++$(target-options) 
 
 run-torture-verilator: verilate
-	$(ver-library)/Variane_testharness +max-cycles=$(max_cycles) +signature=$(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.rtlsim.verilator.sig $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test
+	$(ver-library)/Variane_testharness +max-cycles=$(max_cycles) +signature=$(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.rtlsim.sig $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test
 
 check-torture:
 	grep 'All signatures match for output/test' $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.log
 	diff -s $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.spike.sig $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.rtlsim.sig
 
-check-torture-verilator:
-	grep 'All signatures match for output/test' $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test-verilator.log
-	diff -s $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.spike.sig $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test.rtlsim.verilator.sig 
-
 clean:
 	rm -rf $(riscv-torture-dir)/output/test*
 	rm -rf $(library)/ $(dpi-library)/ $(ver-library)/ 
diff --git a/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh b/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh
index a96b5ba00..1417d89ca 100755
--- a/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh
+++ b/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ make clean
 make torture-gen
 
 # run asm tests on verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} verilate                 verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests-verilator  verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} torture-rtest-verilator  verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} verilate                 
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests-verilator  
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator 
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} torture-rtest-verilator  
 
 # run asm tests on questa
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} build                    questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests            questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks           questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} torture-rtest            questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} build                    
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests            
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks           
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} torture-rtest            
diff --git a/ci/travis-ci-emul.sh b/ci/travis-ci-emul.sh
index 4add9271a..bb6d9df22 100644
--- a/ci/travis-ci-emul.sh
+++ b/ci/travis-ci-emul.sh
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ make clean
 make torture-gen
 
 # run asm tests on verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} verilate                 verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests-verilator  verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
-make -j${NUM_JOBS} torture-rtest-verilator    verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} verilate                 
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests-verilator  
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator 
+make -j${NUM_JOBS} torture-rtest-verilator