diff --git a/.travis/test.sh b/.travis/test.sh
index 0bb97caddb46..59e613ac18c6 100644
--- a/.travis/test.sh
+++ b/.travis/test.sh
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ if [[ ${TASK} == "proto" ]]; then
     cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tests/cpp_test && ../../lightgbm config=train.conf && ../../lightgbm config=predict.conf output_result=origin.pred || exit -1
     cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR && git clone https://github.com/google/protobuf && cd protobuf && ./autogen.sh && ./configure && make && sudo make install && sudo ldconfig
     cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/build && rm -rf * && cmake -DUSE_PROTO=ON .. && make lightgbm || exit -1
-    cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tests/cpp_test && ../../lightgbm config=predict.conf output_result=proto.pred && python test.py || exit -1
+    cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tests/cpp_test && ../../lightgbm config=train.conf model_format=proto && ../../lightgbm config=predict.conf output_result=proto.pred model_format=proto || exit -1
+    cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tests/cpp_test && python test.py || exit -1
     exit 0
 fi