diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 913943f5d..9cdfda866 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -73,33 +73,14 @@ jobs:
       sudo docker cp -a ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR} mobydick:/tmp                                    \
       &&                                                                                     \
       sudo docker start -a mobydick
-  # centos: "recent" systems with ICB
+  # centos: "stable" systems with ICB and MPICH
   - stage: centos
     dist: bionic
-    script: |
-      sudo docker pull centos                                                  \
-      &&                                                                       \
-      sudo docker create --name mobydick centos /bin/bash -c                   \
-      "dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core epel-release                         && \
-       dnf upgrade -y                                                       && \
-       dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools                          && \
-       dnf install -y git make gcc gcc-gfortran gcc-c++ environment-modules && \
-       dnf install -y cmake                                                 && \
-       dnf install -y mpich-devel                                           && \
-       dnf --enablerepo=\"epel\" install -y openblas-devel lapack-devel     && \
-       . /etc/profile.d/modules.sh                                          && \
-       module avail && module load mpi && module list                       && \
-       cd /tmp                                                              && \
-       cd arpack-ng                                                         && \
-       git status                                                           && \
-       git log -2                                                           && \
-       mkdir -p build && cd build                                           && \
-       cmake -DEXAMPLES=ON -DMPI=ON -DICB=ON ..                             && \
-       make all && make test"                                                  \
-      &&                                                                       \
-      sudo docker cp -a ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR} mobydick:/tmp                      \
-      &&                                                                       \
-      sudo docker start -a mobydick
+    script: ./scripts/travis_centos.sh :7
+  # centos: "latest" systems with ICB and MPICH
+  - stage: centos
+    dist: bionic
+    script: ./scripts/travis_centos.sh :latest
   # fedora (released fedora with openmpi)
   - stage: fedora
     name: "Fedora latest with openmpi"
diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 8c03629f7..53752a215 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ arpack-ng - 3.9.0
 [ Haoyang Liu ]
  * CMake: minimum required version changed to 3.0
  * CMake: add C99 standard checking
+ * CI: Support for centos7 added.
+ * CI: Add `scripts/travis_centos.sh` for centos builds
 
 [ Robert Schütz ]
  * use CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_<dir> in arpack.pc
diff --git a/scripts/travis_centos.sh b/scripts/travis_centos.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..8271da9d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/travis_centos.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# usage: ./travis_centos.sh [:7|:8|:latest|:stream]
+#
+## -e : Make sure all errors cause the script to fail
+## -x be verbose; write what we are doing, as we do it
+set -ex
+
+# centos-stream should be pulled from quay.io
+# note: a RedHad account is required after 2021.06,
+#       see https://quay.io/repository/centos/centos?tab=tags
+if [ $1 = ":stream" ]; then
+    prefix="quay.io/centos/"
+fi
+
+if [ $1 = ":7" ]; then # for 7
+    pm="yum"
+    cmake="cmake3"
+else # for 8+, stream
+    pm="dnf"
+    cmake="cmake"
+    cmd_powertools="dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools &&"
+fi
+
+sudo docker pull "${prefix}centos$1"                                     \
+&&                                                                       \
+sudo docker create --name mobydick ${prefix}centos$1 /bin/bash -c        \
+"$pm install -y ${pm}-plugins-core epel-release                       && \
+ $pm upgrade -y                                                       && \
+ $cmd_powertools                                                         \
+ $pm install -y git make gcc gcc-gfortran gcc-c++ environment-modules && \
+ $pm install -y $cmake                                                && \
+ $pm install -y mpich-devel                                           && \
+ $pm --enablerepo=\"epel\" install -y openblas-devel lapack-devel     && \
+ . /etc/profile.d/modules.sh                                          && \
+ module avail && module load mpi && module list                       && \
+ cd /tmp                                                              && \
+ cd arpack-ng                                                         && \
+ git status                                                           && \
+ git log -2                                                           && \
+ mkdir -p build && cd build                                           && \
+ $cmake -DEXAMPLES=ON -DMPI=ON -DICB=ON ..                            && \
+ make all && make test"                                                  \
+&&                                                                       \
+sudo docker cp -a ${TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR} mobydick:/tmp                      \
+&&                                                                       \
+sudo docker start -a mobydick
+