diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 0556dbcbbe..937fd424d1 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ lazy val macros = crossProject.crossType(CrossType.Pure)
 lazy val macrosJVM = macros.jvm
 lazy val macrosJS = macros.js
 
+val binaryCompatibleVersion = "0.8.0"
+
 lazy val kernel = crossProject.crossType(CrossType.Pure)
   .in(file("kernel"))
   .settings(moduleName := "cats-kernel", name := "Cats kernel")
@@ -221,7 +223,13 @@ lazy val kernel = crossProject.crossType(CrossType.Pure)
   .settings(sourceGenerators in Compile += (sourceManaged in Compile).map(KernelBoiler.gen).taskValue)
   .settings(includeGeneratedSrc)
   .jsSettings(commonJsSettings:_*)
-  .jvmSettings((commonJvmSettings ++ (mimaPreviousArtifacts := Set("org.typelevel" %% "cats-kernel" % "0.7.0"))):_*)
+  .jvmSettings((commonJvmSettings ++
+    (mimaPreviousArtifacts := {
+      if (scalaVersion.value startsWith "2.12")
+        Set()
+      else
+        Set("org.typelevel" %% "cats-kernel" % binaryCompatibleVersion)
+    })):_*)
 
 lazy val kernelJVM = kernel.jvm
 lazy val kernelJS = kernel.js
@@ -409,7 +417,7 @@ lazy val publishSettings = Seq(
 // These aliases serialise the build for the benefit of Travis-CI.
 addCommandAlias("buildJVM", "catsJVM/test")
 
-addCommandAlias("validateJVM", ";scalastyle;buildJVM;makeMicrosite")
+addCommandAlias("validateJVM", ";scalastyle;buildJVM;mimaReportBinaryIssues;makeMicrosite")
 
 addCommandAlias("validateJS", ";catsJS/compile;testsJS/test;js/test")
 
@@ -569,4 +577,3 @@ lazy val update2_12 = Seq(
     }
   }
 )
-
diff --git a/project/plugins.sbt b/project/plugins.sbt
index 023a02d220..10bb5da44a 100644
--- a/project/plugins.sbt
+++ b/project/plugins.sbt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 addSbtPlugin("com.eed3si9n"         % "sbt-unidoc"            % "0.3.3")
 addSbtPlugin("com.github.gseitz"    % "sbt-release"           % "1.0.3")
 addSbtPlugin("com.jsuereth"         % "sbt-pgp"               % "1.0.0")
-addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe"         % "sbt-mima-plugin"       % "0.1.11")
+addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe"         % "sbt-mima-plugin"       % "0.1.12")
 addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe.sbt"     % "sbt-ghpages"           % "0.5.3")
 addSbtPlugin("pl.project13.scala"   % "sbt-jmh"               % "0.2.16")
 addSbtPlugin("org.scalastyle"      %% "scalastyle-sbt-plugin" % "0.8.0")
diff --git a/scripts/travis-publish.sh b/scripts/travis-publish.sh
index b045cf9c27..804de36610 100755
--- a/scripts/travis-publish.sh
+++ b/scripts/travis-publish.sh
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ js="$sbt_cmd validateJS"
 kernel_js="$sbt_cmd validateKernelJS"
 free_js="$sbt_cmd validateFreeJS"
 jvm="$sbt_cmd coverage validateJVM coverageReport && codecov"
-  		  
+
 run_cmd="$js && $free_js && $kernel_js && $jvm && $sbt_cmd $publish_cmd"
 
 eval $run_cmd