diff --git a/.travis_.yml b/.travis_.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 114fd76f1..000000000
--- a/.travis_.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,108 +0,0 @@
-## For full coverage, we'd have to test all supported Python, MongoDB, and
-## PyMongo combinations. However, that would result in an overly long build
-## with a very large number of jobs, hence we only test a subset of all the
-## combinations.
-## * Python3.7, MongoDB v3.4 & the latest PyMongo v3.x is currently the "main" setup,
-## Other combinations are tested. See below for the details or check the travis jobs
-#
-## We should periodically check MongoDB Server versions supported by MongoDB
-## Inc., add newly released versions to the test matrix, and remove versions
-## which have reached their End of Life. See:
-## 1. https://www.mongodb.com/support-policy.
-## 2. https://docs.mongodb.com/ecosystem/drivers/driver-compatibility-reference/#python-driver-compatibility
-##
-## Reminder: Update README.rst if you change MongoDB versions we test.
-#
-#language: python
-#dist: xenial
-#python:
-#  - 3.6
-#  - 3.7
-#  - 3.8
-#  - 3.9
-#  - pypy3
-#
-#env:
-#  global:
-#    - MONGODB_3_4=3.4.19
-#    - MONGODB_3_6=3.6.13
-#    - MONGODB_4_0=4.0.13
-#
-#    - PYMONGO_3_4=3.4
-#    - PYMONGO_3_6=3.6
-#    - PYMONGO_3_9=3.9
-#    - PYMONGO_3_11=3.11
-#
-#    - MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION=3.7
-#  matrix:
-#    - MONGODB=${MONGODB_3_4} PYMONGO=${PYMONGO_3_11}
-#
-#matrix:
-#  # Finish the build as soon as one job fails
-#  fast_finish: true
-#
-#  include:
-#    - python: 3.7
-#      env: MONGODB=${MONGODB_3_6} PYMONGO=${PYMONGO_3_6}
-#    - python: 3.7
-#      env: MONGODB=${MONGODB_3_6} PYMONGO=${PYMONGO_3_9}
-#    - python: 3.7
-#      env: MONGODB=${MONGODB_3_6} PYMONGO=${PYMONGO_3_11}
-#    - python: 3.8
-#      env: MONGODB=${MONGODB_4_0} PYMONGO=${PYMONGO_3_11}
-#
-#install:
-#  # Install Mongo
-#  - wget http://fastdl.mongodb.org/linux/mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}.tgz
-#  - tar xzf mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}.tgz
-#  - ${PWD}/mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}/bin/mongod --version
-#  # Install Python dependencies.
-#  - pip install --upgrade pip
-#  - pip install coveralls
-#  - pip install pre-commit
-#  - pip install tox
-#  # tox dryrun to setup the tox venv (we run a mock test).
-#  - tox -e $(echo py$TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION-mg$PYMONGO | tr -d . | sed -e 's/pypypy/pypy/') -- -a "-k=test_ci_placeholder"
-#
-#before_script:
-#  - mkdir ${PWD}/mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}/data
-#  - ${PWD}/mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}/bin/mongod --dbpath ${PWD}/mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}/data --logpath ${PWD}/mongodb-linux-x86_64-${MONGODB}/mongodb.log --fork
-#  # Run pre-commit hooks (black, flake8, etc) on entire codebase
-#  - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == $MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION ]]; then pre-commit run -a; else echo "pre-commit checks only runs on py37"; fi
-#  - mongo --eval 'db.version();' # Make sure mongo is awake
-#
-#script:
-#  - tox -e $(echo py$TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION-mg$PYMONGO | tr -d . | sed -e 's/pypypy/pypy/') -- -a "--cov=mongoengine"
-#
-#after_success:
-#  - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == $MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION ]]; then coveralls --verbose; else echo "coveralls only sent for py37"; fi
-#
-#notifications:
-#  irc: irc.freenode.org#mongoengine
-#
-## Only run builds on the master branch and GitHub releases (tagged as vX.Y.Z)
-#branches:
-#  # Only run builds on the master branch and GitHub releases (tagged as vX.Y.Z)
-#  only:
-#    - master
-#    - /^v.*$/
-#
-## Whenever a new release is created via GitHub, publish it on PyPI.
-#deploy:
-#  provider: pypi
-#  user: the_drow
-#  password:
-#    secure: QMyatmWBnC6ZN3XLW2+fTBDU4LQcp1m/LjR2/0uamyeUzWKdlOoh/Wx5elOgLwt/8N9ppdPeG83ose1jOz69l5G0MUMjv8n/RIcMFSpCT59tGYqn3kh55b0cIZXFT9ar+5cxlif6a5rS72IHm5li7QQyxexJIII6Uxp0kpvUmek=
-#
-#  # Create a source distribution and a pure python wheel for faster installs.
-#  distributions: "sdist bdist_wheel"
-#
-#  # Only deploy on tagged commits (aka GitHub releases) and only for the parent
-#  # repo's builds running Python v3.7 along with PyMongo v3.x and MongoDB v3.4.
-#  # We run Travis against many different Python, PyMongo, and MongoDB versions
-#  # and we don't want the deploy to occur multiple times).
-#  on:
-#    tags: true
-#    repo: MongoEngine/mongoengine
-#    condition: ($PYMONGO = ${PYMONGO_3_11}) && ($MONGODB = ${MONGODB_3_4})
-#    python: 3.7
diff --git a/mongoengine/pymongo_support.py b/mongoengine/pymongo_support.py
index dc7aaa6bc..837f683ee 100644
--- a/mongoengine/pymongo_support.py
+++ b/mongoengine/pymongo_support.py
@@ -31,13 +31,23 @@ def count_documents(
     # count_documents appeared in pymongo 3.7
     if IS_PYMONGO_GTE_37:
         try:
-            return collection.count_documents(filter=filter, **kwargs)
-        except OperationFailure:
+            if not filter and set(kwargs) <= {"max_time_ms"}:
+                # when no filter is provided, estimated_document_count
+                # is a lot faster as it uses the collection metadata
+                return collection.estimated_document_count(**kwargs)
+            else:
+                return collection.count_documents(filter=filter, **kwargs)
+        except OperationFailure as exc:
             # OperationFailure - accounts for some operators that used to work
             # with .count but are no longer working with count_documents (i.e $geoNear, $near, and $nearSphere)
             # fallback to deprecated Cursor.count
             # Keeping this should be reevaluated the day pymongo removes .count entirely
-            pass
+            if (
+                "$geoNear, $near, and $nearSphere are not allowed in this context"
+                not in str(exc)
+                and "$where is not allowed in this context" not in str(exc)
+            ):
+                raise
 
     cursor = collection.find(filter)
     for option, option_value in kwargs.items():
diff --git a/tests/test_context_managers.py b/tests/test_context_managers.py
index 4ea7fa5ab..a23cca394 100644
--- a/tests/test_context_managers.py
+++ b/tests/test_context_managers.py
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@
     switch_db,
 )
 from mongoengine.pymongo_support import count_documents
+from tests.utils import MongoDBTestCase
 
 
-class TestContextManagers:
+class TestContextManagers(MongoDBTestCase):
     def test_set_write_concern(self):
         connect("mongoenginetest")