diff --git a/.github/workflows/valgrind.yml b/.github/workflows/valgrind.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbde7a7ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/valgrind.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+name: valgrind
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+
+jobs:
+  valgrind:
+    name: Run Valgrind on Ubuntu
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        id: setup_python
+        uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2
+        with:
+          activate-environment: vplanet
+          environment-file: environment.yml
+          python-version: 3.8
+
+      - name: Install valgrind
+        id: install
+        if: steps.setup_python.outcome == 'success'
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get install valgrind
+
+      - name: Run valgrind test
+        if: steps.install.outcome == 'success'
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          cd tests/
+          python -m unittest valgrind.py
diff --git a/tests/valgrind.py b/tests/valgrind.py
index 84eed4f26..43a746a90 100644
--- a/tests/valgrind.py
+++ b/tests/valgrind.py
@@ -3,14 +3,20 @@
 import os
 import sys
 
-subdir = [f.name for f in os.scandir('.') if f.is_dir()]
+subdir = sorted([f.name for f in os.scandir('.') if f.is_dir()])
 
 # First make debug
-sys.stdout.write('Making VPLanet...')
+print('Making VPLanet...')
 sys.stdout.flush()
-os.chdir('..')
-subprocess.run(['make debug >& /dev/null'], shell=True)
-os.chdir('tests')
+os.chdir('../')
+#print(os.getcwd())
+#subprocess.run(['make opt >& /dev/null'], shell=True)
+with open('make_log','w') as m:
+    
+    subprocess.run('make opt',shell=True, stderr= m,stdout= m)
+    subprocess.run(['rm','make_log'])
+
+os.chdir('tests/')
 
 print('done.')
 
@@ -19,24 +25,35 @@
 for sub in subdir:
     tot_test += 1
     sys.stdout.write(sub)
+    #sys.stdout.write("")
     sys.stdout.flush()
     os.chdir(sub)
-    fout = sub+'.valgrind'
-    cmd='valgrind --track-origins=yes ../../vplanet vpl.in >& '+fout
-    subprocess.run(cmd, shell=True)
+    fout = sub +'.valgrind'
+    #cmd='/usr/bin/valgrind --track-origins=yes ../../bin/vplanet vpl.in &> '+ fout
+    cmd='/usr/bin/valgrind --track-origins=yes ../../bin/vplanet vpl.in '
+
+    #print(cmd)
+    #cmd = cmd.split()
+    
+    with open(fout,"w+") as f:
+        subprocess.run(cmd, shell=True,stdout=f,stderr=f)
     f = open(fout, "r")
     last_line = f.readlines()[-1]
+    #print(last_line)
     f.close()
     words = last_line.split()
     n_errors = int(words[3])
     if n_errors > 0:
         tot_fail += 1
     print(': '+repr(n_errors)+' error(s)')
-    os.chdir('..')
+    os.chdir('../')
+    
 
-sys.stdout.write('Done! ')
+print('Done! ')
 
 if (tot_fail == 0):
     print('VPLanet is mem-check-clean!')
+    assert(True)
 else:
     print(repr(tot_fail)+'/'+repr(tot_test)+' test(s) failed.')
+    assert(False)
\ No newline at end of file