diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 562ae29f7..0e22142ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,28 @@ env:
   GCS_LATEST_PATH: _latest_server_deb
   DOCKER_REPOSITORY: ghcr.io/google/grr
 jobs:
-
+  test-devenv:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - name: check_deps
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y podman curl jq
+          sudo usermod --add-subuids 500000-565535 --add-subgids 500000-565535 "${USER}"
+          devenv/devenv.sh check_deps
+      - name: start
+        run: |
+          devenv/devenv.sh start
+          OK=false
+          for attempt in $(seq 10); do
+            curl -su admin:admin http://localhost:4280/api/clients |
+              sed 1d |
+              jq -r ".items[].value.client_id.value" |
+              egrep -e "^C[.][0-9a-f]{16}\$" && { OK=true; break; }
+            echo "attempt ${attempt}: devenv not ready"
+            sleep 5
+          done
+          [[ $OK = true ]]
   test-ubuntu:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     env: