diff --git a/.github/workflows/basicTests.yml b/.github/workflows/basicTests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d535a169f7cf4be90c23758748f3e29265a98ddc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/basicTests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+name: waLBerla Tests
+
+on: push
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - name: create build directory
+      run: mkdir build
+    - name: CMake
+      run: cmake -S . -B build -DWALBERLA_BUILD_WITH_MPI=OFF -DWALBERLA_BUILD_TESTS=ON -DWALBERLA_BUILD_WITH_OPENMP=ON
+    - name: make
+      run: cmake --build build -j 2
+    - name: ctest
+      run: cd build; ctest