diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/build_ubuntu.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5124e10c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_ubuntu.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+name: build and run tests
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ master ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ master ]
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    # install dependencies
+    - name: apt
+      run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -yq libzmq3-dev libdw-dev libgtest-dev cmake
+    - name: Install gtest manually
+      run: cd /usr/src/gtest && sudo cmake CMakeLists.txt && sudo make && sudo cp *.a /usr/lib 
+    # build project
+    - name: mkdir
+      run: mkdir build
+    - name: cmake build
+      run: cmake -Bbuild -H.
+    - name: cmake make
+      run: cmake --build build/ --target all
+    # run tests
+    - name: run test
+      run: build/test/behaviortree_cpp_v3_test
+