diff --git a/.github/actions/run-application/action.yml b/.github/actions/run-application/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4894da93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/run-application/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+name: 'run-application'
+description: 'Run an application, wait until an expected output appears, then optionally terminate the application'
+inputs:
+  file:
+    description: 'Binary to run (file name only)'
+    required: true
+  args:
+    description: 'Parameters for the started binary'
+    required: false
+    default: ''
+  wait-for:
+    description: 'JSON string or array of strings to search for in the stdout/stderr output of the started application'
+    required: true
+  working-directory:
+    description: 'The directory where to run the application'
+    required: true
+  terminate:
+    description: 'When set to true, the started process will be terminated'
+    required: false
+    default: 'true'
+outputs:
+  pid:
+    description: 'PID of started process, only relevant when terminate is set to true'
+    value: ${{ steps.runapp.outputs.pid }}
+runs:
+  using: 'composite'
+  steps:
+    - name: 'Start application in background and save the PID'
+      id: runapp
+      shell: bash
+      working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+      run: |
+        ./${{ inputs.file }} ${{ inputs.args }} &> ${{ inputs.file }}.log & PID=$!
+        echo "::set-output name=pid::${PID}"
+
+    - name: 'Wait for output to appear'
+      shell: bash
+      working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+      run: |
+        python3 ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/examples/wait_for_output.py ${{ inputs.file }}.log '${{ inputs.wait-for }}'
+
+    - name: 'Display log file'
+      shell: bash
+      working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+      run: |
+        cat ${{ inputs.file }}.log
+      if: always()
+
+    - name: 'Send SIGTERM to process with pid ${{ steps.runapp.outputs.pid }}'
+      shell: bash
+      working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+      run: |
+        kill ${{ steps.runapp.outputs.pid }}
+      if: ${{ inputs.terminate == 'true' }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/runexamples.yml b/.github/workflows/runexamples.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..772818d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/runexamples.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+name: run examples
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [master]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [master]
+
+jobs:
+  run-examples:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+      - name: Set up Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v2
+        with:
+          go-version: 1.16
+
+      - name: Build examples
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples
+        run: |
+          go build -o 1-simplest/example-1 1-simplest/main.go
+          go build -o 2-clicks/example-2 2-clicks/main.go
+          go build -o 3-messaging/example-3-processor 3-messaging/cmd/processor/main.go
+          go build -o 3-messaging/example-3-service 3-messaging/cmd/service/main.go
+          go build -o 3-messaging/example-3-loadgen 3-messaging/cmd/loadgen/main.go
+          go build -o 3-messaging/example-3-block-user 3-messaging/cmd/block-user/main.go
+          go build -o 3-messaging/example-3-translate-word 3-messaging/cmd/translate-word/main.go
+          go build -o 5-multiple/example-5 5-multiple/main.go
+          go build -o 6-reconnecting-view/example-6 6-reconnecting-view/main.go
+          go build -o 7-redis/example-7 7-redis/*.go
+          go build -o 8-monitoring/example-8 8-monitoring/main.go
+          go build -o 9-defer-commit/example-9 9-defer-commit/main.go
+          go build -o 10-visit/example-10 10-visit/main.go
+
+      - name: Start services
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples
+        run: |
+          make start
+
+      - name: Run example 1
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-1
+          wait-for: '"Processor example-group"'
+          working-directory: examples/1-simplest
+
+      - name: Run example 2
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-2
+          wait-for: '"Processor mini-group"'
+          working-directory: examples/2-clicks
+
+      # Example 3 is a more complex example consisting of multiple steps
+      - name: Start example 3 processors
+        id: run_example_3_processor
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-3-processor
+          args: -collector -blocker -filter -translator -detector
+          wait-for: '["Processor blocker", "Processor collector", "Processor message_filter", "Processor message_filter", "Processor message_filter"]'
+          working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+          terminate: false
+
+      - name: Start example 3 service
+        id: run_example_3_service
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-3-service
+          args: -sent
+          wait-for: '"Listen port 8080"'
+          working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+          terminate: false
+
+      - name: Start example 3 loadgen
+        id: run_example_3_loadgen
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-3-loadgen
+          wait-for: '"Posted message"'
+          working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+          terminate: false
+
+      - name: Run example 3 list users
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+        run: |
+          curl localhost:8080/Alice/feed
+
+      - name: Run example 3 block user
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+        run: |
+          ./example-3-block-user -user Bob
+
+      - name: Run example 3 translate word
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+        run: |
+          ./example-3-translate-word -word "together" -with "t°9e+her"
+
+      - name: Stop example 3 loadgen
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+        run: |
+          kill ${{ steps.run_example_3_loadgen.outputs.pid }}
+
+      - name: Stop example 3 service
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+        run: |
+          kill ${{ steps.run_example_3_service.outputs.pid }}
+
+      - name: Stop example 3 processors
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/3-messaging
+        run: |
+          kill ${{ steps.run_example_3_processor.outputs.pid }}
+
+      - name: Run example 4
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples/4-tests
+        run: |
+          go test example_test.go
+
+      - name: Run example 5
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-5
+          wait-for: '"Processor multiInput"'
+          working-directory: examples/5-multiple
+
+      - name: Run example 6
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-6
+          wait-for: '"View is in state"'
+          working-directory: examples/6-reconnecting-view
+
+      - name: Run example 7
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-7
+          wait-for: '"Processor examples"'
+          working-directory: examples/7-redis
+
+      - name: Run example 8
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-8
+          wait-for: '["Processor mini-group-stateless", "Processor mini-group-join", "Processor mini-group"]'
+          working-directory: examples/8-monitoring
+
+      - name: Run example 9
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-9
+          wait-for: '["Processor forwarder", "Processor consumer"]'
+          working-directory: examples/9-defer-commit
+
+      - name: Run example 10
+        uses: ./.github/actions/run-application
+        with:
+          file: example-10
+          wait-for: '"Processor example-visit-group"'
+          working-directory: examples/10-visit
+
+      - name: Stop services
+        shell: bash
+        working-directory: examples
+        run: |
+          make stop
diff --git a/examples/3-messaging/cmd/loadgen/main.go b/examples/3-messaging/cmd/loadgen/main.go
index 0ddf4a6a..77e5d5a3 100644
--- a/examples/3-messaging/cmd/loadgen/main.go
+++ b/examples/3-messaging/cmd/loadgen/main.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func send(from, to, content string) {
 		log.Printf("error sending request: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
+	log.Printf("Posted message '%s' (%s -> %s)", content, from, to)
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	//TODO(diogo) check response status code
 }
diff --git a/examples/wait_for_output.py b/examples/wait_for_output.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..908adbc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/wait_for_output.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+""" Reads a file line by line repeatedly and searches the first occurrence of one or
+more strings. When all strings have been found, the script terminates with return code 0,
+if TIMEOUT_AFTER_SECONDS seconds have passed it will terminate with return code 1.
+
+Only used in GitHub action 'run-application'.
+"""
+
+import sys
+import json
+import time
+import argparse
+
+TIMEOUT_AFTER_SECONDS = 10
+
+
+def wait_until_output(file_to_scan, strings_to_match):
+    """Reads a file line by line repeatedly and searches the first occurrence of one or
+    more strings, returns True if all have been found in less than TIMEOUT_AFTER_SECONDS,
+    else False.
+    """
+    strings_to_match = set(strings_to_match)
+
+    for _ in range(TIMEOUT_AFTER_SECONDS):
+        with open(file_to_scan) as f:
+            for line in f:
+                for curr_str in list(strings_to_match):
+                    if curr_str in line:
+                        strings_to_match.remove(curr_str)
+                if not strings_to_match:
+                    return True
+        time.sleep(1)
+
+    # not all strings found, return error
+    return False
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('file', help='path to file to read')
+    parser.add_argument('searchstrings', help='a JSON string or array of strings')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    file_to_scan = args.file
+    strings_to_match = json.loads(args.searchstrings)
+    if not isinstance(strings_to_match, list):
+        strings_to_match = [strings_to_match]
+
+    ret = wait_until_output(file_to_scan, strings_to_match)
+
+    if not ret:
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()