diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f08155a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [develop]
+  pull_request:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    name: Build (APT, no MPI, pre-built ESMF)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: sudo apt-get install -y libnetcdf-dev libnetcdff-dev
+          liblapack-dev libopenblas-dev
+
+      - name: Fetch pre-built ESMF
+        run: |
+          v="8.3.1"  # ESMF
+          gcc="12"
+          esmf_base=$HOME/esmf
+          esmf=${v}-gcc-${gcc}-mpiuni
+
+          export ESMF_DIR=${esmf_base}/${esmf}
+          mkdir -p $ESMF_DIR
+          cd $ESMF_DIR
+          wget https://github.com/zmoon/gha-esmf/releases/download/v0.0.5/${esmf}.tar.gz
+          tar xzvf ${esmf}.tar.gz
+
+          echo "ESMFMKFILE=${ESMF_DIR}/lib/libO/Linux.gfortran.64.mpiuni.default/esmf.mk" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: Configure
+        run: FC=gfortran-12 cmake -S . -B build
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: cmake --build build
diff --git a/src/nuopc/CMakeLists.txt b/src/nuopc/CMakeLists.txt
index 42d9beb..5169883 100644
--- a/src/nuopc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/nuopc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ target_include_directories(NEXUS_Shared
   INTERFACE ${HEMCO_BINARY_DIR}/mod
 )
 
-find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
 find_package(ESMF REQUIRED)
 find_package(NetCDF REQUIRED COMPONENTS Fortran)