diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 329fedd0..ce4846c8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -14,14 +14,20 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         ARCH: [x86_64, i386]
         BUILD_TYPE: [appimage, coverage]
+        USE_STATIC_RUNTIME: [""]
+        include:
+          - ARCH: x86_64
+            BUILD_TYPE: appimage
+            USE_STATIC_RUNTIME: 1
       fail-fast: false
 
-    name: ${{ matrix.BUILD_TYPE }} ${{ matrix.ARCH }}
+    name: ${{ matrix.BUILD_TYPE }} ${{ matrix.ARCH }} static=${{ matrix.USE_STATIC_RUNTIME }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
 
     env:
       ARCH: ${{ matrix.ARCH }}
       BUILD_TYPE: ${{ matrix.BUILD_TYPE }}
+      USE_STATIC_RUNTIME: ${{ matrix.USE_STATIC_RUNTIME }}
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
@@ -72,4 +78,4 @@ jobs:
         run: |
             wget -q https://github.com/TheAssassin/pyuploadtool/releases/download/continuous/pyuploadtool-x86_64.AppImage
             chmod +x pyuploadtool-x86_64.AppImage
-            ./pyuploadtool-x86_64.AppImage **/linuxdeploy*.AppImage*
+            ./pyuploadtool-x86_64.AppImage ./**/linuxdeploy*.AppImage*
diff --git a/ci/build.sh b/ci/build.sh
index fdd1dc3a..201f4c51 100755
--- a/ci/build.sh
+++ b/ci/build.sh
@@ -79,6 +79,14 @@ ln -s ../../plugins/linuxdeploy-plugin-appimage/AppRun AppDir/usr/bin/linuxdeplo
 export UPD_INFO="gh-releases-zsync|linuxdeploy|linuxdeploy|continuous|linuxdeploy-$ARCH.AppImage.zsync"
 export OUTPUT="linuxdeploy-$ARCH.AppImage"
 
+# special set of builds using a different experimental runtime, used for testing purposes
+if [[ "$USE_STATIC_RUNTIME" != "" ]]; then
+    export OUTPUT="linuxdeploy-static-$ARCH.AppImage"
+    wget https://github.com/AppImage/type2-runtime/releases/download/continuous/runtime-"$ARCH"
+    runtime_filename="$(echo "$CUSTOM_RUNTIME_URL" | rev | cut -d/ -f1 | rev)"
+    export LDAI_RUNTIME_FILE"$(readlink -f "$runtime_filename")"
+fi
+
 # build AppImage using plugin
 AppDir/usr/bin/linuxdeploy-plugin-appimage --appdir AppDir/