diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f1f5550663b4194adaa3fbe980ab8e67dff40bac..13e9d8e7810a24273257c84f6c7b9a2cffecfa44 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -85,6 +85,32 @@ validate-x86_64-linux-deb8-hadrian:
   tags:
     - x86_64-linux
 
+hadrian-ghc-in-ghci:
+  stage: build
+  image: ghcci/x86_64-linux-deb8:0.1
+  before_script:
+    # workaround for docker permissions
+    - sudo chown ghc:ghc -R .
+    - python3 .gitlab/fix-submodules.py
+    - git submodule sync --recursive
+    - git submodule update --init --recursive
+    - git checkout .gitmodules
+  tags:
+    - x86_64-linux
+  script:
+    - cabal update
+    - git clean -xdf && git submodule foreach git clean -xdf
+    - bash .circleci/prepare-system.sh
+    - if [[ -d ./cabal-cache ]]; then cp -R ./.cabal-cache ~/.cabal-cache; fi
+    - ./boot
+    - ./configure $CONFIGURE_ARGS
+    # Load ghc-in-ghci then immediately exit
+    - echo ":q" | hadrian/ghci.sh
+  cache:
+    key: hadrian-ghci
+    paths:
+      - cabal-cache
+
 ############################################################
 # Validation via Pipelines (make)
 ############################################################