diff --git a/s/runtests b/s/runtests
index 14b5a658b..7a39670dd 100755
--- a/s/runtests
+++ b/s/runtests
@@ -4,18 +4,29 @@ set -e
 ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 [ -z $BUILD ] && BUILD=Debug ; export BUILD
 
+UNIT_TESTS=$BUILD/eressea/test_eressea
+RUN_TESTS=$BUILD/eressea/eressea
+if [ "$1" = "-V" ]; then
+VALGRIND=$(which valgrind)
+if [ -n "$VALGRIND" ]; then
+SUPP=share/ubuntu-12_04.supp
+UNIT_TESTS="$VALGRIND --quiet --suppressions=$SUPP --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=no $UNIT_TESTS"
+RUN_TESTS="$VALGRIND --quiet --suppressions=$SUPP --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=no $RUN_TESTS"
+fi
+fi
+
 if [ ! -e $ROOT/$BUILD ]; then
   echo "cannot find build directory $BUILD in $ROOT. did you run cmake-init?"
   exit
 fi
 
-$ROOT/$BUILD/eressea/test_eressea
+$UNIT_TESTS
 cd $ROOT
 [ -e eressea.ini ] || ln -sf conf/eressea.ini
-$ROOT/$BUILD/eressea/eressea -v1 scripts/run-tests.lua
-$ROOT/$BUILD/eressea/eressea -v1 scripts/run-tests-e2.lua
-$ROOT/$BUILD/eressea/eressea -v1 scripts/run-tests-e3.lua
-$ROOT/$BUILD/eressea/eressea --version
+$RUN_TESTS -v1 scripts/run-tests.lua
+$RUN_TESTS -v1 scripts/run-tests-e2.lua
+$RUN_TESTS -v1 scripts/run-tests-e3.lua
+$RUN_TESTS --version
 rm -rf data reports orders.txt score score.alliances datum turn
 
 cd $OLDWPD
diff --git a/s/travis-build b/s/travis-build
index 9293ac12d..438f2ce36 100755
--- a/s/travis-build
+++ b/s/travis-build
@@ -22,6 +22,6 @@ s/cmake-init
 s/build
 cd $ROOT
 inifile
-s/runtests
+s/runtests -V
 
 integration_tests