diff --git a/.github/workflows/core_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/core_ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f8a6a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/core_ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+name: ci
+on:
+  pull_request:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+defaults:
+ run:
+  working-directory: ./core
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    name: test
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        toolchain: [stable]
+        target:
+          - x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+          - x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
+          - aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
+          - aarch64-unknown-linux-musl
+          - x86_64-apple-darwin
+          - x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
+        include:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+            binary: x86-64
+            cargo-tool: cargo
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            target: x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
+            binary: x86-64
+            cargo-tool: cross
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            target: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
+            binary: aarch64
+            cargo-tool: cross
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            target: aarch64-unknown-linux-musl
+            binary: aarch64
+            cargo-tool: cross
+          - os: macos-13 # intel
+            target: x86_64-apple-darwin
+            binary: x86_64
+            cargo-tool: cargo
+          - os: macos-latest # aarch64
+            toolchain: stable
+            target: aarch64-apple-darwin
+            binary: arm64
+            cargo-tool: cargo
+          - os: windows-latest
+            target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu
+            binary: x86-64
+            cargo-tool: cargo
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install Rust toolchain
+        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          toolchain: ${{ matrix.toolchain }}
+          target: ${{ matrix.target }}
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        uses: clechasseur/rs-cargo@v3
+        with:
+          command: test
+          args: "--target ${{ matrix.target }}"
+          tool: ${{ matrix.cargo-tool }}
+
+  fmt:
+    name: fmt
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install Rust toolchain
+        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          toolchain: stable
+          components: rustfmt
+
+      - run: make fmt
+
+  lint:
+    name: lint
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install Rust toolchain
+        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          toolchain: stable
+          components: clippy
+
+      - name: Run linter
+        run: make lint
+  
+  build:
+    name: build
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install Rust toolchain
+        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          toolchain: stable
+          components: clippy
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: make build
diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bf89ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+CURRENT_DIR = $(shell pwd)
+
+build:
+	cargo build --all-features --release
+
+test:
+	KOMODO_STD=$(CURRENT_DIR)/../std/ sh test.sh $(CURRENT_DIR)/../examples
+
+lint:
+	cargo clippy --all-targets --all-features
+
+fmt:
+	cargo fmt --check
+
+repl:
+	KOMODO_STD=$(CURRENT_DIR)/../std/ cargo run --all-features --quiet