diff --git a/.github/workflows/wasm_wabt_tests_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/wasm_wabt_tests_ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..868d7deeb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/wasm_wabt_tests_ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+name: wasm wabt validate tests CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    paths:
+      - '!**'
+      - '!**.md'
+      - 'vlib/builtin/**.v'
+      - 'vlib/wasm/**.v'
+      - 'vlib/wasm/tests/**.v'
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - '!**'
+      - '!**.md'
+      - 'vlib/builtin/**.v'
+      - 'vlib/wasm/**.v'
+      - 'vlib/wasm/tests/**.v'
+
+concurrency:
+  group: wasm-wabt-ci-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.sha }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  wasm-wabt-ubuntu:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: github.event_name != 'push' || github.event.ref == 'refs/heads/master' || github.event.repository.full_name != 'vlang/v'
+    timeout-minutes: 31
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Build V
+        run: make && ./v symlink -githubci
+
+      - name: Install wabt to get the wasm-validate executable
+        run: v cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh
+
+      - name: Test the WASM backend
+        run: v test vlib/wasm/
+
+  wasm-wabt-macos:
+    runs-on: macOS-12
+    if: github.event_name != 'push' || github.event.ref == 'refs/heads/master' || github.event.repository.full_name != 'vlang/v'
+    timeout-minutes: 31
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Build V
+        run: make && ./v symlink -githubci
+
+      - name: Install wabt to get the wasm-validate executable
+        run: v cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh
+
+      - name: Test the WASM backend
+        run: v test vlib/wasm/
+
+  wasm-wabt-windows:
+    runs-on: windows-2022
+    if: github.event_name != 'push' || github.event.ref == 'refs/heads/master' || github.event.repository.full_name != 'vlang/v'
+    timeout-minutes: 31
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Build V
+        run: .\make.bat -msvc
+
+      - name: Symlink V
+        run: .\v.exe symlink -githubci
+
+      - name: Install wabt to get the wasm-validate executable
+        run: v cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh
+
+      - name: Test the WASM backend
+        run: v test vlib/wasm/
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2ce7e04499..ebc7eabd20 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ flake.nix
 
 thirdparty/stdatomic/nix/cpp/*.h
 thirdparty/binaryen*
+thirdparty/wabt*
 
 # ignore VLS log
 vls.log
diff --git a/cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh b/cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0b983b12e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env -S v -raw-vsh-tmp-prefix tmp
+
+import os
+import net.http
+
+const root = @VROOT
+
+fn main() {
+	os.chdir(root)! // make sure that the workfolder is stable
+
+	tloc := os.join_path(root, 'thirdparty')
+	loc := os.join_path(tloc, 'wabt')
+
+	if os.exists(loc) {
+		eprintln('thirdparty/wabt exists, will not overwrite')
+		eprintln('delete the folder, and execute again')
+		exit(1)
+	}
+	tag := '1.0.32'
+	fname := 'wabt-${tag}'
+	platform := $if windows {
+		'windows'
+	} $else $if macos {
+		'macos-12'
+	} $else $if linux {
+		'ubuntu'
+	} $else {
+		eprintln('A premade binary library is not available for your system.')
+		eprintln('Build it from source, following the documentation here: https://github.com/WebAssembly/wabt/')
+		exit(1)
+	}
+	url := 'https://github.com/WebAssembly/wabt/releases/download/${tag}/${fname}-${platform}.tar.gz'
+	saveloc := os.join_path(tloc, '${fname}.tar.gz')
+	if !os.exists(saveloc) {
+		println('Downloading archive: ${saveloc}, from url: ${url} ...')
+		http.download_file(url, saveloc)!
+		// defer { os.rm(saveloc) or {}! }
+	}
+
+	println('Extracting `${tloc}/${fname}` to `${tloc}/wabt` ...')
+	cmd := 'tar -xvf ${saveloc} --directory ${tloc}'
+	if os.system(cmd) != 0 {
+		eprintln('`${cmd}` exited with a non zero exit code')
+		exit(1)
+	}
+
+	println(cmd)
+	println('Moving `${tloc}/${fname}` to `${tloc}/wabt` ...')
+
+	os.rename_dir('${tloc}/${fname}', loc)!
+	println('Done. You can now use `v test vlib/wasm` .')
+}
diff --git a/vlib/wasm/tests/arith_test.v b/vlib/wasm/tests/arith_test.v
index 8f601cf4f0..2c03d0c740 100644
--- a/vlib/wasm/tests/arith_test.v
+++ b/vlib/wasm/tests/arith_test.v
@@ -1,26 +1,6 @@
+module main
+
 import wasm
-import os
-
-const exe = os.find_abs_path_of_executable('wasm-validate') or { exit(0) }
-
-fn validate(mod []u8) ! {
-	mut proc := os.new_process(exe)
-	proc.set_args(['-'])
-	proc.set_redirect_stdio()
-	proc.run()
-	{
-		os.fd_write(proc.stdio_fd[0], mod.bytestr())
-		os.fd_close(proc.stdio_fd[0])
-	}
-	proc.wait()
-	if proc.status != .exited {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited abormally')
-	}
-	if proc.code != 0 {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited with a non zero exit code')
-	}
-	proc.close()
-}
 
 fn test_add() {
 	mut m := wasm.Module{}
diff --git a/vlib/wasm/tests/block_test.v b/vlib/wasm/tests/block_test.v
index b478d48f1c..f843364780 100644
--- a/vlib/wasm/tests/block_test.v
+++ b/vlib/wasm/tests/block_test.v
@@ -1,26 +1,6 @@
+module main
+
 import wasm
-import os
-
-const exe = os.find_abs_path_of_executable('wasm-validate') or { exit(0) }
-
-fn validate(mod []u8) ! {
-	mut proc := os.new_process(exe)
-	proc.set_args(['-'])
-	proc.set_redirect_stdio()
-	proc.run()
-	{
-		os.fd_write(proc.stdio_fd[0], mod.bytestr())
-		os.fd_close(proc.stdio_fd[0])
-	}
-	proc.wait()
-	if proc.status != .exited {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited abormally')
-	}
-	if proc.code != 0 {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited with a non zero exit code')
-	}
-	proc.close()
-}
 
 fn test_block() {
 	mut m := wasm.Module{}
diff --git a/vlib/wasm/tests/call_test.v b/vlib/wasm/tests/call_test.v
index 00ada214de..5d41e646fc 100644
--- a/vlib/wasm/tests/call_test.v
+++ b/vlib/wasm/tests/call_test.v
@@ -1,26 +1,6 @@
+module main
+
 import wasm
-import os
-
-const exe = os.find_abs_path_of_executable('wasm-validate') or { exit(0) }
-
-fn validate(mod []u8) ! {
-	mut proc := os.new_process(exe)
-	proc.set_args(['-'])
-	proc.set_redirect_stdio()
-	proc.run()
-	{
-		os.fd_write(proc.stdio_fd[0], mod.bytestr())
-		os.fd_close(proc.stdio_fd[0])
-	}
-	proc.wait()
-	if proc.status != .exited {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited abormally')
-	}
-	if proc.code != 0 {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited with a non zero exit code')
-	}
-	proc.close()
-}
 
 fn test_call() {
 	mut m := wasm.Module{}
diff --git a/vlib/wasm/tests/common.v b/vlib/wasm/tests/common.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04c504b14b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/wasm/tests/common.v
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+module main
+
+import os
+
+const pid = os.getpid()
+
+const wasm_validate_exe = find_wasm_validate() or {
+	println('>>> Skipping test, since wasm-validate could not be found, error: ${err}')
+	exit(0)
+}
+
+fn find_wasm_validate() !string {
+	// Prefer to find our own version first, if it was installed already
+	// through install_wabt.vsh, since it is more likely to be known, recent, and stable:
+	thirdpart_wasm_validate_folder := os.join_path(@VROOT, 'thirdparty', 'wabt', 'bin')
+	extension := $if windows { '.exe' } $else { '' }
+	wasm_validate_executable := os.join_path(thirdpart_wasm_validate_folder, 'wasm-validate${extension}')
+	if os.exists(wasm_validate_executable) {
+		return wasm_validate_executable
+	}
+	if path := os.find_abs_path_of_executable('wasm-validate') {
+		return path
+	}
+	return error('could not find wasm-validate executable in thirdparty/ as well, try first `v run cmd/tools/install_wabt.vsh`')
+}
+
+pub fn validate(code []u8) ! {
+	println('validating using: ${wasm_validate_exe}')
+	outfile := os.join_path(os.temp_dir(), 'code_${pid}.wasm')
+	os.write_file(outfile, code.bytestr())!
+	validation_cmd := '${os.quoted_path(wasm_validate_exe)} ${os.quoted_path(outfile)}'
+	res := os.execute(validation_cmd)
+	if res.exit_code != 0 {
+		eprintln('failed exit code: ${res.exit_code} | command:\n${validation_cmd}')
+		return error('wasm-validate exited with a non zero exit code: ${res.exit_code}')
+	}
+	os.rm(outfile)!
+}
diff --git a/vlib/wasm/tests/var_test.v b/vlib/wasm/tests/var_test.v
index 055a6b9710..195c43150a 100644
--- a/vlib/wasm/tests/var_test.v
+++ b/vlib/wasm/tests/var_test.v
@@ -1,26 +1,6 @@
+module main
+
 import wasm
-import os
-
-const exe = os.find_abs_path_of_executable('wasm-validate') or { exit(0) }
-
-fn validate(mod []u8) ! {
-	mut proc := os.new_process(exe)
-	proc.set_args(['-'])
-	proc.set_redirect_stdio()
-	proc.run()
-	{
-		os.fd_write(proc.stdio_fd[0], mod.bytestr())
-		os.fd_close(proc.stdio_fd[0])
-	}
-	proc.wait()
-	if proc.status != .exited {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited abormally')
-	}
-	if proc.code != 0 {
-		return error('wasm-validate exited with a non zero exit code')
-	}
-	proc.close()
-}
 
 fn test_globals() {
 	mut m := wasm.Module{}