diff --git a/.github/workflows/github_actions.yml b/.github/workflows/github_actions.yml
index 39f5ca1793..a13bc34512 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/github_actions.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/github_actions.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ jobs:
             mpi_impl: mpich
             nwchem_modules: "qmandpw qmd"
         include:
+          - os: ubuntu-18.04
+            experimental: true
+            mpi_impl: mpich
+            armci_network: ARMCI
+            nwchem_modules: "all"
+            fc: gfortran
+            blas: "internal"
           - os: ubuntu-18.04
             experimental: true
             mpi_impl: mpich
diff --git a/travis/compile_nwchem.sh b/travis/compile_nwchem.sh
index 35689e2fe3..c39c744d8d 100755
--- a/travis/compile_nwchem.sh
+++ b/travis/compile_nwchem.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,15 @@ else
 #	    FOPT="-O2 -tp haswell"
 	fi
     fi
+fi
+# install armci-mpi if needed
+if [[ "$ARMCI_NETWORK" == "ARMCI" ]]; then
+    cd $NWCHEM_TOP/src/tools
+    ./install-armci-mpi
+    export EXTERNAL_ARMCI_PATH=$NWCHEM_TOP/external-armci
 fi    
+
+#compilation
  if [[ "$os" == "Darwin" ]]; then 
    if [[ "$NWCHEM_MODULES" == "tce" ]]; then
      FOPT="-O1 -fno-aggressive-loop-optimizations"