diff --git a/.github/workflows/mcstas-autobuild.yml b/.github/workflows/mcstas-autobuild.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa182e4297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mcstas-autobuild.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+name: mcstas-autobuild
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '50 23 * * *'  # 23:50 every day
+
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      manual-debugging:
+        type: boolean
+        description: Launch manual debugging tmate for inspection (automatic in case of errors)
+        default: false
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+#         - { os: ubuntu-20.04,  CC: gcc-10,   CXX: g++-10,     python: '3.8'  }
+#         - { os: ubuntu-22.04,  CC: gcc,      CXX: g++,        python: '3.9'  }
+        - { os: ubuntu-latest, CC: gcc,      CXX: g++,        python: '3.11' }
+#         - { os: ubuntu-latest, CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: '3.11' }
+#         - { os: ubuntu-latest, CC: gcc-12,   CXX: g++-12,     python: '3.11' }
+#         - { os: macos-11,      CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: "3.10" }
+         - { os: macos-12,      CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: "3.11" }
+#         - { os: macos-13,      CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: "3.11" }
+#         - { os: windows-latest,  CC: gcc,    CXX: g++,        python: "3.11" }
+#         - { os: windows-2019,    CC: gcc,    CXX: g++,        python: "3.11" }
+
+    name: ${{ matrix.os }}.${{ matrix.CC }}.python-${{ matrix.python }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    env:
+      CC: ${{ matrix.CC }}
+      CXX: ${{ matrix.CXX }}
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -el {0}
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        path: McCode
+
+    - name: Setup python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+      with:
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python }}
+
+    - name: Setup build-deps
+      id: setup-build-deps
+      run: |
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]; then sudo apt-get -y install equivs ; fi
+
+    - name: Check versions
+      id: version-checks
+      run: |
+           which python3
+           python3 --version
+           which cmake
+           cmake --version
+           #NB: bison and flex in path are actually too old, on mac we
+           #inject these via a brew keg later
+
+    - name: Build McStas
+      id: mcstas-build
+      run: |
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "macOS" ]; then export SDKROOT=$(xcrun --sdk macosx --show-sdk-path); fi
+           set -e
+           set -u
+           set -x
+           cd McCode
+           export REV=`date +%Y-%m-%d`
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "macOS" ]; then ./buildscripts/build_macos_mcstas ${REV}; fi
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]; then ./buildscripts/build_debs_mcstas ${REV} meta; fi
+           tar cfz dist-${RUNNER_OS}.tgz dist/
+
+    - name: 'Upload Artifact'
+      id: tar-upload
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      if: always()
+      with:
+        name: mcstas-artefacts
+        path: "McCode/dist-*.tgz"
+
+    - name: Setup tmate session for manual debugging
+      uses: mxschmitt/action-tmate@v3
+      if: always() && (inputs.manual-debugging == true && steps.tar-package.outcome != 'success')
+      with:
+        limit-access-to-actor: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mcxtrace-autobuild.yml b/.github/workflows/mcxtrace-autobuild.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f3c9de2e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mcxtrace-autobuild.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+name: mcxtrace-autobuild
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '50 23 * * *'  # 23:50 every day
+
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      manual-debugging:
+        type: boolean
+        description: Launch manual debugging tmate for inspection (automatic in case of errors)
+        default: false
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+#         - { os: ubuntu-20.04,  CC: gcc-10,   CXX: g++-10,     python: '3.8'  }
+#         - { os: ubuntu-22.04,  CC: gcc,      CXX: g++,        python: '3.9'  }
+         - { os: ubuntu-latest, CC: gcc,      CXX: g++,        python: '3.11' }
+#         - { os: ubuntu-latest, CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: '3.11' }
+#         - { os: ubuntu-latest, CC: gcc-12,   CXX: g++-12,     python: '3.11' }
+#         - { os: macos-11,      CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: "3.10" }
+         - { os: macos-12,      CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: "3.11" }
+#         - { os: macos-13,      CC: clang,    CXX: clang++,    python: "3.11" }
+#         - { os: windows-latest,  CC: gcc,    CXX: g++,        python: "3.11" }
+#         - { os: windows-2019,    CC: gcc,    CXX: g++,        python: "3.11" }
+
+    name: ${{ matrix.os }}.${{ matrix.CC }}.python-${{ matrix.python }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    env:
+      CC: ${{ matrix.CC }}
+      CXX: ${{ matrix.CXX }}
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -el {0}
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        path: McCode
+
+    - name: Setup python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+      with:
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python }}
+
+    - name: Setup build-deps
+      id: setup-build-deps
+      run: |
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]; then sudo apt-get -y install equivs ; fi
+
+    - name: Check versions
+      id: version-checks
+      run: |
+           which python3
+           python3 --version
+           which cmake
+           cmake --version
+           #NB: bison and flex in path are actually too old, on mac we
+           #inject these via a brew keg later
+
+    - name: Build McXtrace
+      id: mcxtrace-build
+      run: |
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "macOS" ]; then export SDKROOT=$(xcrun --sdk macosx --show-sdk-path); fi
+           set -e
+           set -u
+           set -x
+           cd McCode
+           export REV=`date +%Y-%m-%d`
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "macOS" ]; then ./buildscripts/build_macos_mcxtrace ${REV}; fi
+           if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]; then ./buildscripts/build_debs_mcxtrace ${REV} meta; fi
+           tar cfz dist-${RUNNER_OS}.tgz dist/
+
+    - name: 'Upload Artifact'
+      id: tar-upload
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      if: always()
+      with:
+        name: mcxtrace-artefacts
+        path: "McCode/dist-*.tgz"
+
+    - name: Setup tmate session for manual debugging
+      uses: mxschmitt/action-tmate@v3
+      if: always() && (inputs.manual-debugging == true && steps.tar-package.outcome != 'success')
+      with:
+        limit-access-to-actor: true