diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
index a17e7709f2..da92c6325a 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ class BitcoinTestFramework(metaclass=BitcoinTestMetaClass):
                             help="use bitcoin-cli instead of RPC for all commands")
         parser.add_argument("--perf", dest="perf", default=False, action="store_true",
                             help="profile running nodes with perf for the duration of the test")
+        parser.add_argument("--valgrind", dest="valgrind", default=False, action="store_true",
+                            help="run nodes under the valgrind memory error detector: expect at least a ~10x slowdown, valgrind 3.14 or later required")
         parser.add_argument("--randomseed", type=int,
                             help="set a random seed for deterministically reproducing a previous test run")
         self.add_options(parser)
@@ -398,6 +400,7 @@ class BitcoinTestFramework(metaclass=BitcoinTestMetaClass):
                 extra_args=extra_args[i],
                 use_cli=self.options.usecli,
                 start_perf=self.options.perf,
+                use_valgrind=self.options.valgrind,
             ))
 
     def start_node(self, i, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index 1c9628264f..40681790b9 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class TestNode():
     To make things easier for the test writer, any unrecognised messages will
     be dispatched to the RPC connection."""
 
-    def __init__(self, i, datadir, *, chain, rpchost, timewait, bitcoind, bitcoin_cli, coverage_dir, cwd, extra_conf=None, extra_args=None, use_cli=False, start_perf=False):
+    def __init__(self, i, datadir, *, chain, rpchost, timewait, bitcoind, bitcoin_cli, coverage_dir, cwd, extra_conf=None, extra_args=None, use_cli=False, start_perf=False, use_valgrind=False):
         """
         Kwargs:
             start_perf (bool): If True, begin profiling the node with `perf` as soon as
@@ -96,6 +96,15 @@ class TestNode():
             "-debugexclude=leveldb",
             "-uacomment=testnode%d" % i,
         ]
+        if use_valgrind:
+            default_suppressions_file = os.path.join(
+                os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)),
+                "..", "..", "..", "contrib", "valgrind.supp")
+            suppressions_file = os.getenv("VALGRIND_SUPPRESSIONS_FILE",
+                                          default_suppressions_file)
+            self.args = ["valgrind", "--suppressions={}".format(suppressions_file),
+                         "--gen-suppressions=all", "--exit-on-first-error=yes",
+                         "--error-exitcode=1", "--quiet"] + self.args
 
         self.cli = TestNodeCLI(bitcoin_cli, self.datadir)
         self.use_cli = use_cli