diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 273bd356bc..c5edc08063 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
               df -h
               sleep 15
               done) &
-         make --no-print-directory -C regtest
+         make --no-print-directory -C regtest testclean
          # these can fail for numerical reasons
          make -C regtest checkfail
     - name: Run python tests
diff --git a/regtest/Makefile b/regtest/Makefile
index 34079eaec8..ce2f4adecb 100644
--- a/regtest/Makefile
+++ b/regtest/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ SUBDIRS := $(subst /,,$(dir $(shell ls */Makefile)))
 
 SUBDIRSCLEAN := $(addsuffix .clean,$(SUBDIRS))
 SUBDIRSVALGRIND := $(addsuffix .valgrind,$(SUBDIRS))
+SUBDIRSTESTCLEAN := $(addsuffix .testclean,$(SUBDIRS))
 
 .PHONY: all checkfail copytodoc  clean valgrind $(SUBDIRS) $(SUBDIRSCLEAN) $(SUBDIRSVALGRIND) 
 
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ clean: $(SUBDIRSCLEAN)
 valgrind: $(SUBDIRSVALGRIND)
 	scripts/check
 
+testclean: $(SUBDIRSTESTCLEAN)
+
 $(SUBDIRS):
 	$(MAKE) -C $@
 
@@ -28,3 +31,7 @@ $(SUBDIRSCLEAN): %.clean:
 
 $(SUBDIRSVALGRIND): %.valgrind:
 	$(MAKE) -C $* valgrind
+
+$(SUBDIRSTESTCLEAN): %.testclean:
+	$(MAKE) -C $* testclean
+
diff --git a/regtest/scripts/module.make b/regtest/scripts/module.make
index ff878d02af..1d2e160538 100644
--- a/regtest/scripts/module.make
+++ b/regtest/scripts/module.make
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 SUBDIRS := $(subst /Makefile,,$(wildcard rt*/Makefile))
 SUBDIRSCLEAN := $(addsuffix .clean,$(SUBDIRS))
+SUBDIRSTESTCLEAN := $(addsuffix .testclean,$(SUBDIRS))
 SUBDIRSVALGRIND := $(addsuffix .valgrind,$(SUBDIRS))
 
 .PHONY: all clean valgrind $(SUBDIRS) $(SUBDIRSCLEAN) $(SUBDIRSVALGRIND)
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ clean: $(SUBDIRSCLEAN)
 
 valgrind: $(SUBDIRSVALGRIND)
 
+testclean: $(SUBDIRSTESTCLEAN)
+
 $(SUBDIRS):
 	$(MAKE) -C $@
 
@@ -18,3 +21,7 @@ $(SUBDIRSCLEAN): %.clean:
 
 $(SUBDIRSVALGRIND): %.valgrind:
 	$(MAKE) -C $* valgrind
+
+$(SUBDIRSTESTCLEAN): %.testclean:
+	$(MAKE) -C $* testclean
+
diff --git a/regtest/scripts/test.make b/regtest/scripts/test.make
index 9824aca82c..81b3e4100d 100644
--- a/regtest/scripts/test.make
+++ b/regtest/scripts/test.make
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ clean:
 valgrind:
 	../../scripts/run --valgrind
 
+testclean:
+	$(MAKE) test
+	rm -fr tmp/
+