diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index ee9548b15..2c3973dd8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ jobs:
         protonGitRef:
           - ${{ github.event.inputs.protonBranch || 'main' }}
           - 0.38.0
+        python: [/usr/bin/python3-dbg]
     env:
       BuildType: ${{matrix.buildType}}
       ProtonBuildDir: ${{github.workspace}}/qpid-proton/build
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ jobs:
         -DENABLE_FUZZ_TESTING=OFF
         -DRUNTIME_CHECK=${{matrix.runtimeCheck}}
         -DBUILD_TLS=ON
+        -DPython_EXECUTABLE=${{matrix.python}}
       RouterCMakeExtraArgs: >
         -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache
         -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache
@@ -77,13 +79,12 @@ jobs:
         -DRUNTIME_CHECK=${{matrix.runtimeCheck}}
         -DSANITIZE_PYTHON=OFF
         -DBUILD_BENCHMARKS=ON
+        -DPython_EXECUTABLE=${{matrix.python}}
 
       CCACHE_BASEDIR: ${{github.workspace}}
       CCACHE_DIR: ${{github.workspace}}/.ccache
       CCACHE_COMPRESS: 'true'
       CCACHE_MAXSIZE: '400MB'
-      SKUPPER_SYSTEM_TEST_SKIP_POLICY: True
-      SKUPPER_SYSTEM_TEST_SKIP_DELIVERY_ABORT: True
     steps:
 
       # The option to enable + in sed regexps differs by OS so we avoid it, https://github.com/actions/upload-artifact/issues/22
@@ -127,18 +128,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Create Build and Install directories
         run: mkdir -p "${ProtonBuildDir}" "${RouterBuildDir}" "${InstallPrefix}"
 
-      - name: Setup python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
-        with:
-          python-version: 3.6
-          architecture: x64
-
-      - name: Install Python build dependencies
-        run: python -m pip install setuptools wheel tox
-
       - name: Install Linux build dependencies
         run: |
-          sudo apt update; sudo apt install -y libdw-dev swig libpython3-dev libsasl2-dev libjsoncpp-dev libwebsockets-dev libnghttp2-dev ccache ninja-build pixz libbenchmark-dev
+          sudo apt update; sudo apt install -y libdw-dev swig python3-dbg libpython3-dbg libsasl2-dev libjsoncpp-dev libwebsockets-dev libnghttp2-dev ccache ninja-build pixz libbenchmark-dev
+
+      - name: Install Python build dependencies
+        run: ${{matrix.python}} -m pip install setuptools wheel tox
 
       - name: Zero ccache stats
         run: ccache -z
@@ -207,6 +202,7 @@ jobs:
         protonGitRef:
           - ${{ github.event.inputs.protonBranch || 'main' }}
           - 0.38.0
+        python: [/usr/bin/python3-dbg]
         shard: [1, 2]
         shards: [2]
     env:
@@ -218,6 +214,11 @@ jobs:
       LD_LIBRARY_PATH: ${{github.workspace}}/install/lib
       QPID_SYSTEM_TEST_TIMEOUT: 300
       QPID_SYSTEM_TEST_SKIP_FALLBACK_SWITCHOVER_TEST: True
+      # the PyMalloc mechanism is incompatible with Valgrind, different mechanism must be set here
+      #  https://docs.python.org/3/using/cmdline.html#envvar-PYTHONMALLOC
+      #  https://pythonextensionpatterns.readthedocs.io/en/latest/debugging/debug_python.html#debug-version-of-python-memory-alloc-label
+      PYTHONMALLOC: malloc_debug
+      PYTHONTRACEMALLOC: 20
       # this enables colored output
       FORCE_COLOR: 1
       COLUMNS: 160
@@ -240,12 +241,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: skupper_router_wrk_${{env.JOB_IDENTIFIER}}
 
-      - name: Setup python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
-        with:
-          python-version: 3.6
-          architecture: x64
-
       - name: Install Linux runtime/test dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt update; sudo apt install -y libdw1 libsasl2-2 libsasl2-modules sasl2-bin libjsoncpp1 libwebsockets15 libbenchmark1 pixz bubblewrap curl ncat gdb elfutils findutils file python3-dbg
@@ -253,11 +248,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Unpack archive
         run: tar -I pixz -xf archive.tar.xz
 
+      - name: Upgrade pip
+        run: python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
+
       - name: Install Python runtime/test dependencies
-        run: python -m pip install -r ${{github.workspace}}/skupper-router/requirements-dev.txt
+        run: ${{matrix.python}} -m pip install -r ${{github.workspace}}/skupper-router/requirements-dev.txt
 
-      - name: install qpid-proton python wheel
-        run: python -m pip install ${ProtonBuildDir}/python/pkgs/python_qpid_proton*.whl
+      - name: Replace /usr/bin/python3 with ${{matrix.python}}, for tools such as qdmanage
+        run: sudo ln -sf ${{matrix.python}} /usr/bin/python3
+
+      - name: Install qpid-proton python wheel (python3-dbg)
+        run: ${{matrix.python}} -m pip install ${ProtonBuildDir}/python/pkgs/python_qpid_proton*.whl
 
       - name: CTest
         working-directory: ${{env.RouterBuildDir}}
@@ -265,7 +266,7 @@ jobs:
           sudo sysctl -w kernel.core_pattern="coredump.%e.%p"
           ulimit -c unlimited
 
-          ctest --timeout 1200 -V --output-junit=Testing/Test.xml --no-compress-output -I ${{matrix.shard}},,${{matrix.shards}} -j100 ${{env.RouterCTestExtraArgs}}
+          ctest --timeout 1200 -V --output-junit=Testing/Test.xml --no-compress-output -I ${{matrix.shard}},,${{matrix.shards}} -j6 ${{env.RouterCTestExtraArgs}}
 
       - name: Report coredump stacktraces (if any tests failed)
         if: ${{ failure() }}
@@ -310,6 +311,7 @@ jobs:
         containerTag: ['37']
         buildType: [RelWithDebInfo]
         runtimeCheck: [asan, tsan]
+        python: [/usr/bin/python3.10d]
         protonGitRef:
           - ${{ github.event.inputs.protonBranch || 'main' }}
           - 0.38.0
@@ -321,6 +323,7 @@ jobs:
             container: 'centos'
             containerTag: stream8
             runtimeCheck: OFF
+            python: /usr/bin/python3.6-debug
             protonGitRef: ${{ github.event.inputs.protonBranch || 'main' }}
             shard: 1
             shards: 2
@@ -328,6 +331,7 @@ jobs:
             container: 'centos'
             containerTag: stream8
             runtimeCheck: OFF
+            python: /usr/bin/python3.6-debug
             protonGitRef: ${{ github.event.inputs.protonBranch || 'main' }}
             shard: 2
             shards: 2
@@ -335,6 +339,7 @@ jobs:
             container: 'centos'
             containerTag: stream8
             runtimeCheck: OFF
+            python: /usr/bin/python3.6-debug
             protonGitRef: 0.38.0
             shard: 1
             shards: 2
@@ -342,6 +347,7 @@ jobs:
             container: 'centos'
             containerTag: stream8
             runtimeCheck: OFF
+            python: /usr/bin/python3.6-debug
             protonGitRef: 0.38.0
             shard: 2
             shards: 2
@@ -385,10 +391,11 @@ jobs:
         -DENABLE_FUZZ_TESTING=OFF
         -DRUNTIME_CHECK=${{matrix.runtimeCheck}}
         -DBUILD_TLS=ON
+        -DPython_EXECUTABLE=${{matrix.python}}
       RouterCMakeExtraArgs: >
         -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache
         -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache
-        -DPython_EXECUTABLE=/usr/bin/python3
+        -DPython_EXECUTABLE=${{matrix.python}}
         -DRUNTIME_CHECK=${{matrix.runtimeCheck}}
 
       CCACHE_BASEDIR: ${{github.workspace}}
@@ -397,8 +404,6 @@ jobs:
       CCACHE_MAXSIZE: '400MB'
       QPID_SYSTEM_TEST_TIMEOUT: 300
       QPID_SYSTEM_TEST_SKIP_FALLBACK_SWITCHOVER_TEST: True
-      SKUPPER_SYSTEM_TEST_SKIP_POLICY: True
-      SKUPPER_SYSTEM_TEST_SKIP_DELIVERY_ABORT: True
       VERBOSE: 1
 
     steps:
@@ -432,10 +437,10 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install Linux build dependencies
         run: |
-          dnf install -y gcc gcc-c++ elfutils-devel cmake libuuid-devel openssl openssl-devel cyrus-sasl-devel cyrus-sasl-plain swig python3-devel python3-pip make libwebsockets-devel libnghttp2-devel ccache libasan libubsan libtsan
+          dnf install -y gcc gcc-c++ elfutils-devel cmake libuuid-devel openssl openssl-devel cyrus-sasl-devel cyrus-sasl-plain swig python3-devel python3-debug python3-pip make libwebsockets-devel libnghttp2-devel ccache libasan libubsan libtsan
 
       - name: Install Python build dependencies
-        run: python3 -m pip install setuptools wheel tox
+        run: ${{matrix.python}} -m pip install setuptools wheel tox
 
       # https://cristianadam.eu/20200113/speeding-up-c-plus-plus-github-actions-using-ccache/
       - name: Prepare ccache timestamp
@@ -460,12 +465,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Zero ccache stats
         run: ccache -z
 
-      # PROTON-2473: either install `openssl1.1-devel` compat version, or build with `-Wno-error=deprecated-declarations`
       - name: qpid-proton cmake configure
         working-directory: ${{env.ProtonBuildDir}}
         run: >
           cmake "${{github.workspace}}/qpid-proton" \
-            '-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="-Wno-error=deprecated-declarations"' \
             "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${InstallPrefix}" \
             "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${BuildType}" \
             ${ProtonCMakeExtraArgs}
@@ -510,16 +513,24 @@ jobs:
       - name: Upgrade pip
         run: python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
 
+      - name: CentOS 8 python3.6-debug needs this to build pip packages from source in next step
+        if: ${{ matrix.container == 'centos' }}
+        run: |
+          dnf install -y libxml2-devel libxslt-devel
+
       - name: Install Python runtime/test dependencies
-        run: python3 -m pip install -r ${{github.workspace}}/skupper-router/requirements-dev.txt
+        run: ${{matrix.python}} -m pip install -r ${{github.workspace}}/skupper-router/requirements-dev.txt
 
       - name: Install Linux runtime/test dependencies
         run: |
           dnf install -y curl nmap-ncat gdb binutils elfutils elfutils-debuginfod-client findutils file
           dnf debuginfo-install -y python3
 
+      - name: Replace /usr/bin/python3 with ${{matrix.python}}, for tools such as skmanage
+        run: sudo ln -sf ${{matrix.python}} /usr/bin/python3
+
       - name: install qpid-proton python wheel
-        run: python3 -m pip install ${ProtonBuildDir}/python/pkgs/python_qpid_proton*.whl
+        run: ${{matrix.python}} -m pip install ${ProtonBuildDir}/python/pkgs/python_qpid_proton*.whl
 
       - name: CTest
         working-directory: ${{env.RouterBuildDir}}