diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@
                             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")
         parser.add_argument("--with-axionactivation", dest="axionactivation", default=False, action="store_true",
@@ -388,6 +390,7 @@
                 use_cli=self.options.usecli,
                 emulator=self.options.emulator,
                 start_perf=self.options.perf,
+                use_valgrind=self.options.valgrind,
             ))
             if self.options.axionactivation:
                 self.nodes[i].extend_default_args(
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     be dispatched to the RPC connection."""
 
     def __init__(self, i, datadir, *, chain, host, rpc_port, p2p_port, timewait, bitcoind, bitcoin_cli,
-                 coverage_dir, cwd, extra_conf=None, extra_args=None, use_cli=False, emulator=None, start_perf=False):
+                 coverage_dir, cwd, extra_conf=None, extra_args=None, use_cli=False, emulator=None, start_perf=False, use_valgrind=False):
         """
         Kwargs:
             start_perf (bool): If True, begin profiling the node with `perf` as soon as
@@ -107,6 +107,18 @@
             "-noprinttoconsole",
         ]
 
+        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.binary = "valgrind"
+            self.bitcoind_args = [bitcoind] + self.default_args
+            self.default_args = ["--suppressions={}".format(suppressions_file),
+                                 "--gen-suppressions=all", "--exit-on-first-error=yes",
+                                 "--error-exitcode=1", "--quiet"] + self.bitcoind_args
+
         if emulator is not None:
             if not os.path.isfile(emulator):
                 raise FileNotFoundError(