diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-js-packages.yml b/.github/workflows/test-js-packages.yml
index 6a9a918b955..36ece11b1bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-js-packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-js-packages.yml
@@ -521,8 +521,27 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: ./examples/codegen_verifier
         run: ./test.sh
 
+  critical-library-list:
+    name: Load critical library list
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      libraries: ${{ steps.get_critical_libraries.outputs.libraries }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+   
+      - name: Build list of libraries
+        id: get_critical_libraries
+        run: |         
+          LIBRARIES=$(grep -Po "^https://github.com/\K.+"  ./CRITICAL_NOIR_LIBRARIES | jq -R -s -c 'split("\n") | map(select(. != "")) | map({ repo: ., path: "./"})')
+          echo "libraries=$LIBRARIES"
+          echo "libraries=$LIBRARIES" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+
   external-repo-checks:
-    needs: [build-nargo]
+    needs: [build-nargo, critical-library-list]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # Only run when 'run-external-checks' label is present
     if: contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'run-external-checks')
@@ -530,25 +549,15 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        project:
-        - { repo: noir-lang/ec, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/eddsa, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/mimc, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir_sort, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir-edwards, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir-bignum, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir_bigcurve, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir_base64, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir_string_search, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/sparse_array, path: ./  }
-        - { repo: noir-lang/noir_rsa, path: ./lib  }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/aztec-nr }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-contracts }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/parity-lib }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/private-kernel-lib }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/reset-kernel-lib }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/rollup-lib }
-        - { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/types }
+        project: ${{ fromJson( needs.critical-library-list.outputs.libraries )}}
+        include:
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/aztec-nr }
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-contracts }
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/parity-lib }
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/private-kernel-lib }
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/reset-kernel-lib }
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/rollup-lib }
+          - project: { repo: AztecProtocol/aztec-packages, path: ./noir-projects/noir-protocol-circuits/crates/types }
 
     name: Check external repo - ${{ matrix.project.repo }}
     steps:
diff --git a/CRITICAL_NOIR_LIBRARIES b/CRITICAL_NOIR_LIBRARIES
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c753b76a4fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CRITICAL_NOIR_LIBRARIES
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+https://github.com/noir-lang/ec
+https://github.com/noir-lang/eddsa
+https://github.com/noir-lang/mimc
+https://github.com/noir-lang/schnorr
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_sort
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir-edwards
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir-bignum
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_bigcurve
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_base64
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_string_search
+https://github.com/noir-lang/sparse_array
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_rsa
+https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_json_parser
diff --git a/scripts/check-critical-libraries.sh b/scripts/check-critical-libraries.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..b492cf1d4bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-critical-libraries.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+
+# Run relative to repo root
+cd $(dirname "$0")/../
+
+if [[ -z $1 ]]; then
+    echo "Must specify Noir release to test against" >&2
+    echo "usage: ./check-critical-libraries.sh <release-version>" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+noirup -v $1
+
+CRITICAL_LIBRARIES=$(grep -v "^#\|^$" ./CRITICAL_NOIR_LIBRARIES)
+readarray -t REPOS_TO_CHECK < <(echo "$CRITICAL_LIBRARIES")
+
+getLatestReleaseTagForRepo() {
+    REPO_NAME=$1
+    TAG=$(gh release list -R $REPO_NAME --json 'tagName,isLatest' -q '.[] | select(.isLatest == true).tagName')
+    if [[ -z $TAG ]]; then
+        echo "$REPO_NAME has no valid release" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    echo $TAG
+}
+
+for REPO in ${REPOS_TO_CHECK[@]}; do
+    echo $REPO   
+    TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+    
+    TAG=$(getLatestReleaseTagForRepo $REPO)
+    git clone $REPO -c advice.detachedHead=false --depth 1 --branch $TAG $TMP_DIR
+    
+    nargo test --program-dir $TMP_DIR
+
+    rm -rf $TMP_DIR
+done