diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 746a05e37..270dd3c45 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,34 @@ jobs:
           cargo msrv --path derive-macros/ verify --all-features
           cargo msrv --path ffi/ verify --all-features
           cargo msrv --path ffi-proc-macros/ verify --all-features
+  msrv-run-tests:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install minimal stable and cargo msrv
+        uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
+        with:
+          profile: default
+          toolchain: stable
+          override: true
+      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
+      - name: Install cargo-msrv
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          cargo install cargo-msrv --locked
+      - name: Get rust-version from Cargo.toml
+        id: rust-version
+        run: echo "RUST_VERSION=$(cargo msrv show --path kernel/ --output-format minimal)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Install specified rust version
+        uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
+        with:
+          toolchain: ${{ env.RUST_VERSION }}
+          profile: minimal
+      - name: run tests
+        run: |
+          pushd kernel
+          echo "Testing with $(cargo msrv show --output-format minimal)"
+          cargo +$(cargo msrv show --output-format minimal) test
   docs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 9118ca7e7..dc06c3a08 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ keywords = ["deltalake", "delta", "datalake"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
 repository = "https://github.com/delta-io/delta-kernel-rs"
 readme = "README.md"
-rust-version = "1.80"
+rust-version = "1.81"
 version = "0.5.0"
 
 [workspace.dependencies]