diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22575e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+name: ci
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  # piper_cpp is a plain CMake library with no ROS dependency; build it the way the
+  # README documents for non-ROS users.
+  standalone:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+            build-essential cmake pkg-config libsocketcan-dev libgtest-dev
+      - name: Configure
+        run: cmake -S piper_cpp -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+      - name: Build
+        run: cmake --build build -j
+      - name: Test
+        run: ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure
+
+  ros:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    container: ros:jazzy
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        with:
+          path: src/piper_cpp
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        # piper_cpp has no package.xml, so rosdep neither sees its libsocketcan dependency nor
+        # recognises it as a source package when piper_cpp_ros depends on it.
+        # piper_description is an external runtime dependency not needed to build.
+        run: |
+          apt-get update
+          apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libsocketcan-dev libgtest-dev
+          rosdep update
+          rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -y --skip-keys "piper_cpp piper_description"
+      - name: Build
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
+          colcon build --packages-up-to piper_cpp_ros piper_cpp_moveit --event-handlers console_cohesion+
+      - name: Test
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
+          colcon test --packages-select piper_cpp piper_cpp_ros piper_cpp_moveit --event-handlers console_cohesion+
+          colcon test-result --verbose
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 53a6229..8c3386a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # Piper CPP
 
+[![ci](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](LICENSE)
+[![ROS 2 Jazzy](https://img.shields.io/badge/ROS_2-Jazzy-blue)](https://docs.ros.org/en/jazzy/)
+[![C++17](https://img.shields.io/badge/C%2B%2B-17-blue)](piper_cpp/CMakeLists.txt)
+
 - [piper_cpp](piper_cpp) -- C++ SDK for the AgileX Piper 6-DOF arm with gripper. This is a standalone pure C++ library.
 - [piper_cpp_ros](piper_cpp_ros) -- A ros2_control hardware interface for the AgileX Piper 6-DOF arm and its optional
 parallel-jaw gripper, built on top of `piper_cpp`. Exposes position / velocity / effort state and position commands per
@@ -11,4 +16,4 @@ alone or, with `with_gripper:=true`, on the arm + gripper together.
 
 ## License
 
-MIT — see [LICENSE](../LICENSE).
\ No newline at end of file
+MIT -- see [LICENSE](LICENSE).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/piper_cpp/README.md b/piper_cpp/README.md
index 8509599..5748b86 100644
--- a/piper_cpp/README.md
+++ b/piper_cpp/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # piper_cpp
 
+[![ci](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](../LICENSE)
+[![C++17](https://img.shields.io/badge/C%2B%2B-17-blue)](CMakeLists.txt)
+
 C++ SDK for the AgileX Piper 6-DOF arm with gripper, communicating over SocketCAN. A close
 port of the official [`piper_sdk`](https://github.com/agilexrobotics/piper_sdk) Python package
 with the same control surface and message coverage, but with several improvements such as
diff --git a/piper_cpp_moveit/README.md b/piper_cpp_moveit/README.md
index e257ecd..e92f653 100644
--- a/piper_cpp_moveit/README.md
+++ b/piper_cpp_moveit/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # piper_cpp_moveit
 
+[![ci](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](../LICENSE)
+[![ROS 2 Jazzy](https://img.shields.io/badge/ROS_2-Jazzy-blue)](https://docs.ros.org/en/jazzy/)
+
 MoveIt 2 configuration for the AgileX Piper 6-DOF arm and its optional parallel-jaw
 gripper. Plans against the URDF from `piper_description` and dispatches the resulting
 trajectories through the `joint_trajectory_controller` (and `gripper_controller`, when
@@ -90,4 +94,4 @@ they're what selects the URDF, SRDF, and controllers config.
 
 ## License
 
-MIT -- see [../piper_cpp/LICENSE](../piper_cpp/LICENSE).
+MIT -- see [../LICENSE](../LICENSE).
diff --git a/piper_cpp_ros/README.md b/piper_cpp_ros/README.md
index 492de44..31c7005 100644
--- a/piper_cpp_ros/README.md
+++ b/piper_cpp_ros/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # piper_cpp_ros
 
+[![ci](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/justagist/piper_cpp/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](../LICENSE)
+[![ROS 2 Jazzy](https://img.shields.io/badge/ROS_2-Jazzy-blue)](https://docs.ros.org/en/jazzy/)
+[![C++17](https://img.shields.io/badge/C%2B%2B-17-blue)](CMakeLists.txt)
+
 ros2_control hardware interface for the AgileX Piper 6-DOF arm and its optional parallel-jaw
 gripper, built on top of [`piper_cpp`](../piper_cpp).