diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9731ea19..a184015f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,41 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           pytest pins -m 'fs_rsc and not skip_on_github'
 
+  check-cross-compatibility:
+    name: "Check cross lib compatibility"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+    - name: Install libcurl on Linux
+      run: sudo apt-get update -y && sudo apt-get install -y libcurl4-openssl-dev
+
+    # r ---
+
+    - uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2
+      with:
+        use-public-rspm: true
+
+    - name: Install R dependencies
+      run: "install.packages('pins')"
+      shell: Rscript {0}
+
+    # python ---
+
+    - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      with:
+        python-version: 3.8
+    - name: Install py dependencies
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+        python -m pip install -r requirements/dev.txt
+        python -m pip install -e .
+
+    # write and test ---
+
+    - name: Run script/ci-compat-check
+      run: make ci-compat-check
+
   build-docs:
     name: "Build Docs"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b62e5fb7..8be38df1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -36,3 +36,7 @@ requirements/dev.txt: setup.cfg
 
 binder/requirements.txt: requirements/dev.txt
 	cp $< $@
+
+ci-compat-check:
+	# TODO: mark as dummy
+	$(MAKE) -C script/$@
diff --git a/script/ci-compat-check/.gitignore b/script/ci-compat-check/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a9a5aecf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/ci-compat-check/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+tmp
diff --git a/script/ci-compat-check/Makefile b/script/ci-compat-check/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..741029df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/ci-compat-check/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+BOARD_BASE_DIR=tmp
+BOARD_PY=$(BOARD_BASE_DIR)/board-py
+BOARD_R=$(BOARD_BASE_DIR)/board-r
+
+all: validate
+
+clean:
+	rm -r $(BOARD_PY) $(BOARD_R)
+
+validate: $(BOARD_PY) $(BOARD_R)
+	@echo "\n\nRUNNING R PINS ---\n"
+	Rscript validate_py_to_r.R $(BOARD_PY) $(BOARD_R)
+	@echo "\n\nRUNNING PYTHON PINS ---\n"
+	python validate_r_to_py.py $(BOARD_PY) $(BOARD_R)
+
+$(BOARD_PY): dump_py_pins.py
+	python dump_py_pins.py $@
+
+$(BOARD_R): dump_r_pins.R
+	Rscript dump_r_pins.R $@
diff --git a/script/ci-compat-check/dump_py_pins.py b/script/ci-compat-check/dump_py_pins.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9d22a13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/ci-compat-check/dump_py_pins.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import sys
+
+from pins.data import mtcars
+from pins import board_folder
+
+if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+    raise ValueError("must pass board location as command-line argument")
+else:
+    BOARD_PATH = sys.argv[1]
+
+board = board_folder(BOARD_PATH)
+board.pin_write(mtcars, "mtcars", type="csv")
diff --git a/script/ci-compat-check/dump_r_pins.R b/script/ci-compat-check/dump_r_pins.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7deff314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/ci-compat-check/dump_r_pins.R
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+library(pins)
+args <- commandArgs(trailingOnly=TRUE)
+
+board <- board_folder(args[1])
+board %>% pin_write(mtcars, "mtcars", type="csv")
diff --git a/script/ci-compat-check/validate_py_to_r.R b/script/ci-compat-check/validate_py_to_r.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1106796b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/ci-compat-check/validate_py_to_r.R
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+library(pins)
+
+args <- commandArgs(trailingOnly=TRUE)
+
+
+# create board ----
+
+board_py <- board_folder(args[1])
+board_r <- board_folder(args[2])
+
+
+# check pins ----
+
+cat("Checking mtcars pin\n")
+
+res_mtcars <- board_py %>% pin_read("mtcars")
+stopifnot(all.equal(res_mtcars, datasets::mtcars, check.attributes=FALSE))
+
+meta_mtcars_py <- board_py %>% pin_meta("mtcars")
+cat("\nPython meta:\n\n")
+print(meta_mtcars_py)
+
+meta_mtcars_r <- board_r %>% pin_meta("mtcars")
+cat("\nR meta:\n\n")
+print(meta_mtcars_r)
diff --git a/script/ci-compat-check/validate_r_to_py.py b/script/ci-compat-check/validate_r_to_py.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..593be711
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/ci-compat-check/validate_r_to_py.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import sys
+
+from pins import board_folder
+from pins import data
+
+path_py, path_r = sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2]
+
+# create board ----
+
+board_py = board_folder(path_py)
+board_r = board_folder(path_r)
+
+
+# check pins ----
+
+print("Checking mtcars pin")
+
+res_mtcars = board_r.pin_read("mtcars")
+assert res_mtcars.equals(data.mtcars)
+
+meta_mtcars_py = board_py.pin_meta("mtcars")
+print("\nPython meta:\n")
+print(meta_mtcars_py)
+
+meta_mtcars_r = board_r.pin_meta("mtcars")
+print("\nR meta:\n")
+print(meta_mtcars_r)