diff --git a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
index 418f9ee..fc0e4e1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v1
+    - name: install cmake
+      run: |
+        export PREFIX=$HOME/software/cmake
+        wget https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.15.3/cmake-3.15.3-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz -O cmake.tar.gz
+        mkdir -p $PREFIX
+        tar -xvf cmake.tar.gz --strip-components=1 -C $PREFIX
     - name: add repo key
       run: sudo apt-key adv --fetch-keys https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu1804/x86_64/7fa2af80.pub
     - name: add repository
@@ -18,6 +24,7 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt-get install cuda-toolkit-10-1 cuda-libraries-dev-10-1 cuda-libraries-10-1
     - name: configure
       run: |
+        export PATH=$HOME/software/cmake/bin:$PATH
         export PATH=/usr/local/cuda/bin:$PATH
         mkdir build
         cd build
@@ -25,8 +32,9 @@ jobs:
         cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
     - name: build
       run: |
+        export PATH=$HOME/software/cmake/bin:$PATH
         export PATH=/usr/local/cuda/bin:$PATH
         cd build
         g++ --version
         nvcc --version
-        make
+        make VERBOSE=1
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 27b94f4..14bfb7c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 # 3.9+ for OpenMP::OpenMP_CXX
 # 3.10+ findopenmp gained support for language-specific components
 # 3.11+ for CMake not to add -fopenmp to the nvcc flags
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.11 FATAL_ERROR)
+# 3.13+ for target_link_directories
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13 FATAL_ERROR)
 
 project(perfect LANGUAGES CUDA CXX VERSION 0.1.0)
 message(STATUS "Build type: " ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE})
@@ -32,6 +33,13 @@ elseif (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Release)
   set(CMAKE_CUDA_FLAGS ${CMAKE_CUDA_FLAGS} -lineinfo)
 endif()
 
+# find the CUDA stubs directory in case the drivers are not installed
+# for CI, for example
+set(CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR "${CMAKE_CUDA_COMPILER}")
+get_filename_component(CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR "${CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR}" DIRECTORY)
+get_filename_component(CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR "${CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR}" DIRECTORY)
+set(CUDA_TOOLKIT_LIB_DIR ${CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR}/lib64/stubs)
+message(STATUS "CUDA toolkit stubs dir:" ${CUDA_TOOLKIT_LIB_DIR})
 
 
 set(CMAKE_CUDA_STANDARD 11)
@@ -41,6 +49,7 @@ add_subdirectory(include/perfect)
 add_library(perfect INTERFACE)
 target_include_directories(perfect INTERFACE include/)
 target_include_directories(perfect INTERFACE ${CMAKE_CUDA_TOOLKIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES})
+target_link_directories(perfect INTERFACE ${CUDA_TOOLKIT_LIB_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(perfect INTERFACE nvidia-ml)
 
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 830d7a7..6fbff96 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # perfect
 
+| Branch | Status |
+|-|-|
+| master |[![Build Status](https://img.shields.io/endpoint.svg?url=https%3A%2F%2Factions-badge.atrox.dev%2Fcwpearson%2Fperfect%2Fbadge%3Fref%3Dmaster&style=flat)](https://actions-badge.atrox.dev/cwpearson/perfect/goto?ref=master)|
+
 CPU/GPU performance control library for benchmarking
 * x86
 * POWER