diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 65874fc8400be992331f9ecfd2cd8ac09970a8f7..a9d600dd6dd9732ae28a95ba5a4c5993fd2233c7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ report:
     - view_15
     - dump_constants
     - dump_geometry
+    - convert_to_gdml
   script:
     - pip3 install jinja2 &&  ls -lrth
     - ./bin/make_images > doc/dawn_views.md
@@ -144,6 +145,14 @@ overlap_check:
     - echo "$(cat doc/overlap_check.out | grep ovlp | wc -l) overlaps..."
     - if [[ "$(cat doc/overlap_check.out | grep ovlp | wc -l)" -gt "0" ]] ; then echo "Overlaps exist!" && false ; fi
 
+convert_to_gdml:
+  stage: test
+  needs: 
+    - ["common:detector"]
+  script:
+    - mkdir -p geo
+    - python scripts/convert_to_gdml.py --compact ${DETECTOR_PATH}/athena.xml --output geo/athena.gdml
+
 tracking_geometry_debug:
   stage: test
   allow_failure: true
diff --git a/scripts/convert_to_gdml.py b/scripts/convert_to_gdml.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ce00df352776a1de352d90dc22202ff7ad8bfde1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/convert_to_gdml.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+import os
+import time
+import logging
+
+import argparse
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+     prog='convert_to_gdml.py',
+     description='''Convert DD4Hep description to GDML''',
+     epilog='''
+     This program converts the compact detector file to a single GDML file.
+         ''')
+parser.add_argument("--compact", help="compact detector file",default="athena.xml")
+parser.add_argument("--output", help="gdml detector file",default="athena.gdml")
+
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
+import DDG4
+from g4units import keV, GeV, mm, ns, MeV
+
+def run():
+  kernel = DDG4.Kernel()
+  description = kernel.detectorDescription()
+  kernel.loadGeometry(str("file:" + args.compact))
+
+  DDG4.importConstants(description)
+
+  geant4 = DDG4.Geant4(kernel)
+  ui = geant4.setupCshUI(ui=None)
+  #
+  # Setup the GDML writer action
+  writer = DDG4.Action(kernel, 'Geant4GDMLWriteAction/Writer')
+  writer.enableUI()
+  kernel.registerGlobalAction(writer)
+  ui.Commands = [
+      '/ddg4/Writer/Output {}'.format(args.output),
+      '/ddg4/Writer/OverWrite 1',
+      '/ddg4/Writer/write'
+      ]
+  kernel.configure()
+  kernel.initialize()
+  kernel.run()
+  kernel.terminate()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  run()