diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-prValidation.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-prValidation.yml
index 1138fe1eec..fd8552257b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-prValidation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-prValidation.yml
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ jobs:
           -Dpekko.test.multi-node=false \
           -Dsbt.log.noformat=false \
           -Dpekko.log.timestamps=true \
+          -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
           validatePullRequest
 
   jdk-21-extra-tests:
@@ -142,4 +143,5 @@ jobs:
           -Dpekko.test.multi-node=false \
           -Dsbt.log.noformat=false \
           -Dpekko.log.timestamps=true \
+          -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
           TestJdk9/test        
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-1.1-builds.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly-1.1-builds.yml
index 0f1cebe68d..c58d3be474 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-1.1-builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-1.1-builds.yml
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ jobs:
             -Dpekko.actor.testkit.typed.timefactor=2 \
             -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,timing \
             -Dpekko.log.timestamps=true \
+            -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
             -Dmultinode.XX:MetaspaceSize=128M \
             -Dmultinode.Xms256M \
             -Dmultinode.Xmx256M \
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ jobs:
           -Dpekko.actor.testkit.typed.timefactor=2 \
           -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,timing \
           -Dpekko.test.multi-in-test=false \
+          -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
           -Dpekko.cluster.assert=on \
           clean ${{ matrix.command }}
 
@@ -159,4 +161,5 @@ jobs:
             -Dpekko.actor.testkit.typed.timefactor=2 \
             -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,timing \
             -Dpekko.test.multi-in-test=false \
+            -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
             clean "++ ${{ matrix.scalaVersion }} test" checkTestsHaveRun
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-builds-aeron.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly-builds-aeron.yml
index 1a17540381..0b2932668b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-builds-aeron.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-builds-aeron.yml
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ jobs:
           -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,gh-exclude-aeron,timing \
           -Dpekko.test.multi-in-test=false \
           -Dpekko.cluster.assert=on \
+          -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
           -Daeron.dir=/opt/volumes/media-driver \
           -Daeron.term.buffer.length=33554432 \
           clean ${{ matrix.command }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-builds.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly-builds.yml
index fd6ca2c6ab..12cb31073c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-builds.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ jobs:
             -Dpekko.actor.testkit.typed.timefactor=2 \
             -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,timing \
             -Dpekko.log.timestamps=true \
+            -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
             -Dmultinode.XX:MetaspaceSize=128M \
             -Dmultinode.Xms256M \
             -Dmultinode.Xmx256M \
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ jobs:
           -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,timing \
           -Dpekko.test.multi-in-test=false \
           -Dpekko.cluster.assert=on \
+          -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
           clean ${{ matrix.command }}
 
   jdk-nightly-build:
@@ -161,6 +163,7 @@ jobs:
             -Dpekko.actor.testkit.typed.timefactor=2 \
             -Dpekko.test.tags.exclude=gh-exclude,timing \
             -Dpekko.test.multi-in-test=false \
+            -Dio.netty.leakDetection.level=PARANOID \
             clean "++ ${{ matrix.scalaVersion }} test" checkTestsHaveRun
 
 # comment out test report until an apache or GitHub published action (action-surefire-report) can be found or added allowlist from INFRA