diff --git a/tests/bufr_filter_extract_area.sh b/tests/bufr_filter_extract_area.sh
index 93663c542..fadc4050f 100755
--- a/tests/bufr_filter_extract_area.sh
+++ b/tests/bufr_filter_extract_area.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,22 @@ fBufrTmp=${label}".bufr.tmp"
 # Define filter rules file
 fRules=${label}.filter
 
+set +u
+use_valgrind=0
+if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_WITH_VALGRIND" != "x"; then
+    use_valgrind=1
+    # The presence of ECCODES_TEST_WITH_VALGRIND environment variable redefines
+    # tools_dir so we reset it to its original
+    tools_dir=$build_dir/bin
+fi
+set -u
+
+if [ $use_valgrind -eq 1 ]; then
+    PREFIX="valgrind --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=full "
+else
+    PREFIX=""
+fi
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------
 # Test: Area extraction
 #-----------------------------------------------------------
@@ -53,7 +69,7 @@ rm -f $outputFilt
 echo "Test: Area extraction" >> $fLog
 echo "file: $outputBufr" >> $fLog
 
-${tools_dir}/codes_bufr_filter -o $outputBufr $fRules $inputBufr > $outputFilt
+$PREFIX ${tools_dir}/codes_bufr_filter -o $outputBufr $fRules $inputBufr > $outputFilt
 [ -f $outputBufr ]
 
 cat > $fRules <<EOF
@@ -69,7 +85,7 @@ print "===========";
 print "fieldOfViewNumber=[fieldOfViewNumber!15]";
 print "===========";
 EOF
-${tools_dir}/codes_bufr_filter $fRules $inputBufr $outputBufr  >> $outputFilt
+$PREFIX ${tools_dir}/codes_bufr_filter $fRules $inputBufr $outputBufr  >> $outputFilt
 
 cat > $outputRef <<EOF
 extracted 14 of 128 subsets
@@ -156,7 +172,7 @@ cat > $fRules <<EOF
  assert(3 == extractedAreaNumberOfSubsets);
 EOF
 
-${tools_dir}/codes_bufr_filter -o $outputBufr $fRules $inputBufr
+$PREFIX ${tools_dir}/codes_bufr_filter -o $outputBufr $fRules $inputBufr
 ns=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -p numberOfSubsets $outputBufr`
 [ $ns -eq 3 ]