diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c204c54604..e5a4d82a71 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ matrix:
       - { python: "3.8", env: TOXENV=base }
       - { python: "3.8", env: TOXENV=lint }
       - { python: "3.8", env: TOXENV=docs }
+      - { python: "3.8", env: TOXENV=checks }
 
       - python: "3.8"
         env: TOXENV=dist
diff --git a/runchecks.py b/runchecks.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f5170250a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runchecks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Basic script used to run django-admin checks in CI/tox."""
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    # Minimal settings required to check for migrations
+    settings.configure(
+        SECRET_KEY = "not very secret in checks either",
+        DATABASES = {
+            "default": {
+                "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                "NAME": ":memory:"
+            }
+        },
+        INSTALLED_APPS = [
+            'django.contrib.auth',
+            'django.contrib.contenttypes',
+            "rest_framework.authtoken"
+        ]
+    )
+
+    print("Running basic Django system checks")
+    execute_from_command_line(["manage.py", "check"])
+
+    print("Checking for missing Django migrations")
+    execute_from_command_line(["manage.py", "makemigrations", "--dry-run", "--verbosity=3", "--check"])
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index d5e769764b..93108980f1 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ deps =
         -rrequirements/requirements-codestyle.txt
         -rrequirements/requirements-testing.txt
 
+[testenv:checks]
+commands =
+        ./runchecks.py
+
 [testenv:docs]
 skip_install = true
 commands = mkdocs build