diff --git a/.github/workflows/codegen.yml b/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
index 740ed0f3d..aeb43b894 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ jobs:
       run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make codegen
 
     - name: validate codegen
-      run: hack/validate-codegen.sh
+      run: hack/validate_modified_files.sh codegen
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml b/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5de61dfc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mod-check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: Mod check
+on: [pull_request]
+
+jobs:
+  modcheck:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - name: checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v1
+
+    - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
+      with:
+        go-version: 1.13
+
+    - name: run mod check
+      run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make -j $(nproc) mod.check
+
+    - name: validate modcheck
+      run: hack/validate_modified_files.sh modcheck
+
diff --git a/Jenkinsfile b/Jenkinsfile
index 200eb19a3..973b41dc3 100644
--- a/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/Jenkinsfile
@@ -97,9 +97,6 @@ pipeline {
                 }
             }
             steps {
-                // quick check that no files are modified for the go modules
-                sh 'build/run make -j\$(nproc) mod.check'
-                sh 'git diff-index --quiet HEAD || { echo "CHANGES FOUND. You may need to run make clean"; git status -s; exit 1; }'
                 // run the build
                 sh 'build/run make -j\$(nproc) build.all'
                 sh 'git status'
diff --git a/hack/validate-codegen.sh b/hack/validate-codegen.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index e7b1e7bab..000000000
--- a/hack/validate-codegen.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -ex
-
-for file in $(git status --porcelain); do
-    if [[ "$file" =~ "zz" ]]; then
-        echo "found codegen files!"
-        echo "please run 'make codegen' and update your PR"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-done
diff --git a/hack/validate_modified_files.sh b/hack/validate_modified_files.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..0e754ec8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/validate_modified_files.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -ex
+
+#############
+# VARIABLES #
+#############
+MOD_FILE="mod"
+CODEGEN_FILE="zz"
+CODEGEN_ERR="found codegen files! please run 'make codegen' and update your PR"
+MOD_ERR="changes found by mod.check. You may need to run make clean"
+
+#############
+# FUNCTIONS #
+#############
+function validate(){
+    for file in $(git status --porcelain); do
+        if [[ "$file" =~ $1 ]]; then
+            echo "$2"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    done
+}
+
+########
+# MAIN #
+########
+case "$1" in
+    codegen)
+        validate "$CODEGEN_FILE" "$CODEGEN_ERR"
+        ;;
+    modcheck)
+        validate "$MOD_FILE" "$MOD_ERR"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo $"Usage: $0 {codegen|modcheck}"
+        exit 1
+esac
+
+