diff --git a/pytests/conftest.py b/pytests/conftest.py
index f3e5ec86..9c70bc97 100644
--- a/pytests/conftest.py
+++ b/pytests/conftest.py
@@ -286,14 +286,29 @@ def _skip_if_valgrind_disabled(self):
         if not self.config['valgrind_enabled']:
             pytest.skip(self.config['valgrind_disabled_reason'])
 
-    def run_memcheck(self, cmd):
+    def run_memcheck(self, cmd, assertOnLeak=True):
         self._skip_if_valgrind_disabled()
         self._decorate_tdnf_cmd_for_test(cmd)
+
+        log_file = '/tmp/valgrind_memcheck.log'
+
         memcheck_cmd = ['valgrind',
                         '--leak-check=full',
-                        '--exit-on-first-error=yes',
+                        '--show-leak-kinds=all',
+                        f'--log-file={log_file}',
                         '--error-exitcode=1']
-        return self._run(memcheck_cmd + cmd, retvalonly=True)
+
+        ret = self._run(memcheck_cmd + cmd, retvalonly=True)
+        rc = ret['retval']
+
+        if assertOnLeak:
+            if rc and os.path.exists(log_file):
+                with open(log_file, 'r') as f:
+                    print(f.read(), file=sys.stderr)
+                assert False, "valgrind memory leak check failed"
+
+        ret['valgrind_logfile'] = log_file
+        return ret
 
     def run(self, cmd, cwd=None, noconfig=False):
         if isinstance(cmd, str):