diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_nightly_macos_apple_silicon.yml b/.github/workflows/test_nightly_macos_apple_silicon.yml
index c44ea7b967..7bde8a46d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_nightly_macos_apple_silicon.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_nightly_macos_apple_silicon.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,12 @@ jobs:
         run: cd roc_nightly && ./roc examples/platform-switching/rocLovesC.roc
 
       - name: test repl
-        run: cd roc_nightly && expect ../ci/repl_test.exp
+        run: |
+          cd ci/repl_basic_test
+          cargo build --release
+          cp /target/release/repl_basic_test ../../roc_nightly
+          cd ../../roc_nightly
+          ./repl_basic_test
 
 
         
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_nightly_many_os.yml b/.github/workflows/test_nightly_many_os.yml
index 91e72129e5..b7d15554be 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_nightly_many_os.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_nightly_many_os.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ jobs:
         if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'ubuntu')
         run:  | 
           curl -fOL https://github.com/roc-lang/roc/releases/download/nightly/roc_nightly-linux_x86_64-latest.tar.gz
-          sudo apt install -y expect
 
 
       - name: get the latest release archive for macos (x86_64)
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 177bbe42e1..c7a6acca77 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ members = [
 
 exclude = [
   "ci/benchmarks/bench-runner",
+  "ci/repl_basic_test",
   # Examples sometimes have Rust hosts in their platforms. The compiler should ignore those.
   "crates/cli_testing_examples",
   "examples",
diff --git a/ci/basic_nightly_test.sh b/ci/basic_nightly_test.sh
index 03b61acf1b..a2318c296c 100755
--- a/ci/basic_nightly_test.sh
+++ b/ci/basic_nightly_test.sh
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ fi
 ./roc examples/platform-switching/rocLovesC.roc
 
 # test repl
-expect ../ci/repl_test.exp
+cd ../ci/repl_basic_test
+cargo build --release
+cp /target/release/repl_basic_test ../../roc_nightly
+cd ../../roc_nightly
+./repl_basic_test
+
 
 cd ..
diff --git a/ci/repl_basic_test/Cargo.toml b/ci/repl_basic_test/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c8f814698
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/repl_basic_test/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[package]
+name = "repl_basic_test"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
+
+[dependencies]
+rexpect = "0.5.0"
diff --git a/ci/repl_basic_test/src/main.rs b/ci/repl_basic_test/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2d64944c64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/repl_basic_test/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+use rexpect::error::Error;
+use rexpect::session::PtyReplSession;
+use rexpect::spawn;
+use std::thread;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+fn roc_repl_session() -> Result<PtyReplSession, Error> {
+    let roc_repl = PtyReplSession {
+        echo_on: false,
+        prompt: "\u{1b}[0K\u{1b}[34m»\u{1b}[0m ".to_string(),
+        pty_session: spawn("./roc repl", Some(7000))?,
+        quit_command: None,
+    };
+    thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
+    Ok(roc_repl)
+}
+
+fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let mut repl = roc_repl_session()?;
+    
+    repl.exp_regex(".*roc repl.*")?;
+    repl.send_line("1+1")?;
+    
+    thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
+
+    match repl.exp_regex(r".*2\u{1b}\[35m : \u{1b}\[0mNum *.*") {
+        Ok((a, b)) => {
+            println!("Expected output received.");
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        Err(_) => {
+            eprintln!("\nError: output was different from expected value.");
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ci/repl_test.exp b/ci/repl_test.exp
deleted file mode 100644
index 36dd72ae3e..0000000000
--- a/ci/repl_test.exp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/expect
-
-# uncomment line below for debugging
-exp_internal 1
-
-set timeout 7
-
-spawn ./roc repl
-
-sleep 1
-
-expect -exact "\r
-  The rockin’ \u001b\[34mroc repl\u001b\[0m\r
-\u001b\[35m────────────────────────\u001b\[0m\r
-\r
-Enter an expression, or :help, or :q to quit.\r
-\r
-\u001b\[?2004h\r\u001b\[0K\u001b\[34m»\u001b\[0m \r\u001b\[2C" {
-    send -- "1+1\r"
-    sleep 1
-
-    expect -exact "\r
-\r
-2\u001b\[35m : \u001b\[0mNum *                \u001b\[32m # val1\u001b\[0m\r
-\r
-\u001b\[?2004h\r\u001b\[0K\u001b\[34m»\u001b\[0m \r\u001b\[2C"  {
-            exit 0
-    }
-
-}
-
-puts stderr "\nError: output was different from expected value."
-exit 1
\ No newline at end of file