diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index fe42b1432b..dcb1cacef9 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ project(${TARGET_NAME})
 # set a default root dir for each of our optional externals if it was not passed
 set(OPTIONAL_EXTERNALS "LeapMotion")
 
+setup_memory_debugger()
+
 foreach(EXTERNAL ${OPTIONAL_EXTERNALS})
   string(TOUPPER ${EXTERNAL} ${EXTERNAL}_UPPERCASE)
   if (NOT ${${EXTERNAL}_UPPERCASE}_ROOT_DIR)
@@ -356,8 +358,6 @@ if (ANDROID)
   qt_create_apk()
 endif ()
 
-setup_memory_debugger()
-
 add_dependency_external_projects(GifCreator)
 find_package(GifCreator REQUIRED)
 target_include_directories(${TARGET_NAME} PUBLIC ${GIFCREATOR_INCLUDE_DIRS})
diff --git a/tests/gpu-test/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/gpu-test/CMakeLists.txt
index c37e36b53b..d73d7a111d 100644
--- a/tests/gpu-test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/gpu-test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ set(TARGET_NAME gpu-test)
 AUTOSCRIBE_SHADER_LIB(gpu model render-utils)
 # This is not a testcase -- just set it up as a regular hifi project
 setup_hifi_project(Quick Gui OpenGL Script Widgets)
+setup_memory_debugger()
 set_target_properties(${TARGET_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tests/manual-tests/")
 link_hifi_libraries(networking gl gpu gpu-gl procedural shared fbx model model-networking animation script-engine render render-utils octree image ktx)
 package_libraries_for_deployment()
diff --git a/tests/render-perf/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/render-perf/CMakeLists.txt
index a8e4ab286c..b6989a57b7 100644
--- a/tests/render-perf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/render-perf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ if (WIN32)
   SET(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} /ignore:4049 /ignore:4217")
 endif()
 
+setup_memory_debugger()
+
 # This is not a testcase -- just set it up as a regular hifi project
 setup_hifi_project(Quick Gui OpenGL)
 set_target_properties(${TARGET_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tests/manual-tests/")
diff --git a/tests/render-texture-load/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/render-texture-load/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f0c0a069a..30030914ab 100644
--- a/tests/render-texture-load/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/render-texture-load/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ if (WIN32)
   SET(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} /ignore:4049 /ignore:4217")
 endif()
 
+setup_memory_debugger()
+
 # This is not a testcase -- just set it up as a regular hifi project
 setup_hifi_project(Quick Gui OpenGL)
 set_target_properties(${TARGET_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tests/manual-tests/")
diff --git a/tests/render-utils/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/render-utils/CMakeLists.txt
index 5ec6a28b5c..4944ad2cbc 100644
--- a/tests/render-utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/render-utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ set(TARGET_NAME render-utils-test)
 setup_hifi_project(Quick Gui OpenGL)
 set_target_properties(${TARGET_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tests/manual-tests/")
 
+setup_memory_debugger()
+
 # link in the shared libraries
 link_hifi_libraries(render-utils gl gpu gpu-gl shared)
 target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
diff --git a/tests/shaders/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/shaders/CMakeLists.txt
index 5b38f473e8..bab1e0dcdc 100644
--- a/tests/shaders/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/shaders/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ set(TARGET_NAME shaders-test)
 setup_hifi_project(Quick Gui OpenGL)
 set_target_properties(${TARGET_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tests/manual-tests/")
 
+setup_memory_debugger()
+
 # link in the shared libraries
 link_hifi_libraries(shared octree gl gpu gpu-gl model render fbx networking entities 
                     script-engine physics