Brick masonry is one of the most competitive technologies for the construction of walls in residential buildings. However, the structural response of masonry walls under seismic action has major drawbacks: a relatively low resistance to horizontal forces and a limited ductility. Several strengthening techniques already exist for masonry walls, such as the use fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) systems. However, the effectiveness of these techniques can be limited by structural problems (e.g. debonding), complex in situ application, or their cost. An alternative strengthening technique is currently explored at the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg, namely the application of thin layers of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) to improve the strength and ductility of masonry walls. The experimental results of a first test series on real-scale masonry walls reinforced with different arrangements of UHPFRC layers are presented below.