diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 324acaa..1284642 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -7,11 +7,67 @@ on:
     branches: [ main ]
 
 jobs:
+  buildAndPublishDocker:
+    name: "Update the docker container if it is modified"
+    runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
+    outputs:
+      container: ${{ steps.docker-label.outputs.label }}
+
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        if: github.event_name == 'push'
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Check if dockerfile was modified
+        id: changes
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        with:
+          filters: |
+             docker:
+               - 'docker/Dockerfile'
+
+      #TODO: check if the underlying docker container is newer than the current one
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Label
+        id: docker-label
+        run: |
+          if [ ${{ steps.changes.outputs.docker == 'true' && github.event_name != 'push' }} = "true" ]; then
+            echo "label=ghcr.io/fair-acc/gr-digitizers-build-container:${GITHUB_HEAD_REF/\//-}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "label=ghcr.io/fair-acc/gr-digitizers-build-container:latest" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        if: steps.changes.outputs.docker == 'true'
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        if: steps.changes.outputs.docker == 'true'
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        if: steps.changes.outputs.docker == 'true'
+        with:
+          context: "{{defaultContext}}:docker"
+          push: true
+          tags: ${{ steps.docker-label.outputs.label }}
+
+  build:
+    name: "${{ matrix.compiler.cc }} | ${{ matrix.cmake-build-type }}"
   build:
     name: "${{ matrix.compiler.cc }} | ${{ matrix.cmake-build-type }}"
+    needs: buildAndPublishDocker
     runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
     container:
-      image: "ghcr.io/fair-acc/gr4-build-container:latest"
+      image: "${{ needs.buildAndPublishDocker.outputs.container }}"
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -39,47 +95,6 @@ jobs:
           path: "/__w/gr-digitizers/build/_deps"
           key: "${{ matrix.compiler.cc }}-${{ matrix.cmake-build-type }}-${{ hashFiles('CMakeLists.txt') }}"
 
-      - name: "Install pkg-config"
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get -y install build-essential pkg-config
-
-      - name: "Install timing system dependencies: etherbone"
-        if: matrix.compiler.cmake_wrapper == null
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          sudo apt-get -y install build-essential autoconf automake libtool
-          git clone --branch v2.1.3 --depth=1 https://ohwr.org/project/etherbone-core.git
-          cd etherbone-core/api
-          touch ChangeLog # add an empty changelog file which is required by autotools
-          sed -e "s%AC_MSG_ERROR%AC_MSG_NOTICE%g" -i configure.ac
-          autoreconf -i
-          ./configure
-          make -j
-          sudo make install
-
-      - name: "Install timing system dependencies: saftlib"
-        if: matrix.compiler.cmake_wrapper == null
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          sudo apt-get -y install libsigc++-2.0-dev libxslt1-dev libboost-all-dev
-          git clone --branch v3.0.3 --depth=1 https://github.com/GSI-CS-CO/saftlib.git
-          cd saftlib
-          ./autogen.sh
-          ./configure
-          make
-          sudo make install
-
-      - name: Install picoscope libraries
-        if: matrix.compiler.cmake_wrapper == null
-        run: |
-          # https://www.picotech.com/downloads/linux
-          wget -O - https://labs.picotech.com/Release.gpg.key|sudo apt-key add -
-          sudo add-apt-repository 'deb https://labs.picotech.com/rc/picoscope7/debian/ picoscope main'
-          sudo apt update
-          sudo apt install -y udev libusb-1.0-0-dev libps3000a libps4000a libps5000a libps6000 libps6000a libx11-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libsdl2-dev || true # ignore udev errors in post install because of udev in container
-
       - name: Configure
         if: matrix.compiler.cmake_wrapper == null
         shell: bash
@@ -115,7 +130,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: execute tests
         if: matrix.compiler.cc != 'gcc-14' || matrix.cmake-build-type != 'Debug'
         shell: bash
-        run: | 
+        run: |
           cd ../build
           ctest --output-on-failure
 
@@ -136,3 +151,4 @@ jobs:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           SONAR_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONAR_TOKEN }}
         run: sonar-scanner
+
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46e739c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+FROM ghcr.io/fair-acc/gr4-build-container:latest
+LABEL authors="akrimm"
+
+# Install pkg-config
+RUN sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y install build-essential pkg-config && apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Install timing system dependencies: etherbone"
+RUN sudo apt-get -y install build-essential autoconf automake libtool \
+    && git clone --branch v2.1.3 --depth=1 https://ohwr.org/project/etherbone-core.git \
+    && cd etherbone-core/api \
+    && touch ChangeLog \
+    && sed -e "s%AC_MSG_ERROR%AC_MSG_NOTICE%g" -i configure.ac \
+    && autoreconf -i \
+    && ./configure \
+    && make -j \
+    && sudo make install
+
+# Install timing system dependencies: saftlib"
+RUN sudo apt-get -y install libsigc++-2.0-dev libxslt1-dev libboost-all-dev \
+    && git clone --branch v3.0.3 --depth=1 https://github.com/GSI-CS-CO/saftlib.git \
+    && cd saftlib \
+    && ./autogen.sh \
+    && ./configure \
+    && make \
+    && sudo make install \
+    && apt-get clean \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Install picoscope libraries https://www.picotech.com/downloads/linux
+RUN wget -O - https://labs.picotech.com/Release.gpg.key|sudo apt-key add - \
+    && sudo add-apt-repository 'deb https://labs.picotech.com/rc/picoscope7/debian/ picoscope main' \
+    && sudo apt update \
+    && ( sudo apt install -y udev libusb-1.0-0-dev libps3000a libps4000a libps5000a libps6000 libps6000a libx11-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libsdl2-dev || true ) \
+    && apt-get clean \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+USER user
+ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/bash", "-c"]