diff --git a/dockerfiles/bun-1.1.Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/bun-1.1.Dockerfile
index afcdfbb..499e126 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/bun-1.1.Dockerfile
+++ b/dockerfiles/bun-1.1.Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7-labs
 FROM oven/bun:1.1.4-alpine
 
 # We need to install Go to build the custom executable.
@@ -7,8 +8,8 @@ ENV CODECRAFTERS_DEPENDENCY_FILE_PATHS="package.json,bun.lockb"
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-COPY package.json ./
-COPY bun.lockb ./
+# .git & README.md are unique per-repository. We ignore them on first copy to prevent cache misses
+COPY --exclude=.git --exclude=README.md . /app
 
 # For reproducible builds.
 # This will install the exact versions of each package specified in the lockfile.
@@ -17,4 +18,6 @@ RUN bun install --frozen-lockfile
 
 RUN mkdir -p /app-cached
 # If the node_modules directory exists, move it to /app-cached
-RUN if [ -d "/app/node_modules" ]; then mv /app/node_modules /app-cached; fi
\ No newline at end of file
+RUN if [ -d "/app/node_modules" ]; then mv /app/node_modules /app-cached; fi
+# Once the heave steps are done, we can copy all files back
+COPY . /app
diff --git a/dockerfiles/go-1.22.Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/go-1.22.Dockerfile
index 0602f12..73f8885 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/go-1.22.Dockerfile
+++ b/dockerfiles/go-1.22.Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7-labs
 FROM golang:1.22-alpine
 
 ENV CODECRAFTERS_DEPENDENCY_FILE_PATHS="go.mod,go.sum"
@@ -9,10 +10,14 @@ ENV GOCACHE=/cache
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-COPY go.mod go.sum ./
+# .git & README.md are unique per-repository. We ignore them on first copy to prevent cache misses
+COPY --exclude=.git --exclude=README.md . /app
 
 # Starting from Go 1.20, the go standard library is no loger compiled
 # setting the GODEBUG environment to "installgoroot=all" restores the old behavior
 RUN GODEBUG="installgoroot=all" go install std
 
 RUN ash -c "set -exo pipefail; go mod graph | awk '{if (\$1 !~ \"@\") {print \$2}}' | xargs -r go get"
+
+# Once the heave steps are done, we can copy all files back
+COPY . /app
diff --git a/dockerfiles/java-21.Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/java-21.Dockerfile
index d338748..8c553d9 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/java-21.Dockerfile
+++ b/dockerfiles/java-21.Dockerfile
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7-labs
 FROM maven:3.9.5-eclipse-temurin-21-alpine
 
 # We need to install Go to build the custom executable.
 RUN apk add --no-cache "go>=1.20"
 
-COPY pom.xml /app/pom.xml
 
 WORKDIR /app
+# .git & README.md are unique per-repository. We ignore them on first copy to prevent cache misses
+COPY --exclude=.git --exclude=README.md . /app
 
 # Download the dependencies
 RUN mvn -B package -Ddir=/tmp/codecrafters-shell-target
@@ -16,4 +18,6 @@ RUN mv /app/target /app-cached # Is this needed?
 
 # Pre-compile steps
 RUN printf "cd \${CODECRAFTERS_SUBMISSION_DIR} && mvn -B package -Ddir=/tmp/codecrafters-shell-target && sed -i 's/^\(mvn .*\)/#\1/' ./your_shell.sh" > /codecrafters-precompile.sh
-RUN chmod +x /codecrafters-precompile.sh
\ No newline at end of file
+RUN chmod +x /codecrafters-precompile.sh
+# Once the heave steps are done, we can copy all files back
+COPY . /app
diff --git a/dockerfiles/nodejs-21.Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/nodejs-21.Dockerfile
index 316b28b..0608aa8 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/nodejs-21.Dockerfile
+++ b/dockerfiles/nodejs-21.Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7-labs
 FROM node:21.7-alpine3.19
 
 # We need to install Go to build the custom executable.
@@ -7,12 +8,14 @@ ENV CODECRAFTERS_DEPENDENCY_FILE_PATHS="package.json,package-lock.json"
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-COPY package.json ./
-COPY package-lock.json ./
+# .git & README.md are unique per-repository. We ignore them on first copy to prevent cache misses
+COPY --exclude=.git --exclude=README.md . /app
 
 # If dependencies in the package lock do not match those in package.json, instead of updating the package lock, npm ci will exit with an error. 
 RUN npm ci
 
 RUN mkdir -p /app-cached
 # If the node_modules directory exists, move it to /app-cached
-RUN if [ -d "/app/node_modules" ]; then mv /app/node_modules /app-cached; fi
\ No newline at end of file
+RUN if [ -d "/app/node_modules" ]; then mv /app/node_modules /app-cached; fi
+# Once the heave steps are done, we can copy all files back
+COPY . /app
diff --git a/dockerfiles/python-3.12.Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/python-3.12.Dockerfile
index 354f5a5..8167c70 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/python-3.12.Dockerfile
+++ b/dockerfiles/python-3.12.Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7-labs
 FROM python:3.12-alpine
 
 # We need to install Go to build the custom executable.
@@ -5,10 +6,10 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache "go>=1.20"
 
 RUN pip install --no-cache-dir "pipenv>=2023.12.1"
 
-COPY Pipfile /app/Pipfile
-COPY Pipfile.lock /app/Pipfile.lock
 
 WORKDIR /app
+# .git & README.md are unique per-repository. We ignore them on first copy to prevent cache misses
+COPY --exclude=.git --exclude=README.md . /app
 
 ENV WORKON_HOME=/venvs
 
@@ -17,4 +18,6 @@ RUN pipenv install
 # Force environment creation
 RUN pipenv run python3 -c "1+1"
 
-ENV CODECRAFTERS_DEPENDENCY_FILE_PATHS="Pipfile,Pipfile.lock"
\ No newline at end of file
+ENV CODECRAFTERS_DEPENDENCY_FILE_PATHS="Pipfile,Pipfile.lock"
+# Once the heave steps are done, we can copy all files back
+COPY . /app
diff --git a/dockerfiles/rust-1.77.Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/rust-1.77.Dockerfile
index 5070a1c..f3b5296 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/rust-1.77.Dockerfile
+++ b/dockerfiles/rust-1.77.Dockerfile
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7-labs
 FROM rust:1.77-buster
 
 # We need to install Go to build the custom executable.
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends golang-go=2:* && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
-COPY Cargo.toml /app/Cargo.toml
-COPY Cargo.lock /app/Cargo.lock
 
 RUN mkdir /app/src
 RUN echo 'fn main() { println!("Hello World!"); }' > /app/src/main.rs
 
 WORKDIR /app
+# .git & README.md are unique per-repository. We ignore them on first copy to prevent cache misses
+COPY --exclude=.git --exclude=README.md . /app
 RUN cargo build --release --target-dir=/tmp/codecrafters-shell-target
 
 RUN cargo clean -p shell-starter-rust --release --target-dir=/tmp/codecrafters-shell-target
@@ -20,3 +21,6 @@ RUN echo "cd \${CODECRAFTERS_SUBMISSION_DIR} && cargo build --release --target-d
 RUN chmod +x /codecrafters-precompile.sh
 
 ENV CODECRAFTERS_DEPENDENCY_FILE_PATHS="Cargo.toml,Cargo.lock"
+
+# Once the heave steps are done, we can copy all files back
+COPY . /app