diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-api-lambda.yml b/.github/workflows/build-api-lambda.yml
index 069a79ccd..656ee6600 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-api-lambda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-api-lambda.yml
@@ -24,9 +24,21 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with: 
           ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
+      
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+      
       - name: Amazon Linux 2023 build
-        run: |
-          docker build . -t api-lambda:latest -f src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda/Dockerfile
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda/Dockerfile
+          push: false
+          load: true
+          tags: api-lambda:latest
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+      
       - name: Get bootstrap binary
         run: |
           docker cp $(docker create --name tc api-lambda:latest):/app/.artifacts/publish ./.artifacts && docker rm tc
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-link-index-updater-lambda.yml b/.github/workflows/build-link-index-updater-lambda.yml
index 89fa3f543..80cd14575 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-link-index-updater-lambda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-link-index-updater-lambda.yml
@@ -21,9 +21,21 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with: 
           ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
+      
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+      
       - name: Amazon Linux 2023 build
-        run: |
-          docker build . -t publish-links-index:latest -f src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher/lambda.DockerFile
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher/lambda.DockerFile
+          push: false
+          load: true
+          tags: publish-links-index:latest
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+      
       - name: Get bootstrap binary
         run: |
           docker cp $(docker create --name tc publish-links-index:latest):/app/.artifacts/publish ./.artifacts && docker rm tc
diff --git a/src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda/Dockerfile b/src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda/Dockerfile
index 0153d0aeb..360e567f1 100644
--- a/src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda/Dockerfile
+++ b/src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda/Dockerfile
@@ -5,33 +5,37 @@ ARG TARGETOS
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-RUN rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
-
-#RUN curl -o /etc/yum.repos.d/microsoft-prod.repo https://packages.microsoft.com/config/fedora/41/prod.repo
-
-RUN dnf update -y
-#RUN dnf install -y dotnet-sdk-10.0
-RUN dnf install -y npm
-RUN dnf install -y git
-RUN dnf install -y clang
-
-## temporary see: https://github.com/amazonlinux/amazon-linux-2023/issues/1025
-RUN dnf install -y tar
-RUN dnf install -y findutils
-RUN curl -L https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -o dotnet-install.sh
-RUN chmod +x ./dotnet-install.sh
-RUN ./dotnet-install.sh
-ENV PATH="$PATH:/root/.dotnet"
-ENV DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT=1
-# /end temporary
+# Set environment variables early (no layer cost)
+ENV PATH="$PATH:/root/.dotnet" \
+    DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT=1 \
+    DOTNET_NOLOGO=true \
+    DOTNET_CLI_TELEMETRY_OPTOUT=true
 
+# Install all system dependencies in a single layer
+RUN rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc && \
+    dnf update -y && \
+    dnf install -y npm git clang tar findutils && \
+    dnf clean all
+
+# Install .NET SDK based on global.json version
+COPY global.json .
+RUN curl -L https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -o dotnet-install.sh && \
+    chmod +x ./dotnet-install.sh && \
+    ./dotnet-install.sh --jsonfile ./global.json && \
+    rm dotnet-install.sh
+
+# Copy solution/project files for dependency restoration
+# .dockerignore already excludes bin/, obj/, node_modules/, etc.
+# This includes all .csproj, .fsproj, .props, and source files
+# dotnet restore only reads project files, so having source files here is fine
 COPY . .
 
-ENV DOTNET_NOLOGO=true \
-    DOTNET_CLI_TELEMETRY_OPTOUT=true
-
-RUN arch=$TARGETARCH \
-    && if [ "$arch" = "amd64" ]; then arch="x64"; fi \
-    && echo $TARGETOS-$arch > /tmp/rid
+# Restore dependencies
+# Note: We use cache mount for NuGet packages, but don't use --no-restore in publish
+# because Native AOT compilation needs the full MSBuild evaluation
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.nuget/packages \
+    dotnet restore src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda -r linux-x64
 
-RUN dotnet publish src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda -r linux-x64 -c Release
+# Build and publish (Native AOT requires full evaluation, so we don't use --no-restore)
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.nuget/packages \
+    dotnet publish src/api/Elastic.Documentation.Api.Lambda -r linux-x64 -c Release
diff --git a/src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher/lambda.DockerFile b/src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher/lambda.DockerFile
index 5fc45421c..8692ba580 100644
--- a/src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher/lambda.DockerFile
+++ b/src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher/lambda.DockerFile
@@ -5,33 +5,37 @@ ARG TARGETOS
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-RUN rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
-
-#RUN curl -o /etc/yum.repos.d/microsoft-prod.repo https://packages.microsoft.com/config/fedora/41/prod.repo
-
-RUN dnf update -y
-#RUN dnf install -y dotnet-sdk-10.0
-RUN dnf install -y npm
-RUN dnf install -y git
-RUN dnf install -y clang
-
-## temporary see: https://github.com/amazonlinux/amazon-linux-2023/issues/1025
-RUN dnf install -y tar
-RUN dnf install -y findutils
-RUN curl -L https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -o dotnet-install.sh
-RUN chmod +x ./dotnet-install.sh
-RUN ./dotnet-install.sh
-ENV PATH="$PATH:/root/.dotnet"
-ENV DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT=1
-# /end temporary
+# Set environment variables early (no layer cost)
+ENV PATH="$PATH:/root/.dotnet" \
+    DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT=1 \
+    DOTNET_NOLOGO=true \
+    DOTNET_CLI_TELEMETRY_OPTOUT=true
 
+# Install all system dependencies in a single layer
+RUN rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc && \
+    dnf update -y && \
+    dnf install -y npm git clang tar findutils && \
+    dnf clean all
+
+# Install .NET SDK based on global.json version
+COPY global.json .
+RUN curl -L https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -o dotnet-install.sh && \
+    chmod +x ./dotnet-install.sh && \
+    ./dotnet-install.sh --jsonfile ./global.json && \
+    rm dotnet-install.sh
+
+# Copy solution/project files for dependency restoration
+# .dockerignore already excludes bin/, obj/, node_modules/, etc.
+# This includes all .csproj, .fsproj, .props, and source files
+# dotnet restore only reads project files, so having source files here is fine
 COPY . .
 
-ENV DOTNET_NOLOGO=true \
-    DOTNET_CLI_TELEMETRY_OPTOUT=true
-
-RUN arch=$TARGETARCH \
-    && if [ "$arch" = "amd64" ]; then arch="x64"; fi \
-    && echo $TARGETOS-$arch > /tmp/rid
+# Restore dependencies
+# Note: We use cache mount for NuGet packages, but don't use --no-restore in publish
+# because Native AOT compilation needs the full MSBuild evaluation
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.nuget/packages \
+    dotnet restore src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher -r linux-x64
 
-RUN dotnet publish src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher -r linux-x64 -c Release
+# Build and publish (Native AOT requires full evaluation, so we don't use --no-restore)
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.nuget/packages \
+    dotnet publish src/infra/docs-lambda-index-publisher -r linux-x64 -c Release