diff --git a/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/Dockerfile b/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/Dockerfile
index 584f7cfc..d983a17d 100644
--- a/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/Dockerfile
+++ b/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
-FROM rust:1.81
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y iptables
+# Stage 1: Build
+FROM rust:1.81 AS builder
+
 WORKDIR /app
-COPY ./net/tests/entrypoint.sh entrypoint.sh
 COPY . .
-RUN cargo build --bin p2p_test
+RUN cargo build --release --bin p2p_test
+
+# Stage 2: Runtime
+FROM debian:bookworm-slim
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends iptables ca-certificates && \
+    apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+COPY --from=builder /app/target/release/p2p_test /app/
+COPY net/tests/entrypoint.sh /app/
+RUN chmod +x /app/entrypoint.sh
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/app/entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/docker-compose.yaml b/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/docker-compose.yaml
index 20f8eb59..f55d3698 100644
--- a/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -1,56 +1,51 @@
 services:
   alice:
-    build: 
+    build:
       dockerfile: net/tests/Dockerfile
       context: ../..
+    image: p2p-test-image
     networks:
       app_net:
         ipv4_address: 172.16.238.10
-    command: cargo run --bin p2p_test alice
+    command: ["/app/p2p_test", "alice"]
     environment:
       QUIC_PORT: 9091
       DIAL_TO: "/ip4/172.16.238.12/udp/9091/quic-v1"
-      BLOCK_MDNS: ${BLOCK_MDNS:-false}
+      BLOCK_MDNS: "${BLOCK_MDNS:-false}"
     entrypoint: ["/app/entrypoint.sh"]
     cap_add:
       - NET_ADMIN
       - NET_RAW
 
   bob:
-    build: 
-      dockerfile: net/tests/Dockerfile
-      context: ../..
+    image: p2p-test-image
     networks:
       app_net:
         ipv4_address: 172.16.238.11
-    command: cargo run --bin p2p_test bob
+    command: ["/app/p2p_test", "bob"]
     environment:
       QUIC_PORT: 9091
       DIAL_TO: "/ip4/172.16.238.12/udp/9091/quic-v1"
-      BLOCK_MDNS: ${BLOCK_MDNS:-false}
+      BLOCK_MDNS: "${BLOCK_MDNS:-false}"
     entrypoint: ["/app/entrypoint.sh"]
     cap_add:
       - NET_ADMIN
       - NET_RAW
 
-
   charlie:
-    build: 
-      dockerfile: net/tests/Dockerfile
-      context: ../..
+    image: p2p-test-image
     networks:
       app_net:
         ipv4_address: 172.16.238.12
-    command: cargo run --bin p2p_test charlie
+    command: ["/app/p2p_test", "charlie"]
     environment:
       QUIC_PORT: 9091
-      BLOCK_MDNS: ${BLOCK_MDNS:-false}
+      BLOCK_MDNS: "${BLOCK_MDNS:-false}"
     entrypoint: ["/app/entrypoint.sh"]
     cap_add:
       - NET_ADMIN
       - NET_RAW
 
-
 networks:
   app_net:
     driver: bridge
diff --git a/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/run.sh b/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/run.sh
index aeed9457..3b0e3359 100755
--- a/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/run.sh
+++ b/packages/ciphernode/net/tests/run.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 set -e
 
+echo ""
+echo "Building docker image"
+echo ""
+docker compose build
+
 echo ""
 echo "TEST 1: Using MDNS with separate IP addresses"
 echo ""