diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yaml b/.github/workflows/docker.yaml
index 83bfbfa8..639608e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yaml
@@ -37,9 +37,16 @@ on:
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      GH_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REPO_PRIVATE_READ_PAT }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Run pre-build
+        run: |
+          if test -f "Makefile"; then
+              make ci-pre-build
+          fi
       - name: Docker meta
         id: meta
         uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 80e5f283..31af3802 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ### Features
 
+- docker workflow: add `pre-build` step (PR #57 by @cosimomeli)
 - markdown workflow: add optional spell checker (PR #44 by @chicco785)
 - add-to-project workflow: add support to assign multiple teams as reviewers
   (comma separated without space) (PR #42 by @chicco785)