diff --git a/.woodpecker/ci-image.yml b/.woodpecker/ci-image.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c89e24a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.woodpecker/ci-image.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Build & push the pre-baked CI base image (Dockerfile.ci) to the Gitea
+# registry CI already publishes to. Reuses the exact kaniko + auth pattern
+# from publish.yml (REGISTRY_USER/REGISTRY_PASS from_secret, /kaniko/.docker
+# config.json). Other pipelines (ci.yml, publish.yml) pull `ci-base:latest`
+# for their install step.
+#
+# Rebuild ONLY when the dependency set or the image recipe changes — a normal
+# code push must not trigger a 25-min image build. `path` applies to push/PR
+# events; `event: tag` (releases) rebuilds unconditionally so a tagged release
+# always ships a fresh base.
+when:
+  - event: tag
+  - event: [push, manual]
+    branch: main
+    path:
+      include:
+        - 'pnpm-lock.yaml'
+        - 'Dockerfile.ci'
+
+steps:
+  build-ci-base:
+    image: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:debug
+    environment:
+      REGISTRY_USER:
+        from_secret: gitea_username
+      REGISTRY_PASS:
+        from_secret: gitea_password
+      CI_COMMIT_BRANCH: ${CI_COMMIT_BRANCH}
+      CI_COMMIT_TAG: ${CI_COMMIT_TAG}
+      CI_COMMIT_SHA: ${CI_COMMIT_SHA}
+    commands:
+      - mkdir -p /kaniko/.docker
+      - echo "{\"auths\":{\"git.mosaicstack.dev\":{\"username\":\"$REGISTRY_USER\",\"password\":\"$REGISTRY_PASS\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json
+      - |
+        # Lockfile-hash tag: an immutable identity for the exact dep set baked
+        # into this image. `:latest` is the mutable pointer pipelines consume.
+        LOCK_HASH=$(sha256sum pnpm-lock.yaml | cut -c1-12)
+        DESTINATIONS="--destination git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaicstack/stack/ci-base:latest"
+        DESTINATIONS="$DESTINATIONS --destination git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaicstack/stack/ci-base:lock-$LOCK_HASH"
+        /kaniko/executor --context . --dockerfile Dockerfile.ci $DESTINATIONS
diff --git a/Dockerfile.ci b/Dockerfile.ci
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0f8b81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile.ci
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Pre-baked CI base image for Woodpecker pipelines.
+#
+# Purpose: eliminate the cold `pnpm install` that dominates every pipeline
+# (~731s median). This image ships the native toolchain (no per-run `apk add`)
+# AND a warm, content-addressable pnpm store with the dependency-tree tarballs
+# already fetched at build time. `pnpm fetch` only populates the store from the
+# lockfile — it does NOT run the native node-gyp builds (better-sqlite3,
+# node-pty, sqlite3, canvas, sharp); those still compile at `pnpm install`,
+# which is exactly why the musl toolchain stays baked into this image. A
+# pipeline `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile --prefer-offline` then resolves
+# tarballs from local hard-links (no network) and compiles natives against the
+# already-present toolchain, in tens of seconds instead of ~731s.
+#
+# Rebuilt only when `pnpm-lock.yaml` or this Dockerfile change
+# (see .woodpecker/ci-image.yml).
+#
+# Node version is intentionally pinned to 22 (Active LTS at time of writing).
+# The node:22 -> node:24 bump lands as a SEPARATE follow-up PR so the cache
+# change carries zero runtime-version variables.
+FROM node:22-alpine
+
+# Native toolchain required to compile node-gyp deps on musl, plus the
+# postgresql-client used by the test step's pg_isready readiness probe. `bash`
+# is baked here too — the sanitization step in ci.yml otherwise does a per-run
+# `apk add bash`.
+RUN apk add --no-cache python3 make g++ postgresql-client bash
+
+# Pin pnpm to the repo's packageManager version via corepack.
+RUN corepack enable && corepack prepare pnpm@10.6.2 --activate
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Pin the store location so the pipeline can point `store-dir` at the same path.
+ENV PNPM_HOME=/root/.local/share/pnpm
+RUN pnpm config set store-dir /root/.local/share/pnpm/store
+
+# Warm the store. `pnpm fetch` populates the content-addressable store with the
+# dependency tarballs directly from the lockfile (no package.json / workspace
+# needed), so a baked store stays valid until the lockfile changes. Note:
+# `fetch` does NOT compile native modules — that happens later at `pnpm install`
+# in the pipeline, against the toolchain baked above.
+COPY pnpm-lock.yaml ./
+RUN pnpm fetch --frozen-lockfile