diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 45e5d02ef..b3ac8f421 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -188,15 +188,31 @@ jobs:
   build-image:
     needs: [test-unit, lint-go, lint-charts, lint-proto, lint-ui, check-codegen]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    services:
+      registry:
+        image: registry:2
+        ports:
+        - 5000:5000
     steps:
     - name: Set up QEMU
       uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@49b3bc8e6bdd4a60e6116a5414239cba5943d3cf # v3.2.0
     - name: Set up Docker Buildx
       uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@c47758b77c9736f4b2ef4073d4d51994fabfe349 # v3.7.1
-    - name: Build
+      with:
+        driver-opts: network=host
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@d632683dd7b4114ad314bca15554477dd762a938 # v4.2.0
+    - name: Build base image
+      run: |
+        BASE_IMAGE=localhost:5000/kargo-base make build-base-image
+        docker push localhost:5000/kargo-base:latest-arm64
+        docker push localhost:5000/kargo-base:latest-amd64
+    - name: Build final image
       uses: docker/build-push-action@5176d81f87c23d6fc96624dfdbcd9f3830bbe445 # v6.5.0
       with:
         platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+        build-args: |
+          BASE_IMAGE=localhost:5000/kargo-base
         push: false
         cache-from: type=gha
         cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 82add1007..d3bda81a8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ jobs:
       packages: write # Used to push images to `ghcr.io`
       id-token: write # Needed to create an OIDC token for keyless signing
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    services:
+      registry:
+        image: registry:2
+        ports:
+        - 5000:5000
     outputs:
       image-digest: ${{ steps.image.outputs.digest }}
       kargo-repo: ${{ steps.repo.outputs.repo }}
@@ -67,12 +72,18 @@ jobs:
         tags: |
           type=semver,pattern={{raw}}
           type=raw,value=${{ steps.unstable-version.outputs.unstable-version }},enable=${{ github.event_name != 'release'}}
-    - name: Build and push
+    - name: Build base image
+      run: |
+        BASE_IMAGE=localhost:5000/kargo-base make build-base-image
+        docker push localhost:5000/kargo-base:latest-arm64
+        docker push localhost:5000/kargo-base:latest-amd64
+    - name: Build and push final image
       id: image
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
       with:
         platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
         build-args: |
+          BASE_IMAGE=localhost:5000/kargo-base
           VERSION=${{ github.ref_name }}
           GIT_COMMIT=${{ github.sha }}
           GIT_TREE_STATE=clean
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4281db93f..74fe85aaa 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 .pnpm-store/
 .vscode/
 bin/
+build/
 charts/kargo/*.tgz
 coverage.txt
 hack/include/
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 00800a2af..2a2eaed1b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+ARG BASE_IMAGE=kargo-base
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # ui-builder
 ####################################################################################################
@@ -68,23 +70,6 @@ RUN GRPC_HEALTH_PROBE_VERSION=v0.4.15 && \
     curl -fL -o /tools/grpc_health_probe https://github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-health-probe/releases/download/${GRPC_HEALTH_PROBE_VERSION}/grpc_health_probe-${TARGETOS}-${TARGETARCH} && \
     chmod +x /tools/grpc_health_probe
 
-####################################################################################################
-# base
-# - install necessary packages
-####################################################################################################
-FROM ghcr.io/akuity/kargo-render:v0.1.0-rc.39 AS base
-
-USER root
-
-RUN apk update \
-    && apk add ca-certificates gpg gpg-agent
-
-COPY --from=tools /tools/ /usr/local/bin/
-
-USER 1000:0
-
-CMD ["/usr/local/bin/kargo"]
-
 ####################################################################################################
 # back-end-dev
 # - no UI
@@ -92,9 +77,9 @@ CMD ["/usr/local/bin/kargo"]
 # - supports development
 # - not used for official image builds
 ####################################################################################################
-FROM base AS back-end-dev
+FROM alpine:latest AS back-end-dev
 
-USER root
+RUN apk update && apk add ca-certificates git gpg gpg-agent openssh-client
 
 COPY bin/credential-helper /usr/local/bin/credential-helper
 COPY bin/controlplane/kargo /usr/local/bin/kargo
@@ -129,14 +114,9 @@ CMD ["pnpm", "dev"]
 # - the official image we publish
 # - purposefully last so that it is the default target when building
 ####################################################################################################
-FROM base AS final
-
-USER root
+FROM ${BASE_IMAGE}:latest-${TARGETARCH} AS final
 
 COPY --from=back-end-builder /kargo/bin/ /usr/local/bin/
 COPY --from=tools /tools/ /usr/local/bin/
 
-RUN adduser -D -H -u 1000 kargo
-USER 1000:0
-
 CMD ["/usr/local/bin/kargo"]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 251072788..2e6059886 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ VERSION_PACKAGE := github.com/akuity/kargo/internal/version
 CONTAINER_RUNTIME ?= docker
 
 IMAGE_REPO 			?= kargo
+LOCAL_REG_PORT			?= 5000
+BASE_IMAGE 			?= localhost:$(LOCAL_REG_PORT)/$(IMAGE_REPO)-base
 IMAGE_TAG 			?= dev
 IMAGE_PUSH 			?= false
 IMAGE_PLATFORMS 	=
@@ -119,6 +121,26 @@ test-unit:
 # required tools, refer to the hacking section toward the bottom of this file. #
 ################################################################################
 
+################################################################################
+# Build: Targets to help build                                                 #
+################################################################################
+
+.PHONY: clean
+clean:
+	rm -rf build
+
+.PHONY: build-base-image
+build-base-image:
+	mkdir -p build
+	cp kargo-base.apko.yaml build
+	docker run \
+		--rm \
+		-v $(dir $(realpath $(firstword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))build:/build \
+		-w /build \
+		cgr.dev/chainguard/apko \
+		build kargo-base.apko.yaml $(BASE_IMAGE) kargo-base.tar.gz
+	docker image load -i build/kargo-base.tar.gz
+
 .PHONY: build-cli
 build-cli:
 	CGO_ENABLED=0 go build \
@@ -269,13 +291,21 @@ hack-codegen: hack-build-dev-tools
 # Build a linux/amd64 image with a docker build option to not re-use docker build cache
 # 	make hack-build IMAGE_PLATFORMS=linux/amd64 DOCKER_BUILD_OPTS=--no-cache
 .PHONY: hack-build
-hack-build:
-	$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) buildx build \
-		$(DOCKER_BUILD_OPTS) \
-		--build-arg GIT_COMMIT=$(shell git rev-parse HEAD) \
-		--build-arg GIT_TREE_STATE=$(shell if [ -z "`git status --porcelain`" ]; then echo "clean" ; else echo "dirty"; fi) \
-		--tag $(IMAGE_REPO):$(IMAGE_TAG) \
-		.
+hack-build: build-base-image
+	@{ \
+		$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) run -d -p 5000:$(LOCAL_REG_PORT) --name tmp-registry registry:2; \
+		trap '$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) rm -f tmp-registry' EXIT; \
+		docker push $(BASE_IMAGE):latest-amd64; \
+		docker push $(BASE_IMAGE):latest-arm64; \
+		$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) buildx build \
+			$(DOCKER_BUILD_OPTS) \
+			--network host \
+			--build-arg BASE_IMAGE=$(BASE_IMAGE) \
+			--build-arg GIT_COMMIT=$(shell git rev-parse HEAD) \
+			--build-arg GIT_TREE_STATE=$(shell if [ -z "`git status --porcelain`" ]; then echo "clean" ; else echo "dirty"; fi) \
+			--tag $(IMAGE_REPO):$(IMAGE_TAG) \
+			.;\
+	}
 
 .PHONY: hack-build-cli
 hack-build-cli: hack-build-dev-tools
diff --git a/charts/kargo/templates/api/deployment.yaml b/charts/kargo/templates/api/deployment.yaml
index bd61ee865..e89708693 100644
--- a/charts/kargo/templates/api/deployment.yaml
+++ b/charts/kargo/templates/api/deployment.yaml
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ spec:
       {{- if or .Values.api.cabundle.configMapName .Values.api.cabundle.secretName }}
       initContainers:
       - name: parse-cabundle
-        image: {{ include "kargo.image" . }}
+        image: alpine/curl:latest
         imagePullPolicy: {{ .Values.image.pullPolicy }}
         securityContext:
           runAsUser: 0
diff --git a/charts/kargo/templates/controller/deployment.yaml b/charts/kargo/templates/controller/deployment.yaml
index 0ac8d8ab4..8f6b7260c 100644
--- a/charts/kargo/templates/controller/deployment.yaml
+++ b/charts/kargo/templates/controller/deployment.yaml
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ spec:
       {{- if or .Values.controller.cabundle.configMapName .Values.controller.cabundle.secretName }}
       initContainers:
       - name: parse-cabundle
-        image: {{ include "kargo.image" . }}
+        image: alpine/curl:latest
         imagePullPolicy: {{ .Values.image.pullPolicy }}
         securityContext:
           runAsUser: 0
diff --git a/kargo-base.apko.yaml b/kargo-base.apko.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..133f94dce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kargo-base.apko.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+contents:
+  keyring:
+  - https://packages.wolfi.dev/os/wolfi-signing.rsa.pub
+  repositories:
+  - https://packages.wolfi.dev/os
+  packages:
+  - git~2
+  - gpg~2
+  - gpg-agent~2
+  - openssh-client~9
+
+accounts:
+  groups:
+  - groupname: nonroot
+    gid: 65532
+  users:
+  - username: nonroot
+    uid: 65532
+    gid: 65532
+  run-as: "65532"
+  
+archs:
+- arm64
+- amd64