diff --git a/tests/docker/Dockerfile-base.el9 b/tests/docker/Dockerfile-base.el9
index 7c3ec0fa..b9068f9b 100644
--- a/tests/docker/Dockerfile-base.el9
+++ b/tests/docker/Dockerfile-base.el9
@@ -1,37 +1,94 @@
 # ##############################################################################
 #
-# Transient docker image to avoid unnecessary actions.
+# Base test image for pgEdge Spock development and testing.
 #
-# Includes fresh updates of the base OS plus all extra packages needed to
-# Postgres, Spock and testing facilities.
+# This image includes:
+# - Rocky Linux 9 base with development tools
+# - PostgreSQL build dependencies (LLVM, ICU, SSL, etc.)
+# - Testing tools (Perl Test::More, SSH)
+# - pgedge user with sudo access
+#
+# Built and published to: ghcr.io/pgedge/base-test-image:latest
 #
 # ##############################################################################
 
 FROM rockylinux:9
 
-RUN dnf -y update && dnf -y upgrade && dnf -y install sudo && dnf -y groupinstall "Development Tools"
+# Update system and install base development tools
+RUN dnf -y update && \
+    dnf -y upgrade && \
+    dnf -y install sudo && \
+    dnf -y groupinstall "Development Tools"
 
+# Create pgedge user with sudo privileges
 RUN useradd -m pgedge -s /bin/bash && \
     echo pgedge:asdf | chpasswd && \
     echo "pgedge ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/pgedge && \
     chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/pgedge && \
     chown -R pgedge:pgedge /home/pgedge
 
-COPY tests/docker/lib-list.txt /home/pgedge/
-
-RUN dnf install --allowerasing --enablerepo=crb -y $(cat /home/pgedge/lib-list.txt)
+# Install PostgreSQL build dependencies and testing tools
+# Note: List inlined to avoid requiring build context with external files
+RUN dnf install --allowerasing --enablerepo=crb -y \
+    bison \
+    clang \
+    curl \
+    cyrus-sasl-gssapi \
+    dnsutils \
+    flex \
+    jansson-devel \
+    krb5-devel \
+    libicu-devel \
+    libpq \
+    libpq-devel \
+    libuuid \
+    libuuid-devel \
+    libxslt \
+    libxslt-devel \
+    llvm \
+    llvm-devel \
+    lz4 \
+    lz4-devel \
+    nc \
+    openldap \
+    openldap-devel \
+    openssh-clients \
+    openssh-server \
+    openssl-devel \
+    pam-devel \
+    perl \
+    perl-App-cpanminus \
+    perl-devel \
+    perl-IPC-Run \
+    pkgconfig \
+    procps \
+    python3 \
+    python3-devel \
+    sudo \
+    systemd-devel \
+    unzip \
+    uuid \
+    uuid-devel \
+    vim \
+    zlib \
+    zlib-devel && \
+    dnf clean all
 
-# Install perl dependencies for running tap tests
+# Install Perl testing dependencies
 RUN cpanm Test::More
 
-RUN ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -N "" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 && \
-    cat ~/.ssh/*.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
-
-
-RUN mkdir -p /home/pgedge/spock
-RUN chown -R pgedge:pgedge /home/pgedge/spock
-#-----------------------------------------
+# Setup SSH for pgedge user (not root!)
+# This allows SSH-based testing as the pgedge user
 USER pgedge
+RUN mkdir -p ~/.ssh && \
+    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -N "" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 && \
+    cat ~/.ssh/*.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys && \
+    chmod 700 ~/.ssh && \
+    chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
+
+# Set default working directory
+WORKDIR /home/pgedge
 
-# Just to ensure that community members could find the person they should complain to.
+# Metadata
 LABEL maintainer="andrei.lepikhov@pgedge.com"
+LABEL description="Base image for pgEdge Spock PostgreSQL extension development and testing"
diff --git a/tests/docker/Dockerfile-step-1.el9 b/tests/docker/Dockerfile-step-1.el9
index 0df56fe3..060ef0ad 100644
--- a/tests/docker/Dockerfile-step-1.el9
+++ b/tests/docker/Dockerfile-step-1.el9
@@ -1,13 +1,23 @@
 FROM ghcr.io/pgedge/base-test-image:latest
 
+# Base image ends as USER pgedge, but we need root for installation
+USER root
+
 ARG PGVER
+ARG MAKE_JOBS=4
 
 ENV PGVER=$PGVER
+ENV PATH="/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg${PGVER}/bin:${PATH}"
+ENV LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg${PGVER}/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
+ENV PG_CONFIG="/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg${PGVER}/bin/pg_config"
 
+# Copy spock source code and set proper ownership
 COPY . /home/pgedge/spock
+RUN chown -R pgedge:pgedge /home/pgedge/spock
+
 WORKDIR /home/pgedge
 
-RUN echo "Determine PostgreSQL tag"
+# Determine PostgreSQL version and clone repository
 RUN LATEST_TAG=$(git ls-remote --tags https://github.com/postgres/postgres.git | \
 				grep "refs/tags/REL_${PGVER}_" | \
 				sed 's|.*refs/tags/||' | \
@@ -15,16 +25,15 @@ RUN LATEST_TAG=$(git ls-remote --tags https://github.com/postgres/postgres.git |
 				sort -V | \
 				tail -n 1 | \
 				tr '.' '_') && \
-			echo "Using tag $LATEST_TAG" && \
-			git clone --branch $LATEST_TAG --depth 1 https://github.com/postgres/postgres /home/pgedge/postgres
-
+			echo "Using PostgreSQL tag: $LATEST_TAG" && \
+			git clone --branch $LATEST_TAG --depth 1 https://github.com/postgres/postgres /home/pgedge/postgres && \
+			chmod -R a+w /home/pgedge/postgres
 
-RUN sudo chmod -R a+w ~/postgres
-
-RUN echo "Setting up pgedge..."
-WORKDIR /home/pgedge
-RUN curl -fsSL https://pgedge-download.s3.amazonaws.com/REPO/install.py > /home/pgedge/install.py
-RUN sudo -u pgedge python3 /home/pgedge/install.py
+# Install pgedge (run as pgedge user, not root)
+RUN echo "Setting up pgedge..." && \
+    curl -fsSL https://pgedge-download.s3.amazonaws.com/REPO/install.py -o /home/pgedge/install.py && \
+    chown pgedge:pgedge /home/pgedge/install.py && \
+    su - pgedge -c "python3 /home/pgedge/install.py"
 
 WORKDIR /home/pgedge/postgres
 
@@ -32,25 +41,50 @@ RUN for patchfile in /home/pgedge/spock/patches/${PGVER}/*; do \
 		patch -p1 --verbose < $patchfile; \
 	done
 
-RUN echo "==========Compiling Modified PostgreSQL=========="
-RUN options="'--prefix=/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg$PGVER' '--disable-rpath' '--with-zstd' '--with-lz4' '--with-icu' '--with-libxslt' '--with-libxml' '--with-uuid=ossp' '--with-gssapi' '--with-ldap' '--with-pam' '--enable-debug' '--enable-dtrace' '--with-llvm' 'LLVM_CONFIG=/usr/bin/llvm-config-64' '--with-openssl' '--with-systemd' '--enable-tap-tests' '--with-python' '--enable-cassert' 'PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3.9' 'BITCODE_CFLAGS=-gdwarf-5 -O0 -fforce-dwarf-frame' 'CFLAGS=-g -O0'" && eval ./configure $options && make -j4 && make -C contrib -j4 && make install && make -C contrib install
-
-WORKDIR /home/pgedge
-
-RUN echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg$PGVER/lib/:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH" >> /home/pgedge/.bashrc
-RUN echo "export PATH=/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg$PGVER/bin:$PATH" >> /home/pgedge/.bashrc
-
-RUN echo "==========Recompiling Spock=========="
+# Compile PostgreSQL
+RUN echo "==========Compiling Modified PostgreSQL==========" && \
+    ./configure \
+        --prefix="/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg${PGVER}" \
+        --disable-rpath \
+        --with-zstd \
+        --with-lz4 \
+        --with-icu \
+        --with-libxslt \
+        --with-libxml \
+        --with-uuid=ossp \
+        --with-gssapi \
+        --with-ldap \
+        --with-pam \
+        --enable-debug \
+        --enable-dtrace \
+        --with-llvm \
+        --with-openssl \
+        --with-systemd \
+        --enable-tap-tests \
+        --with-python \
+        --enable-cassert \
+        PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3.9 \
+        BITCODE_CFLAGS="-gdwarf-5 -O0 -fforce-dwarf-frame" \
+        CFLAGS="-g -O0" && \
+    make -j${MAKE_JOBS} && \
+    make -C contrib -j${MAKE_JOBS} && \
+    make install && \
+    make -C contrib install
+
+# Compile Spock
 WORKDIR /home/pgedge/spock
-RUN . /home/pgedge/.bashrc && export PG_CONFIG=/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg$PGVER/bin/pg_config && export PATH=/home/pgedge/pgedge/pg$PGVER/bin:$PATH && make clean && make -j16 && make install
-
-RUN echo "==========Built Spock=========="
+RUN echo "==========Compiling Spock==========" && \
+    make clean && \
+    make -j${MAKE_JOBS} && \
+    make install && \
+    echo "==========Spock build complete=========="
 
 #-----------------------------------------
-COPY tests/docker/*.sh /home/pgedge/
-RUN sudo chmod +x /home/pgedge/*.sh
+# Copy test scripts and switch to pgedge user for runtime
+COPY --chmod=755 tests/docker/*.sh /home/pgedge/
 
 WORKDIR /home/pgedge/
+# Switch back to pgedge user for container runtime (testing, etc.)
 USER pgedge
 
 CMD ["/home/pgedge/entrypoint.sh"]