diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-backend.yml b/.github/workflows/test-backend.yml
index a7eff0ef2..cc101cae3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-backend.yml
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Neo4J | Build 'community' image
         run: |
-          docker build --target community -t "ocelotsocialnetwork/neo4j-community:test" neo4j/
-          docker save "ocelotsocialnetwork/neo4j-community:test" > /tmp/neo4j.tar
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml build neo4j
+          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j:community" > /tmp/neo4j.tar
       
       - name: Cache docker images
         id: cache-neo4j
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: backend | Build 'test' image
         run: |
-          docker build --target test -t "ocelotsocialnetwork/backend:test" backend/
-          docker save "ocelotsocialnetwork/backend:test" > /tmp/backend.tar
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml build backend
+          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/backend:test" > /tmp/backend.tar
       
       - name: Cache docker images
         id: cache-backend
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ jobs:
           cp backend/.env.template backend/.env
 
       - name: backend | docker compose
-        # doesn't work without the --build flag - this either means we should not load the cached images or cache the correct image
-        run: docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach backend --build
+        run: docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach backend
 
       - name: backend | Initialize Database
         run: docker compose exec -T backend yarn db:migrate init
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
index a0f9488cd..f334c6155 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build backend and dependencies
         run: |
           # Build and start all required images for backend
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach backend --build
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach neo4j backend --build
           
           # Save the build images
           docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/backend:test" > /tmp/backend.tar          
-          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j-community:test" > /tmp/neo4j.tar
+          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j:community" > /tmp/neo4j.tar
           docker save "quay.io/minio/minio:latest" > /tmp/minio.tar
           docker save "quay.io/minio/mc:latest" > /tmp/minio-mc.tar
           docker save "maildev/maildev:latest" > /tmp/mailserver.tar
diff --git a/docker-compose.test.yml b/docker-compose.test.yml
index 67645ad87..1189d3fa6 100644
--- a/docker-compose.test.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.test.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ services:
 
   neo4j:
     # name the image so that it cannot be found in a DockerHub repository, otherwise it will not be built locally from the 'dockerfile' but pulled from there
-    image: ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j-community:test
+    image: ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j:community
+    build:
+      context: ./neo4j
+      target: community
     #environment:
     #  - NEO4J_dbms_connector_bolt_enabled=true
     #  - NEO4J_dbms_connector_bolt_tls__level=OPTIONAL
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 4a1e9e951..775f60feb 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ services:
       - 3001:80
 
   neo4j:
-    image: ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j
+    image: ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j:community
     build:
       context: ./neo4j
       # community edition 👆🏼, because we have no enterprise licence 👇🏼 at the moment