diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_federation.yml b/.github/workflows/test_federation.yml
index 1c31a7d5c..4236ddfbd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_federation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_federation.yml
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Federation | Unit tests
         id: test
         run: |
-          cd out && turbo federation#lint federation#test
+          cd out && turbo federation#lint federation#test federation#build federation#typecheck
           echo "success=$([ $? -eq 0 ] && echo true || echo false)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
   lint:
diff --git a/federation/Dockerfile b/federation/Dockerfile
index a586e2006..e22a98f67 100644
--- a/federation/Dockerfile
+++ b/federation/Dockerfile
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ RUN yarn install --frozen-lockfile --production=false \
  
 # Build the project
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=builder /app/out/full/ .
-RUN turbo build
+RUN turbo build typecheck
 
 ##################################################################################
 # TEST ###########################################################################
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ FROM base as production
 # Copy "binary"-files from build image
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=installer ${DOCKER_WORKDIR}/federation/build/src/index.js ./index.js
 
+# We also install the native node_modules which cannot be bundled
+# TODO: find a elegant way to use the right versions from yarn.lock
+RUN yarn add sodium-native@4.0.0 \
+  && rm -rf /tmp/* ~/.cache node_modules/.cache \
+  && yarn cache clean
+
 # Copy log4js-config.json to provide log configuration
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=installer ${DOCKER_WORKDIR}/federation/log4js-config.json ./log4js-config.json
 
diff --git a/federation/esbuild.config.ts b/federation/esbuild.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..38ca5b58d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/federation/esbuild.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { build } from 'esbuild'
+
+build({
+  entryPoints: ['src/index.ts'],
+  outdir: 'build',
+  platform: 'node',
+  target: 'node18.20.7',
+  bundle: true,
+  keepNames: true,
+  // legalComments: 'inline',
+  external: ['sodium-native'],
+  minify: true,
+})
diff --git a/federation/package.json b/federation/package.json
index c9d84ac0b..848f005b5 100644
--- a/federation/package.json
+++ b/federation/package.json
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "private": false,
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "tsc --build",
-    "clean": "tsc --build --clean",
-    "start": "cross-env TZ=UTC TS_NODE_BASEURL=./build node -r tsconfig-paths/register build/src/index.js",
+    "build": "tsx esbuild.config.ts",
+    "start": "cross-env TZ=UTC node build/index.js",
+    "dev": "cross-env TZ=UTC tsx watch src/index.ts",
+    "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "cross-env TZ=UTC NODE_ENV=development DB_DATABASE=gradido_test_federation jest --runInBand --forceExit --detectOpenHandles",
-    "dev": "cross-env TZ=UTC nodemon -w src --ext ts --exec ts-node -r dotenv/config -r tsconfig-paths/register src/index.ts",
     "lint": "biome check --error-on-warnings .",
     "lint:fix": "biome check --error-on-warnings . --write"
   },