diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
index 85010b344..b289344f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-e2e.yml
@@ -1,330 +1,167 @@
 name: ocelot.social end-to-end test CI
+
 on: push
+
 jobs:
-  build-images:
+  prepare_backend_environment:
+    name: Fullstack | prepare backend environment
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        target: [backend, webapp, neo4j]
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@09d2acae674a48949e3602304ab46fd20ae0c42f # v4.2.2
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v4.2.2
 
-      - name: Setup .env files
+      - name: Copy backend env file
         run: |
           cp backend/.env.test_e2e backend/.env
           cp webapp/.env.template webapp/.env
 
-      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
-        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@c47758b77c9736f4b2ef4073d4d51994fabfe349 # v3.7.1
-
-      - name: Build ${{ matrix.target }} image using docker-compose.test.yml
-        uses: docker/bake-action@d576212e5b026b5ea0cead59d15616980df02388 # v6.8.0
-        with:
-          source: .
-          files: |
-            docker-compose.yml
-            docker-compose.test.yml
-          targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
-          load: false
-          set: |
-            ${{ matrix.target }}.output=type=docker,dest=/tmp/${{ matrix.target }}.tar
-
-      - name: Upload ${{ matrix.target }} image
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@de65e23aa2b7e23d713bb51fbfcb6d502f8667d8 # v4.6.2
-        with:
-          name: ${{ matrix.target }}-image
-          path: /tmp/${{ matrix.target }}.tar
-
-  initialize-backend-environment:
-    name: Initialize backend environment
-    needs: [build-images]
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@09d2acae674a48949e3602304ab46fd20ae0c42f # v4.2.2
-
-      - name: Setup .env files
+      - name: Build backend and dependencies
         run: |
-          cp backend/.env.test_e2e backend/.env
-          cp webapp/.env.template webapp/.env
-
-      - name: Download backend image
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@448e3f862ab3ef47aa50ff917776823c9946035b # v4.3.0
-        with:
-          name: backend-image
-          path: /tmp
-
-      - name: Download neo4j image
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@448e3f862ab3ef47aa50ff917776823c9946035b # v4.3.0
-        with:
-          name: neo4j-image
-          path: /tmp
-
-      - name: Load built images
-        run: |
-          docker load < /tmp/backend.tar
-          docker load < /tmp/neo4j.tar
-
-      - name: Initialize backend environment (like master branch)
-        run: |
-          # Start neo4j and backend together to allow proper initialization
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach --build neo4j backend
-
-          # Save only the initialized backend and neo4j images
-          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/backend:test" > /tmp/backend-initialized.tar
-          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/neo4j:community" > /tmp/neo4j-initialized.tar
-
-          # Clean shutdown
+          # Build and start all required images for backend
+          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" > /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
+          
+          # Stop the containers
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml down
-
-      - name: Upload initialized backend environment
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@de65e23aa2b7e23d713bb51fbfcb6d502f8667d8 # v4.6.2
+      
+      - name: Cache docker images
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4.0.2
         with:
-          name: backend-environment-initialized
           path: |
-            /tmp/backend-initialized.tar
-            /tmp/neo4j-initialized.tar
+            /tmp/backend.tar
+            /tmp/neo4j.tar
+            /tmp/minio.tar
+            /tmp/minio-mc.tar
+            /tmp/mailserver.tar
+          key: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-backend-environment-cache
 
-  cache-environment:
+  prepare_webapp_image:
+    name: Fullstack | prepare webapp image
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      cache-key: ${{ steps.cache-key.outputs.key }}
-
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@09d2acae674a48949e3602304ab46fd20ae0c42f # v4.2.2
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v4.2.2
+
+      - name: Copy backend env file
+        run: |
+          cp backend/.env.test_e2e backend/.env
+          cp webapp/.env.template webapp/.env
+      
+      - name: Build docker image
+        run: |
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach webapp --build --no-deps
+          docker save "ghcr.io/ocelot-social-community/ocelot-social/webapp:test" > /tmp/webapp.tar
+      
+      - name: Cache docker image        
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4.0.2
+        with:
+          path: /tmp/webapp.tar
+          key: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-webapp-cache
+
+  prepare_cypress:
+    name: Fullstack | prepare cypress
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v4.2.2
 
       - name: Setup Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@7e24a656e1c7a0d6f3eaef8d8e84ae379a5b035b # v4.4.0
+        uses: actions/setup-node@08f58d1471bff7f3a07d167b4ad7df25d5fcfcb6 # v4.4.0
         with:
           node-version-file: 'backend/.tool-versions'
           cache: 'yarn'
 
-      - name: Setup .env files
+      - name: Copy env files
         run: |
-          cp backend/.env.test_e2e backend/.env
           cp webapp/.env.template webapp/.env
+          cp backend/.env.test_e2e backend/.env
 
-      - name: Compute cache key
-        id: cache-key
+      - name: Install cypress requirements
         run: |
-          ROOT_HASH=$(sha256sum yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1)
-          BACKEND_HASH=$(sha256sum backend/yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1)
-          WEBAPP_HASH=$(sha256sum webapp/yarn.lock | cut -d' ' -f1)
-          CYPRESS_HASH=$(find cypress cypress.config.* -type f -exec sha256sum {} \; | sort | sha256sum | cut -d' ' -f1)
-          KEY="ci-unified-cache-${{ runner.os }}-${ROOT_HASH}-${BACKEND_HASH}-${WEBAPP_HASH}-${CYPRESS_HASH}"
-          echo "key=$KEY"
-          echo "key=$KEY" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: Restore unified CI cache
-        id: restore-cache
-        uses: actions/cache/restore@640a1c2554105b57832a23eea0b4672fc7a790d5 # v4.2.3
+          wget --no-verbose -O /opt/cucumber-json-formatter "https://github.com/cucumber/json-formatter/releases/download/v19.0.0/cucumber-json-formatter-linux-386"
+          cd backend
+          yarn install
+          yarn build
+          cd ..
+          yarn install
+      
+      - name: Cache docker image
+        
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4.0.2
         with:
-          key: ${{ steps.cache-key.outputs.key }}
           path: |
-            node_modules
-            backend/node_modules
-            webapp/node_modules
-            backend/build
-            webapp/.nuxt
-            ~/.cache/Cypress
             /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
-          restore-keys: |
-            ci-unified-cache-${{ runner.os }}-
-      - name: Setup dependencies & build (if cache missed)
-        if: steps.restore-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        run: |
-          echo "📦 Cache miss – installing & building everything"
-          yarn install --frozen-lockfile
-          cd backend && yarn install --frozen-lockfile && yarn build && cd ..
-          cd webapp && yarn install --frozen-lockfile && yarn build && cd ..
-          npx cypress verify || echo "⚠️ Cypress verify failed (non-blocking)"
-          if [ ! -f /opt/cucumber-json-formatter ]; then
-            wget --no-verbose -O /opt/cucumber-json-formatter "https://github.com/cucumber/json-formatter/releases/download/v19.0.0/cucumber-json-formatter-linux-386"
-            chmod +x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
-          fi
-    # verify cache
-      - name: Verify install output before caching
-        run: |
-          test -d node_modules && ls node_modules || (echo "❌ install failed" && exit 1)
-          test -d backend/node_modules || (echo "❌ backend install failed" && exit 1)
-          test -d webapp/node_modules || (echo "❌ webapp install failed" && exit 1)
-      - name: Ensure node_modules folders are always cached
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p node_modules backend/node_modules webapp/node_modules
-          touch node_modules/.keep backend/node_modules/.keep webapp/node_modules/.keep
+            /home/runner/.cache/Cypress
+            /home/runner/work/Ocelot-Social/Ocelot-Social
+          key: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-cypress
 
-      - name: Save unified CI cache
-        if: steps.restore-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        uses: actions/cache/save@640a1c2554105b57832a23eea0b4672fc7a790d5 # v4.2.3
-        with:
-          key: ${{ steps.cache-key.outputs.key }}
-          path: |
-            node_modules
-            backend/node_modules
-            webapp/node_modules
-            backend/build
-            webapp/.nuxt
-            ~/.cache/Cypress
-            /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
-  verify-environment:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [cache-environment]
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@09d2acae674a48949e3602304ab46fd20ae0c42f # v4.2.2
-
-      - name: Restore unified CI cache
-        uses: actions/cache/restore@640a1c2554105b57832a23eea0b4672fc7a790d5 # v4.2.3
-        with:
-          key: ${{ needs.cache-environment.outputs.cache-key }}
-          path: |
-            node_modules
-            backend/node_modules
-            webapp/node_modules
-            backend/build
-            webapp/.nuxt
-            ~/.cache/Cypress
-            /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
-      - name: Check required node_modules
-        run: |
-          [ -d node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ node_modules missing" && exit 1)
-          [ -d backend/node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A backend/node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ backend/node_modules missing" && exit 1)
-          [ -d webapp/node_modules ] && [ -n "$(ls -A webapp/node_modules)" ] || (echo "❌ webapp/node_modules missing" && exit 1)
-      - name: Check Cypress binary
-        run: |
-          npx cypress --version || (echo "❌ Cypress binary fehlt" && exit 1)
-          npx cypress verify
-      - name: Check build artifacts exist
-        run: |
-          [ -d backend/build ] || (echo "❌ backend/build fehlt" && exit 1)
-          [ -d webapp/.nuxt ] || (echo "❌ webapp/.nuxt fehlt" && exit 1)
-      - name: Check cucumber-json-formatter
-        run: |
-          [ -x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter ] || (echo "❌ Formatter fehlt" && exit 1)
-          /opt/cucumber-json-formatter --help || (echo "❌ Formatter nicht ausführbar" && exit 1)
-  consolidate-environment:
+  fullstack_tests:
     name: Fullstack | tests
     if: success()
-    needs: [initialize-backend-environment, cache-environment]
+    needs: [prepare_backend_environment, prepare_webapp_image, prepare_cypress]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       jobs: 8
     strategy:
       matrix:
+        # run copies of the current job in parallel
         job: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
-
     steps:
-    #download docker images
-      - name: Download initialized backend environment
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@448e3f862ab3ef47aa50ff917776823c9946035b # v4.3.0
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v4.2.2
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@08f58d1471bff7f3a07d167b4ad7df25d5fcfcb6 # v4.4.0
         with:
-          name: backend-environment-initialized
-          path: /tmp
+          node-version-file: 'backend/.tool-versions'
+          cache: 'yarn'
 
-      - name: Download webapp image
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@448e3f862ab3ef47aa50ff917776823c9946035b # v4.3.0
+      - name: Restore cypress cache
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4.0.2
         with:
-          name: webapp-image
-          path: /tmp
-
-    #load docker images
-      - name: Load Docker images
-        run: |
-          docker load < /tmp/backend-initialized.tar
-          docker load < /tmp/webapp.tar
-          docker load < /tmp/neo4j-initialized.tar
-          # minio, minio-mc, and mailserver images will be pulled fresh by docker compose
-
-    #checkout repository
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@09d2acae674a48949e3602304ab46fd20ae0c42f # v4.2.2
-
-    #setup .env files, make cypress reports dir
-      - name: Setup .env files & reports dir
-        run: |
-          cp backend/.env.test_e2e backend/.env
-          cp webapp/.env.template webapp/.env
-          mkdir -p cypress/reports/json_logs
-
-    #restore unified cache
-      - name: Restore unified CI cache
-        id: restore-cache
-        uses: actions/cache/restore@640a1c2554105b57832a23eea0b4672fc7a790d5 # v4.2.3
-        with:
-          key: ${{ needs.cache-environment.outputs.cache-key }}
           path: |
-            node_modules
-            backend/node_modules
-            webapp/node_modules
-            backend/build
-            webapp/.nuxt
-            ~/.cache/Cypress
             /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
-          restore-keys: |
-            ci-unified-cache-${{ runner.os }}-
+            /home/runner/.cache/Cypress
+            /home/runner/work/Ocelot-Social/Ocelot-Social
+          key: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-cypress
+          restore-keys: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-cypress
 
-    #setup cucumber path
-      - name: Run formatter or use PATH tools
+      - name: Restore backend environment cache
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4.0.2
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /tmp/backend.tar
+            /tmp/neo4j.tar
+            /tmp/minio.tar
+            /tmp/minio-mc.tar
+            /tmp/mailserver.tar
+          key: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-backend-environment-cache
+
+      - name: Restore webapp cache
+        uses: actions/cache@0400d5f644dc74513175e3cd8d07132dd4860809 # v4.0.2
+        with:
+          path: /tmp/webapp.tar
+          key: ${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-webapp-cache
+          
+      - name: Boot up test system | docker compose
         run: |
-          export PATH="/opt:$PATH"
-          cucumber-json-formatter --help
+          chmod +x /opt/cucumber-json-formatter
+          sudo ln -fs /opt/cucumber-json-formatter /usr/bin/cucumber-json-formatter
+          docker load < /tmp/neo4j.tar
+          docker load < /tmp/backend.tar
+          docker load < /tmp/minio.tar
+          docker load < /tmp/minio-mc.tar
+          docker load < /tmp/mailserver.tar
+          docker load < /tmp/webapp.tar
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach backend mailserver webapp
+          sleep 90s
 
-    #rehydrate dependencies
-      - name: Rehydrate dependencies
-        run: |
-          yarn install --frozen-lockfile
-          cd backend && yarn install --frozen-lockfile && cd ..
-          cd webapp && yarn install --frozen-lockfile && cd ..
-          npx cypress verify || echo "⚠️ Cypress not yet verified"
-
-    #build backend
-      - name: Build backend
-        run: cd backend && yarn build
-
-    #boot system for tests
-      - name: Boot system for tests (using pre-initialized backend environment)
-        run: |
-          # Start all services using pre-initialized backend and neo4j images
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.test.yml up --detach neo4j backend minio minio-mc mailserver webapp
-
-    #wait for services
-      - name: Wait for essential services
-        run: |
-          wait_for() {
-            local name="$1"
-            local url="$2"
-            local max=40
-            echo "⏳ Waiting for $name ($url)..."
-            for i in $(seq 1 "$max"); do
-              status=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$url" || echo "000")
-              if [[ "$status" =~ ^2|3|400$ ]]; then
-                echo "✅ $name responded with HTTP $status"
-                return 0
-              fi
-              echo "Waiting for $name... ($i/$max) – last HTTP $status"
-              sleep 2
-            done
-            echo "❌ Timeout: $name did not respond successfully at $url"
-            echo "Last response body:"
-            curl -i "$url" || echo "(curl failed)"
-            docker compose logs "$name" || echo "(docker logs failed)"
-            return 1
-          }
-          # Lade die kopierten .env-Dateien in Shell-Variablen
-          set -o allexport
-          source backend/.env
-          source webapp/.env
-          set +o allexport
-          # Aufrufe
-          wait_for "webapp" "$CLIENT_URI"
-          wait_for "backend" "$BACKEND_HEALTH"
-          wait_for "mailserver" "http://localhost:1080"
-          wait_for "minio" "http://localhost:9000/minio/health/live"
-          echo "🎉 All services are up."
-
-    #starting fullstack cypress test
       - name: Full stack tests | run tests
         id: e2e-tests
         run: yarn run cypress:run --spec $(cypress/parallel-features.sh ${{ matrix.job }} ${{ env.jobs }} )
@@ -336,14 +173,31 @@ jobs:
           node create-cucumber-html-report.js
 
       - name: Full stack tests | if tests failed, upload report
+        id: e2e-report
         if: ${{ failure() && steps.e2e-tests.conclusion == 'failure' }}
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@de65e23aa2b7e23d713bb51fbfcb6d502f8667d8 # v4.6.2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4.6.2
         with:
-          name: e2e-html-report-${{ matrix.job }}
-          path: cypress/reports/cucumber_html_report
+          name: ocelot-e2e-test-report-pr${{ needs.docker_preparation.outputs.pr-number }}
+          path: /home/runner/work/Ocelot-Social/Ocelot-Social/cypress/reports/cucumber_html_report
 
-      - name: Debug output (always)
-        if: always()
+  cleanup_cache:
+    name: Cleanup Cache
+    needs: fullstack_tests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    continue-on-error: true
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v4.2.2
+      
+      - name: Full stack tests | cleanup cache
         run: |
-          echo "📁 Cypress reports"
-          ls -l cypress/reports/json_logs || echo "❌ Missing JSON logs"
+          cacheKeys=$(gh cache list --json key --jq '.[] | select(.key | startswith("${{ github.run_id }}-e2e-")) | .key')
+          set +e
+          echo "Deleting caches..."
+          for cacheKey in $cacheKeys
+          do
+            gh cache delete "$cacheKey"
+          done
+          echo "Done"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}