diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index f637341..f90dcd4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -1,66 +1,88 @@
 name: Docker
 
 on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main]
-    tags: ["v*"]
-  pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+    push:
+        branches: [main]
+        tags: ["v*"]
+    pull_request:
+        branches: [main]
+        paths:
+            - "Dockerfile"
+            - "docker-compose.yml"
+            - "dev/docker-compose.yml"
+            - "dev/sandbox/**"
+            - ".github/workflows/docker.yml"
+
+concurrency:
+    group: docker-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+    cancel-in-progress: true
 
 env:
-  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
-  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
+    REGISTRY: ghcr.io
+    IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
 
 jobs:
-  build-and-push:
-    name: Build and Push Docker Image
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      contents: read
-      packages: write
-    continue-on-error: true  # Don't block PRs on Docker build failures
+    build-and-push:
+        name: Build and Push Docker Image
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+        timeout-minutes: 25
+        permissions:
+            contents: read
+            packages: write
 
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        steps:
+            - name: Checkout repository
+              uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
-        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+            - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+              uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
-      - name: Log in to Container Registry
-        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
-        uses: docker/login-action@v3
-        with:
-          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
-          username: ${{ github.actor }}
-          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+            - name: Log in to Container Registry
+              if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+              uses: docker/login-action@v3
+              with:
+                  registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+                  username: ${{ github.actor }}
+                  password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      - name: Extract metadata (tags, labels)
-        id: meta
-        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
-        with:
-          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
-          tags: |
-            type=ref,event=branch
-            type=ref,event=pr
-            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
-            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
-            type=semver,pattern={{major}}
-            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
+            - name: Extract metadata (tags, labels)
+              id: meta
+              uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+              with:
+                  images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
+                  tags: |
+                      type=ref,event=branch
+                      type=ref,event=pr
+                      type=semver,pattern={{version}}
+                      type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
+                      type=semver,pattern={{major}}
+                      type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
 
-      - name: Build and push Docker image
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
-        with:
-          context: .
-          push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
-          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
-          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
-          cache-from: type=gha
-          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
-          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+            - name: Build and push Docker image (push/tag)
+              if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+              uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+              with:
+                  context: .
+                  push: true
+                  tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+                  labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+                  cache-from: type=gha
+                  cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+                  platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
 
-      - name: Verify image (PR only)
-        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
-        run: |
-          docker build -t zeroclaw-test .
-          docker run --rm zeroclaw-test --version
+            - name: Build smoke image (PR only)
+              if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+              uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+              with:
+                  context: .
+                  push: false
+                  load: true
+                  tags: zeroclaw-pr-smoke:latest
+                  labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+                  cache-from: type=gha
+                  platforms: linux/amd64
+
+            - name: Verify image (PR only)
+              if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+              run: |
+                  docker run --rm zeroclaw-pr-smoke:latest --version
diff --git a/deny.toml b/deny.toml
index e289a26..c716501 100644
--- a/deny.toml
+++ b/deny.toml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ yanked = "warn"
 allow = [
     "MIT",
     "Apache-2.0",
+    "Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception",
     "BSD-2-Clause",
     "BSD-3-Clause",
     "ISC",