diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index e228114..16d1180 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -14,14 +14,18 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
 COPY Cargo.toml Cargo.lock ./
 # Create dummy main.rs to build dependencies
 RUN mkdir src && echo "fn main() {}" > src/main.rs
-RUN cargo build --release --locked
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/usr/local/cargo/registry \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/usr/local/cargo/git \
+    cargo build --release --locked
 RUN rm -rf src
 
 # 2. Copy source code
 COPY . .
 # Touch main.rs to force rebuild
 RUN touch src/main.rs
-RUN cargo build --release --locked && \
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/usr/local/cargo/registry \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/usr/local/cargo/git \
+    cargo build --release --locked && \
     strip target/release/zeroclaw
 
 # ── Stage 2: Permissions & Config Prep ───────────────────────
diff --git a/dev/README.md b/dev/README.md
index d1486e0..7645e0d 100644
--- a/dev/README.md
+++ b/dev/README.md
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ A fully containerized development sandbox for ZeroClaw agents. This environment
 ## Directory Structure
 
 - **`agent/`**: (Merged into root Dockerfile)
-  - The development image is built from the root `Dockerfile` using the `dev` stage (`target: dev`).
-  - Based on `debian:bookworm-slim` (unlike production `distroless`).
-  - Includes `bash`, `curl`, and debug tools.
+    - The development image is built from the root `Dockerfile` using the `dev` stage (`target: dev`).
+    - Based on `debian:bookworm-slim` (unlike production `distroless`).
+    - Includes `bash`, `curl`, and debug tools.
 - **`sandbox/`**: Dockerfile for the simulated user environment.
-  - Based on `ubuntu:22.04`.
-  - Pre-loaded with `git`, `python3`, `nodejs`, `npm`, `gcc`, `make`.
-  - Simulates a real developer machine.
+    - Based on `ubuntu:22.04`.
+    - Pre-loaded with `git`, `python3`, `nodejs`, `npm`, `gcc`, `make`.
+    - Simulates a real developer machine.
 - **`docker-compose.yml`**: Defines the services and `dev-net` network.
 - **`cli.sh`**: Helper script to manage the lifecycle.
 
@@ -20,42 +20,53 @@ A fully containerized development sandbox for ZeroClaw agents. This environment
 Run all commands from the repository root using the helper script:
 
 ### 1. Start Environment
+
 ```bash
 ./dev/cli.sh up
 ```
+
 Builds the agent from source and starts both containers.
 
 ### 2. Enter Agent Container (`zeroclaw-dev`)
+
 ```bash
 ./dev/cli.sh agent
 ```
+
 Use this to run `zeroclaw` CLI commands manually, debug the binary, or check logs internally.
+
 - **Path**: `/zeroclaw-data`
 - **User**: `nobody` (65534)
 
 ### 3. Enter Sandbox (`sandbox`)
+
 ```bash
 ./dev/cli.sh shell
 ```
+
 Use this to act as the "user" or "environment" the agent interacts with.
+
 - **Path**: `/home/developer/workspace`
 - **User**: `developer` (sudo-enabled)
 
 ### 4. Development Cycle
+
 1. Make changes to Rust code in `src/`.
 2. Rebuild the agent:
-   ```bash
-   ./dev/cli.sh build
-   ```
+    ```bash
+    ./dev/cli.sh build
+    ```
 3. Test changes inside the container:
-   ```bash
-   ./dev/cli.sh agent
-   # inside container:
-   zeroclaw --version
-   ```
+    ```bash
+    ./dev/cli.sh agent
+    # inside container:
+    zeroclaw --version
+    ```
 
 ### 5. Persistence & Shared Workspace
+
 The local `playground/` directory (in repo root) is mounted as the shared workspace:
+
 - **Agent**: `/zeroclaw-data/workspace`
 - **Sandbox**: `/home/developer/workspace`
 
@@ -64,8 +75,77 @@ Files created by the agent are visible to the sandbox user, and vice versa.
 The agent configuration lives in `target/.zeroclaw` (mounted to `/zeroclaw-data/.zeroclaw`), so settings persist across container rebuilds.
 
 ### 6. Cleanup
+
 Stop containers and remove volumes and generated config:
+
 ```bash
 ./dev/cli.sh clean
 ```
+
 **Note:** This removes `target/.zeroclaw` (config/DB) but leaves the `playground/` directory intact. To fully wipe everything, manually delete `playground/`.
+
+## Local CI/CD (Docker-Only)
+
+Use this when you want CI-style validation without relying on GitHub Actions and without running Rust toolchain commands on your host.
+
+### 1. Build the local CI image
+
+```bash
+./dev/ci.sh build-image
+```
+
+### 2. Run full local CI pipeline
+
+```bash
+./dev/ci.sh all
+```
+
+This runs inside a container:
+
+- `cargo fmt --all -- --check`
+- `cargo clippy --locked --all-targets -- -D clippy::correctness`
+- `cargo test --locked --verbose`
+- `cargo build --release --locked --verbose`
+- `cargo deny check licenses sources`
+- `cargo audit`
+- Docker smoke build (`docker build --target dev ...` + `--version` check)
+
+### 3. Run targeted stages
+
+```bash
+./dev/ci.sh lint
+./dev/ci.sh test
+./dev/ci.sh build
+./dev/ci.sh deny
+./dev/ci.sh audit
+./dev/ci.sh security
+./dev/ci.sh docker-smoke
+```
+
+Note: local `deny` focuses on license/source policy; advisory scanning is handled by `audit`.
+
+### 4. Enter CI container shell
+
+```bash
+./dev/ci.sh shell
+```
+
+### 5. Optional shortcut via existing dev CLI
+
+```bash
+./dev/cli.sh ci
+./dev/cli.sh ci lint
+```
+
+### Isolation model
+
+- Rust compilation, tests, and audit/deny tools run in `zeroclaw-local-ci` container.
+- Your host filesystem is mounted at `/workspace`; no host Rust toolchain is required.
+- Cargo build artifacts are written to container volume `/ci-target` (not your host `target/`).
+- Docker smoke stage uses your Docker daemon to build image layers, but build steps execute in containers.
+
+### Build cache notes
+
+- Both `Dockerfile` and `dev/ci/Dockerfile` use BuildKit cache mounts for Cargo registry/git data.
+- Local CI reuses named Docker volumes for Cargo registry/git and target outputs.
+- The CI image keeps Rust toolchain defaults from `rust:1.92-slim` (no custom `CARGO_HOME`/`RUSTUP_HOME` overrides), preventing repeated toolchain bootstrapping on each run.
diff --git a/dev/ci.sh b/dev/ci.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9424287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/ci.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [ -f "dev/docker-compose.ci.yml" ]; then
+  COMPOSE_FILE="dev/docker-compose.ci.yml"
+elif [ -f "docker-compose.ci.yml" ] && [ "$(basename "$(pwd)")" = "dev" ]; then
+  COMPOSE_FILE="docker-compose.ci.yml"
+else
+  echo "❌ Run this script from repo root or dev/ directory."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+compose_cmd=(docker compose -f "$COMPOSE_FILE")
+
+run_in_ci() {
+  local cmd="$1"
+  "${compose_cmd[@]}" run --rm local-ci bash -c "$cmd"
+}
+
+print_help() {
+  cat <<'EOF'
+ZeroClaw Local CI in Docker
+
+Usage: ./dev/ci.sh <command>
+
+Commands:
+  build-image   Build/update the local CI image
+  shell         Open an interactive shell inside the CI container
+  lint          Run rustfmt + clippy (container only)
+  test          Run cargo test (container only)
+  build         Run release build smoke check (container only)
+  audit         Run cargo audit (container only)
+  deny          Run cargo deny check (container only)
+  security      Run cargo audit + cargo deny (container only)
+  docker-smoke  Build and verify runtime image (host docker daemon)
+  all           Run lint, test, build, security, docker-smoke
+  clean         Remove local CI containers and volumes
+EOF
+}
+
+if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
+  print_help
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+case "$1" in
+  build-image)
+    "${compose_cmd[@]}" build local-ci
+    ;;
+
+  shell)
+    "${compose_cmd[@]}" run --rm local-ci bash
+    ;;
+
+  lint)
+    run_in_ci "cargo fmt --all -- --check && cargo clippy --locked --all-targets -- -D clippy::correctness"
+    ;;
+
+  test)
+    run_in_ci "cargo test --locked --verbose"
+    ;;
+
+  build)
+    run_in_ci "cargo build --release --locked --verbose"
+    ;;
+
+  audit)
+    run_in_ci "cargo audit"
+    ;;
+
+  deny)
+    run_in_ci "cargo deny check licenses sources"
+    ;;
+
+  security)
+    run_in_ci "cargo deny check licenses sources"
+    run_in_ci "cargo audit"
+    ;;
+
+  docker-smoke)
+    docker build --target dev -t zeroclaw-local-smoke:latest .
+    docker run --rm zeroclaw-local-smoke:latest --version
+    ;;
+
+  all)
+    run_in_ci "cargo fmt --all -- --check && cargo clippy --locked --all-targets -- -D clippy::correctness"
+    run_in_ci "cargo test --locked --verbose"
+    run_in_ci "cargo build --release --locked --verbose"
+    run_in_ci "cargo deny check licenses sources"
+    run_in_ci "cargo audit"
+    docker build --target dev -t zeroclaw-local-smoke:latest .
+    docker run --rm zeroclaw-local-smoke:latest --version
+    ;;
+
+  clean)
+    "${compose_cmd[@]}" down -v --remove-orphans
+    ;;
+
+  *)
+    print_help
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
diff --git a/dev/ci/Dockerfile b/dev/ci/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e6adb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/ci/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7
+
+FROM rust:1.92-slim
+
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    ca-certificates \
+    git \
+    pkg-config \
+    libssl-dev \
+    curl \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+RUN rustup toolchain install 1.92 --profile minimal --component rustfmt --component clippy
+
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/usr/local/cargo/registry \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/usr/local/cargo/git \
+    cargo install --locked cargo-audit && \
+    cargo install --locked cargo-deny --version 0.18.5
+
+WORKDIR /workspace
+
+CMD ["bash"]
diff --git a/dev/cli.sh b/dev/cli.sh
index 3426417..ec9aad5 100755
--- a/dev/cli.sh
+++ b/dev/cli.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ function print_help {
     echo -e "  ${GREEN}agent${NC}   Enter Agent (ZeroClaw CLI)"
     echo -e "  ${GREEN}logs${NC}    View logs"
     echo -e "  ${GREEN}build${NC}   Rebuild images"
+    echo -e "  ${GREEN}ci${NC}      Run local CI checks in Docker (see ./dev/ci.sh)"
     echo -e "  ${GREEN}clean${NC}   Stop and wipe workspace data"
 }
 
@@ -94,6 +95,15 @@ case "$1" in
         echo -e "${GREEN}✅ Rebuild complete.${NC}"
         ;;
 
+    ci)
+        shift
+        if [ "$BASE_DIR" = "." ]; then
+            ./ci.sh "${@:-all}"
+        else
+            ./dev/ci.sh "${@:-all}"
+        fi
+        ;;
+
     clean)
         echo -e "${RED}⚠️  WARNING: This will delete 'target/.zeroclaw' data and Docker volumes.${NC}"
         read -p "Are you sure? (y/N) " -n 1 -r
diff --git a/dev/docker-compose.ci.yml b/dev/docker-compose.ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2078726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/docker-compose.ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+name: zeroclaw-local-ci
+
+services:
+    local-ci:
+        build:
+            context: ..
+            dockerfile: dev/ci/Dockerfile
+        container_name: zeroclaw-local-ci
+        working_dir: /workspace
+        environment:
+            - CARGO_TERM_COLOR=always
+            - PATH=/usr/local/cargo/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
+            - CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/ci-target
+        volumes:
+            - ..:/workspace
+            - cargo-registry:/usr/local/cargo/registry
+            - cargo-git:/usr/local/cargo/git
+            - ci-target:/ci-target
+
+volumes:
+    cargo-registry:
+    cargo-git:
+    ci-target:
diff --git a/src/tools/git_operations.rs b/src/tools/git_operations.rs
index bf4e62c..c197eff 100644
--- a/src/tools/git_operations.rs
+++ b/src/tools/git_operations.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ use super::traits::{Tool, ToolResult};
 use crate::security::{AutonomyLevel, SecurityPolicy};
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use serde_json::json;
-use std::path::Path;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Git operations tool for structured repository management.
@@ -556,6 +555,7 @@ impl Tool for GitOperationsTool {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::security::SecurityPolicy;
+    use std::path::Path;
     use tempfile::TempDir;
 
     fn test_tool(dir: &Path) -> GitOperationsTool {