diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..558e4ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+name: Periodic Docker build
+
+on:
+  # Build the Docker container whenever commits are pushed to an open PR that changes one of the files listed
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - .github/workflows/docker.yml
+      - docker/Dockerfile.devenv
+      - docker/spack.yaml
+
+  # Build the Docker container at 00:00 on the first day of every 3 months
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 0 1 */3 *'
+
+jobs:
+  docker:
+    name: Build Docker container
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout the repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Docker buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Log into GitHub Container Repository
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          logout: true
+
+      - name: Build container and push to ghcr
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        with:
+          push: true
+          file: docker/Dockerfile.devenv
+          tags: ghcr.io/fetch4/giss-gc-dev-env:latest
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.devenv b/docker/Dockerfile.devenv
index 0233a40..57d950e 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.devenv
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.devenv
@@ -1,32 +1,18 @@
 # Build stage with Spack pre-installed and ready to be used
 FROM spack/ubuntu-jammy:0.21 AS builder
 
-# What we want to install and how we want to install it
-# is specified in a manifest file (spack.yaml)
-RUN mkdir /opt/spack-environment \
-&&  (echo spack: \
-&&   echo '  packages:' \
-&&   echo '    all:' \
-&&   echo '      compiler: [gcc@11.4.0]' \
-&&   echo '  specs:' \
-&&   echo '  - cmake@3.27.7' \
-&&   echo '  - gmake' \
-&&   echo '  - hdf5@1.14.3' \
-&&   echo '  - netcdf-c@4.9.2+mpi+parallel-netcdf' \
-&&   echo '  - netcdf-fortran' \
-&&   echo '  - openmpi@4.1.6' \
-&&   echo '  concretizer:' \
-&&   echo '    unify: true' \
-&&   echo '  config:' \
-&&   echo '    install_missing_compilers: true' \
-&&   echo '    install_tree: /opt/software' \
-&&   echo '  view: /opt/views/view') > /opt/spack-environment/spack.yaml
-
-# Install the software, remove unnecessary deps
-RUN cd /opt/spack-environment && spack env activate . && spack install --fail-fast && spack gc -y
+# Install software from spack.yaml
+RUN mkdir /opt/spack-environment
+COPY docker/spack.yaml /opt/spack-environment/spack.yaml
+RUN cd /opt/spack-environment \
+    && spack env activate . \
+    && spack install --fail-fast \
+    && spack gc -y
 
 # Install perl URI lib
-RUN apt update && apt install -y libany-uri-escape-perl
+RUN apt update \
+    && apt install -y --no-install-recommends libany-uri-escape-perl \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Strip all the binaries
 RUN find -L /opt/views/view/* -type f -exec readlink -f '{}' \; | \
@@ -36,27 +22,31 @@ RUN find -L /opt/views/view/* -type f -exec readlink -f '{}' \; | \
     awk -F: '{print $1}' | xargs strip
 
 # Modifications to the environment that are necessary to run
-RUN cd /opt/spack-environment && \
-    spack env activate --sh -d . > activate.sh
+RUN cd /opt/spack-environment \
+    && spack env activate --sh -d . > activate.sh
 
 # Bare OS image to run the installed executables
 FROM ubuntu:22.04
 
+# Copy necessary files from the builder stage
 COPY --from=builder /opt/spack-environment /opt/spack-environment
 COPY --from=builder /opt/software /opt/software
 COPY --from=builder /usr /usr
-
 # paths.view is a symlink, so copy the parent to avoid dereferencing and duplicating it
 COPY --from=builder /opt/views /opt/views
 
+# Create entrypoint script
 RUN { \
-      echo '#!/bin/sh' \
-      && echo '.' /opt/spack-environment/activate.sh \
-      && echo 'exec "$@"'; \
+      echo '#!/bin/sh'; \
+      echo '. /opt/spack-environment/activate.sh'; \
+      echo 'exec "$@"'; \
     } > /entrypoint.sh \
-&& chmod a+x /entrypoint.sh \
-&& ln -s /opt/views/view /opt/view \
-&& apt update && apt install -y ca-certificates cpp m4
+    && chmod a+x /entrypoint.sh \
+    && ln -s /opt/views/view /opt/view \
+    && apt update \
+    && apt install -y --no-install-recommends ca-certificates cpp m4 \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
+# Set entrypoint and default command
 ENTRYPOINT [ "/entrypoint.sh" ]
 CMD [ "/bin/bash" ]
diff --git a/docker/Makefile b/docker/Makefile
index b26aa68..fd75b68 100644
--- a/docker/Makefile
+++ b/docker/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 all: build
 
-DOCKERFILE 	= Dockerfile.devenv
+DOCKERFILE 	= ${GISS_HOME}/docker/Dockerfile.devenv
 NAMESPACE 	= ghcr.io/fetch4
 IMAGE_NAME	= giss-gc-dev-env
 TAG 				= latest
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ pull:
 	docker pull $(IMAGE)
 
 build:
-	docker build -f $(DOCKERFILE) -t $(IMAGE) --no-cache .
+	docker build -f $(DOCKERFILE) -t $(IMAGE) .
 
 run:
 	docker run --rm -it -v ${HOME}:${HOME} $(IMAGE)
diff --git a/docker/spack.yaml b/docker/spack.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97eb0d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/spack.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+spack:
+  packages:
+    all:
+      compiler: [gcc@11.4.0]
+  specs:
+  - cmake
+  - gmake
+  - hdf5
+  - netcdf-c+mpi+parallel-netcdf
+  - netcdf-fortran
+  - openmpi
+  concretizer:
+    unify: true
+  config:
+    install_missing_compilers: true
+    install_tree: /opt/software
+  view: /opt/views/view