diff --git a/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml b/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml
index 4595d47fd033..8f7086898ef7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml
@@ -24,10 +24,25 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Build context path'
     default: '.'
     required: false
+  push:
+    description: 'Push the built image to the registry instead of loading it locally'
+    default: 'false'
+    required: false
+  ecr-cache-tags:
+    description: 'Space-separated ECR image refs to use as registry layer-cache sources (--cache-from type=registry,ref=...). Falls back to GitHub Actions cache when empty.'
+    default: ''
+    required: false
+  ecr-write-cache-tag:
+    description: 'ECR image ref to write the build cache to (--cache-to type=registry,ref=...,mode=max). Falls back to GitHub Actions cache when empty.'
+    default: ''
+    required: false
 
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
+    - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+      uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
     - name: NGC Login
       shell: sh
       run: |
@@ -44,35 +59,55 @@ runs:
     - name: Build Docker Image
       shell: sh
       run: |
-        # Function to build Docker image
-        build_docker_image() {
-          local image_tag="$1"
-          local isaacsim_base_image="$2"
-          local isaacsim_version="$3"
-          local dockerfile_path="$4"
-          local context_path="$5"
+        IMAGE_TAG="${{ inputs.image-tag }}"
+        PUSH="${{ inputs.push }}"
+        ECR_CACHE_TAGS="${{ inputs.ecr-cache-tags }}"
+        ECR_WRITE_CACHE_TAG="${{ inputs.ecr-write-cache-tag }}"
 
-          echo "Building Docker image: $image_tag"
-          echo "Using Dockerfile: $dockerfile_path"
-          echo "Build context: $context_path"
+        echo "Building Docker image: $IMAGE_TAG"
+        echo "Using Dockerfile: ${{ inputs.dockerfile-path }}"
+        echo "Build context: ${{ inputs.context-path }}"
 
-          # Build Docker image
-          docker buildx build --progress=plain --platform linux/amd64 \
-            -t isaac-lab-dev \
-            -t $image_tag \
-            --build-arg ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE_ARG="$isaacsim_base_image" \
-            --build-arg ISAACSIM_VERSION_ARG="$isaacsim_version" \
-            --build-arg ISAACSIM_ROOT_PATH_ARG=/isaac-sim \
-            --build-arg ISAACLAB_PATH_ARG=/workspace/isaaclab \
-            --build-arg DOCKER_USER_HOME_ARG=/root \
-            --cache-from type=gha \
-            --cache-to type=gha,mode=max \
-            -f $dockerfile_path \
-            --load $context_path
+        # Assemble --cache-from flags: prefer ECR registry cache, fall back to GHA cache
+        if [ -n "$ECR_CACHE_TAGS" ]; then
+          CACHE_FROM_ARGS=""
+          for tag in $ECR_CACHE_TAGS; do
+            CACHE_FROM_ARGS="$CACHE_FROM_ARGS --cache-from type=registry,ref=$tag"
+          done
+        else
+          CACHE_FROM_ARGS="--cache-from type=gha"
+        fi
 
-          echo "✅ Docker image built successfully: $image_tag"
-          docker images | grep isaac-lab-dev
-        }
+        # Assemble --cache-to flag: prefer ECR registry cache, fall back to GHA cache
+        if [ -n "$ECR_WRITE_CACHE_TAG" ]; then
+          CACHE_TO_ARG="--cache-to type=registry,ref=$ECR_WRITE_CACHE_TAG,mode=max"
+        else
+          CACHE_TO_ARG="--cache-to type=gha,mode=max"
+        fi
+
+        # Assemble output mode: push to registry or load into local daemon
+        if [ "$PUSH" = "true" ]; then
+          OUTPUT_ARG="--push"
+          TAG_ARGS="-t $IMAGE_TAG"
+        else
+          OUTPUT_ARG="--load"
+          TAG_ARGS="-t isaac-lab-dev -t $IMAGE_TAG"
+        fi
+
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+        docker buildx build --progress=plain --platform linux/amd64 \
+          $TAG_ARGS \
+          --build-arg ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE_ARG="${{ inputs.isaacsim-base-image }}" \
+          --build-arg ISAACSIM_VERSION_ARG="${{ inputs.isaacsim-version }}" \
+          --build-arg ISAACSIM_ROOT_PATH_ARG=/isaac-sim \
+          --build-arg ISAACLAB_PATH_ARG=/workspace/isaaclab \
+          --build-arg DOCKER_USER_HOME_ARG=/root \
+          $CACHE_FROM_ARGS \
+          $CACHE_TO_ARG \
+          -f "${{ inputs.dockerfile-path }}" \
+          $OUTPUT_ARG "${{ inputs.context-path }}"
 
-        # Call the function with provided parameters
-        build_docker_image "${{ inputs.image-tag }}" "${{ inputs.isaacsim-base-image }}" "${{ inputs.isaacsim-version }}" "${{ inputs.dockerfile-path }}" "${{ inputs.context-path }}"
+        echo "✅ Docker image built successfully: $IMAGE_TAG"
+        if [ "$PUSH" != "true" ]; then
+          docker images | grep "isaac-lab-dev" || true
+        fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 28df43417118..8258c03e1445 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -28,13 +28,21 @@ env:
   NGC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.NGC_API_KEY }}
   ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE: nvcr.io/nvidian/isaac-sim #${{ vars.ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE || 'nvcr.io/nvidia/isaac-sim' }}
   ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION: 'latest-develop' #${{ vars.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION || '5.1.0' }}
-  DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG: isaac-lab-dev:${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && format('pr-{0}', github.event.pull_request.number) || github.ref_name }}-${{ github.sha }}
+  ECR_CACHE_URL: 968945269301.dkr.ecr.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/gitci-docker-cache
 
 jobs:
-  test-isaaclab-tasks:
+  # ── Build Phase ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # Each Dockerfile is built once per pipeline and pushed to ECR with the commit
+  # SHA as the image tag. All test jobs pull from ECR rather than rebuilding,
+  # eliminating redundant multi-gigabyte builds. Layer caching is stored in ECR
+  # with per-branch keys so that feature branches inherit the develop cache on
+  # first run and build incrementally on subsequent runs.
+
+  build-base-image:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
-    timeout-minutes: 180
-    continue-on-error: true
+    timeout-minutes: 60
+    outputs:
+      ecr-image-tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_image_tag }}
 
     steps:
     - name: Checkout Code
@@ -43,12 +51,108 @@ jobs:
         fetch-depth: 0
         lfs: true
 
-    - name: Build Docker Image
+    - name: Login to ECR
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p ~/.docker
+        echo '{}' > ~/.docker/config.json
+        aws ecr get-login-password --region us-west-2 \
+          | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin ${{ env.ECR_CACHE_URL }}
+
+    # Caching: Each branch maintains its own warm cache layer in AWS ECR,
+    # falling back to "develop"'s cache if no branch cache exists yet.
+    - name: Compute ECR image and cache tags
+      id: tags
+      run: |
+        BRANCH=$(echo "${{ github.ref_name }}" | tr '/' '-')
+        SHA="${{ github.sha }}"
+        if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "pull_request" ]; then
+          ECR_IMAGE_TAG="${ECR_CACHE_URL}:pr-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${SHA}"
+        else
+          ECR_IMAGE_TAG="${ECR_CACHE_URL}:${BRANCH}-${SHA}"
+        fi
+        echo "ecr_image_tag=${ECR_IMAGE_TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "ecr_cache_tag=${ECR_CACHE_URL}:cache-base-${BRANCH}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "ecr_cache_fallback=${ECR_CACHE_URL}:cache-base-develop" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+    - name: Build and Push Base Docker Image
       uses: ./.github/actions/docker-build
       with:
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}
+        image-tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_image_tag }}
         isaacsim-base-image: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE }}
         isaacsim-version: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION }}
+        push: 'true'
+        ecr-cache-tags: "${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_cache_tag }} ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_cache_fallback }}"
+        ecr-write-cache-tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_cache_tag }}
+
+  build-curobo-image:
+    runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
+    timeout-minutes: 90
+    outputs:
+      ecr-image-tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_image_tag }}
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout Code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        fetch-depth: 0
+        lfs: true
+
+    - name: Login to ECR
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p ~/.docker
+        echo '{}' > ~/.docker/config.json
+        aws ecr get-login-password --region us-west-2 \
+          | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin ${{ env.ECR_CACHE_URL }}
+
+    - name: Compute ECR image and cache tags
+      id: tags
+      run: |
+        BRANCH=$(echo "${{ github.ref_name }}" | tr '/' '-')
+        SHA="${{ github.sha }}"
+        if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "pull_request" ]; then
+          ECR_IMAGE_TAG="${ECR_CACHE_URL}:pr-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}-${SHA}-curobo"
+        else
+          ECR_IMAGE_TAG="${ECR_CACHE_URL}:${BRANCH}-${SHA}-curobo"
+        fi
+        echo "ecr_image_tag=${ECR_IMAGE_TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "ecr_cache_tag=${ECR_CACHE_URL}:cache-curobo-${BRANCH}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "ecr_cache_fallback=${ECR_CACHE_URL}:cache-curobo-develop" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+    - name: Build and Push cuRobo Docker Image
+      uses: ./.github/actions/docker-build
+      with:
+        image-tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_image_tag }}
+        isaacsim-base-image: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE }}
+        isaacsim-version: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION }}
+        dockerfile-path: 'docker/Dockerfile.curobo'
+        push: 'true'
+        ecr-cache-tags: "${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_cache_tag }} ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_cache_fallback }}"
+        ecr-write-cache-tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.ecr_cache_tag }}
+
+  # ── Test Phase ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  test-isaaclab-tasks:
+    needs: [build-base-image]
+    runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
+    timeout-minutes: 180
+    continue-on-error: true
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout Code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        fetch-depth: 0
+        lfs: true
+
+    - name: Login to ECR
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p ~/.docker
+        echo '{}' > ~/.docker/config.json
+        aws ecr get-login-password --region us-west-2 \
+          | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin ${{ env.ECR_CACHE_URL }}
+
+    - name: Pull Base Docker Image from ECR
+      run: docker pull ${{ needs.build-base-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
 
     - name: Run IsaacLab Tasks Tests
       uses: ./.github/actions/run-tests
@@ -56,7 +160,7 @@ jobs:
         test-path: "tools"
         result-file: "isaaclab-tasks-report.xml"
         container-name: "isaac-lab-tasks-test-$$"
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}
+        image-tag: ${{ needs.build-base-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
         pytest-options: ""
         filter-pattern: "isaaclab_tasks"
         include-files: "test_multi_agent_environments.py,test_pickplace_stack_environments.py,test_environments.py,test_factory_environments.py,test_environments_training.py,test_cartpole_showcase_environments.py,test_teleop_environments.py"
@@ -93,6 +197,7 @@ jobs:
         fi
 
   test-isaaclab-tasks-2:
+    needs: [build-base-image]
     runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
     timeout-minutes: 180
     continue-on-error: true
@@ -104,12 +209,15 @@ jobs:
         fetch-depth: 0
         lfs: true
 
-    - name: Build Docker Image
-      uses: ./.github/actions/docker-build
-      with:
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}
-        isaacsim-base-image: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE }}
-        isaacsim-version: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION }}
+    - name: Login to ECR
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p ~/.docker
+        echo '{}' > ~/.docker/config.json
+        aws ecr get-login-password --region us-west-2 \
+          | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin ${{ env.ECR_CACHE_URL }}
+
+    - name: Pull Base Docker Image from ECR
+      run: docker pull ${{ needs.build-base-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
 
     - name: Run IsaacLab Tasks Tests 2
       uses: ./.github/actions/run-tests
@@ -117,7 +225,7 @@ jobs:
         test-path: "tools"
         result-file: "isaaclab-tasks-2-report.xml"
         container-name: "isaac-lab-tasks-2-test-$$"
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}
+        image-tag: ${{ needs.build-base-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
         pytest-options: ""
         filter-pattern: "isaaclab_tasks"
         include-files: "test_teleop_environments_with_stage_in_memory.py,test_lift_teddy_bear.py,test_environment_determinism.py,test_hydra.py,test_env_cfg_no_forbidden_imports.py,test_rl_device_separation.py,test_cartpole_showcase_environments_with_stage_in_memory.py,test_environments_with_stage_in_memory.py"
@@ -154,6 +262,7 @@ jobs:
         fi
 
   test-general:
+    needs: [build-base-image]
     runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
     timeout-minutes: 180
 
@@ -164,12 +273,15 @@ jobs:
         fetch-depth: 0
         lfs: true
 
-    - name: Build Docker Image
-      uses: ./.github/actions/docker-build
-      with:
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}
-        isaacsim-base-image: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE }}
-        isaacsim-version: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION }}
+    - name: Login to ECR
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p ~/.docker
+        echo '{}' > ~/.docker/config.json
+        aws ecr get-login-password --region us-west-2 \
+          | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin ${{ env.ECR_CACHE_URL }}
+
+    - name: Pull Base Docker Image from ECR
+      run: docker pull ${{ needs.build-base-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
 
     - name: Run General Tests
       id: run-general-tests
@@ -178,7 +290,7 @@ jobs:
         test-path: "tools"
         result-file: "general-tests-report.xml"
         container-name: "isaac-lab-general-test-$$"
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}
+        image-tag: ${{ needs.build-base-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
         pytest-options: ""
         filter-pattern: "not isaaclab_tasks"
 
@@ -214,6 +326,7 @@ jobs:
         fi
 
   test-curobo:
+    needs: [build-curobo-image]
     runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
     timeout-minutes: 120
     continue-on-error: true
@@ -225,13 +338,15 @@ jobs:
         fetch-depth: 0
         lfs: true
 
-    - name: Build Docker Image (cuRobo)
-      uses: ./.github/actions/docker-build
-      with:
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}-curobo
-        isaacsim-base-image: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_IMAGE }}
-        isaacsim-version: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSION }}
-        dockerfile-path: 'docker/Dockerfile.curobo'
+    - name: Login to ECR
+      run: |
+        mkdir -p ~/.docker
+        echo '{}' > ~/.docker/config.json
+        aws ecr get-login-password --region us-west-2 \
+          | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin ${{ env.ECR_CACHE_URL }}
+
+    - name: Pull cuRobo Docker Image from ECR
+      run: docker pull ${{ needs.build-curobo-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
 
     - name: Run cuRobo and SkillGen Tests
       uses: ./.github/actions/run-tests
@@ -239,7 +354,7 @@ jobs:
         test-path: "tools"
         result-file: "curobo-tests-report.xml"
         container-name: "isaac-lab-curobo-test-$$"
-        image-tag: ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}-curobo
+        image-tag: ${{ needs.build-curobo-image.outputs.ecr-image-tag }}
         pytest-options: ""
         filter-pattern: ""
         curobo-only: "true"
@@ -277,7 +392,7 @@ jobs:
 
   combine-results:
     needs: [test-isaaclab-tasks, test-isaaclab-tasks-2, test-general, test-curobo]
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
+    runs-on: [self-hosted]
     if: always()
 
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/postmerge-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/postmerge-ci.yml
index e19613cd9dd3..71800e0a582c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/postmerge-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/postmerge-ci.yml
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ jobs:
         echo "Repository name: $REPO_SHORT_NAME"
         echo "IsaacSim versions: ${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSIONS_STRING }}"
 
+        # ECR layer-cache tags: write to branch-specific key, read branch + develop as fallback
+        ECR_CACHE_WRITE="${ECR_CACHE_URL}:cache-base-${SAFE_BRANCH_NAME}"
+        ECR_CACHE_READ_FALLBACK="${ECR_CACHE_URL}:cache-base-develop"
+
         # Parse the env variable string into an array
         IMAGE_BASE_VERSIONS_STRING="${{ env.ISAACSIM_BASE_VERSIONS_STRING }}"
         # Use set to split the string into positional parameters, then convert to array
@@ -149,8 +153,11 @@ jobs:
           echo "IsaacSim version: $IMAGE_BASE_VERSION"
           echo "Base image: $BASE_IMAGE_FULL"
           echo "Target platforms: $BUILD_PLATFORMS"
+          echo "ECR layer cache: read=${ECR_CACHE_WRITE},${ECR_CACHE_READ_FALLBACK} write=${ECR_CACHE_WRITE}"
 
-          # Build Docker image once with both tags for multiple architectures
+          # Build Docker image once with both tags for multiple architectures.
+          # Layer cache is read from / written to ECR so subsequent runs and
+          # parallel PR builds on the same branch skip already-built layers.
           docker buildx build \
             --platform $BUILD_PLATFORMS \
             --progress=plain \
@@ -161,8 +168,9 @@ jobs:
             --build-arg ISAACSIM_ROOT_PATH_ARG=/isaac-sim \
             --build-arg ISAACLAB_PATH_ARG=/workspace/isaaclab \
             --build-arg DOCKER_USER_HOME_ARG=/root \
-            --cache-from type=gha \
-            --cache-to type=gha,mode=max \
+            --cache-from type=registry,ref=${ECR_CACHE_WRITE} \
+            --cache-from type=registry,ref=${ECR_CACHE_READ_FALLBACK} \
+            --cache-to type=registry,ref=${ECR_CACHE_WRITE},mode=max \
             -f docker/Dockerfile.base \
             --push .