diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index eb6b1d466..ae5d61adb 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -12,13 +12,21 @@ COPY --from=ghcr.io/astral-sh/uv:latest /uv /usr/local/bin/uv
 # Set up working directory
 WORKDIR /app
 
-# Copy project metadata and source code
-COPY pyproject.toml README.md ./
+# Copy dependency manifests first to leverage Docker layer caching.
+# The expensive dependency installation step is only re-executed when
+# pyproject.toml or uv.lock change, not on every source code change.
+COPY pyproject.toml uv.lock ./
+
+# Install build tool — this layer is cached as long as pyproject.toml
+# and uv.lock remain unchanged.
+RUN uv pip install --system build
+
+# Copy remaining source files needed for the wheel build.
+COPY README.md ./
 COPY src/ ./src/
 
 # Build wheel
-RUN uv pip install --system build && \
-    python -m build --wheel --outdir /dist
+RUN python -m build --wheel --outdir /dist
 
 # Runtime stage
 FROM python:3.13-slim
diff --git a/Dockerfile.server b/Dockerfile.server
index a6d3ba482..65db5d24b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.server
+++ b/Dockerfile.server
@@ -22,13 +22,19 @@ COPY --from=ghcr.io/astral-sh/uv:0.8.0 /uv /usr/local/bin/uv
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-# Copy project metadata and source code
-COPY pyproject.toml README.md ./
-COPY src/ ./src/
+# Copy dependency manifests first to leverage Docker layer caching.
+# The expensive dependency installation step is only re-executed when
+# pyproject.toml or uv.lock change, not on every source code change.
+COPY pyproject.toml uv.lock ./
 
-# Install build tool (separate layer for better caching)
+# Install build tool (separate layer for better caching) — this layer is
+# cached as long as pyproject.toml and uv.lock remain unchanged.
 RUN uv pip install --system build
 
+# Copy remaining source files needed for the wheel build.
+COPY README.md ./
+COPY src/ ./src/
+
 # Build wheel
 RUN python -m build --wheel --outdir /dist