diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-server-container.yml b/.github/workflows/release-server-container.yml
index a846fcb8..9afb3bd5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-server-container.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-server-container.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          ref: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha || github.ref }}
 
       - name: Set up Python 3.11
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
@@ -45,17 +48,27 @@ jobs:
             VERSION="${{ github.event.inputs.version }}"
             echo "Using manual input version: $VERSION"
           else
-            # Extract from the triggering tag
-            VERSION=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^v//')
+            # When triggered by workflow_run, get the tag that triggered the PyPI release
+            # The PyPI workflow is triggered by tags matching v*.*.*
+            VERSION=$(git tag --points-at HEAD | grep '^v[0-9]' | head -1 | sed 's/^v//')
+
             if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
-              echo "Could not determine version from git tags"
+              # Fallback: check pyproject.toml version
+              VERSION=$(uv run python -c "import tomllib; print(tomllib.load(open('pyproject.toml', 'rb'))['project']['version'])")
+              echo "Version from pyproject.toml: $VERSION"
+            else
+              echo "Version from git tag: $VERSION"
+            fi
+
+            if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
+              echo "Could not determine version"
               exit 1
             fi
-            echo "Extracted version from tag: $VERSION"
           fi
 
-          # Validate it's a stable release (no pre, rc, alpha, beta)
-          if [[ $VERSION =~ (pre|rc|alpha|beta) ]]; then
+          # Validate it's a stable release - catch all Python pre-release patterns
+          # Matches: pre, rc, alpha, beta, a1, b2, dev0, etc.
+          if [[ $VERSION =~ (pre|rc|alpha|beta|a[0-9]+|b[0-9]+|\.dev[0-9]*) ]]; then
             echo "Skipping pre-release version: $VERSION"
             echo "skip=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
             exit 0
@@ -132,6 +145,8 @@ jobs:
           labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
           build-args: |
             GRAPHITI_VERSION=${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+            BUILD_DATE=${{ fromJSON(steps.meta.outputs.json).labels['org.opencontainers.image.created'] }}
+            VCS_REF=${{ github.sha }}
 
       - name: Summary
         if: steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true'
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index e0142f6b..06095f84 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,43 +1,4 @@
 # syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.9
-FROM python:3.12-slim as builder
-
-# Build arguments for version tracking
-ARG GRAPHITI_VERSION
-ARG BUILD_DATE
-ARG VCS_REF
-
-WORKDIR /app
-
-# Install system dependencies for building
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
-    gcc \
-    curl \
-    ca-certificates \
-    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
-
-# Install uv using the installer script
-ADD https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh /uv-installer.sh
-RUN sh /uv-installer.sh && rm /uv-installer.sh
-ENV PATH="/root/.local/bin:$PATH"
-
-# Configure uv for optimal Docker usage
-ENV UV_COMPILE_BYTECODE=1 \
-    UV_LINK_MODE=copy \
-    UV_PYTHON_DOWNLOADS=never
-
-# Copy and build main graphiti-core project
-COPY ./pyproject.toml ./README.md ./
-COPY ./graphiti_core ./graphiti_core
-
-# Build graphiti-core wheel
-RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/uv \
-    uv build
-
-# Install the built wheel to make it available for server
-RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/uv \
-    pip install dist/*.whl
-
-# Runtime stage - build the server here
 FROM python:3.12-slim
 
 # Inherit build arguments for labels
@@ -74,12 +35,14 @@ ENV UV_COMPILE_BYTECODE=1 \
 # Create non-root user
 RUN groupadd -r app && useradd -r -d /app -g app app
 
-# Copy graphiti-core wheel from builder
-COPY --from=builder /app/dist/*.whl /tmp/
-
-# Install graphiti-core wheel first
+# Install graphiti-core from PyPI
+# If GRAPHITI_VERSION is provided, install that specific version; otherwise install latest
 RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/uv \
-    uv pip install --system /tmp/*.whl
+    if [ -n "$GRAPHITI_VERSION" ]; then \
+        uv pip install --system "graphiti-core==$GRAPHITI_VERSION"; \
+    else \
+        uv pip install --system graphiti-core; \
+    fi
 
 # Set up the server application
 WORKDIR /app
@@ -94,8 +57,11 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/uv \
 ARG INSTALL_FALKORDB=false
 RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/uv \
     if [ "$INSTALL_FALKORDB" = "true" ]; then \
-        WHEEL=$(ls /tmp/*.whl | head -n 1); \
-        uv pip install "$WHEEL[falkordb]"; \
+        if [ -n "$GRAPHITI_VERSION" ]; then \
+            uv pip install --system "graphiti-core[falkordb]==$GRAPHITI_VERSION"; \
+        else \
+            uv pip install --system "graphiti-core[falkordb]"; \
+        fi; \
     fi
 
 # Change ownership to app user