diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0847788
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: release
+
+# Tag a commit as v* (e.g. v0.1.0) to build and publish the comfyui-nvidia
+# image to the Gitea container registry. The deployed compose file
+# references this image, so a successful release is what makes a new build
+# reachable to deployers.
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - "v*"
+
+jobs:
+  build-docker:
+    name: Build & Push Docker Image
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: ghcr.io/catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
+    env:
+      REGISTRY: git.anomalous.dev
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Extract version
+        id: version
+        run: echo "version=${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Compute image name
+        id: meta
+        run: |
+          owner=$(echo "${{ github.repository_owner }}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+          echo "image=${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${owner}/comfyui-nvidia" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Log in to Gitea Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.TOKEN_GITEA }}
+
+      - name: Build and push
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: Dockerfile
+          push: true
+          tags: |
+            ${{ steps.meta.outputs.image }}:${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+            ${{ steps.meta.outputs.image }}:latest
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f17e51a..4c431e4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,9 +22,14 @@ setup.
 ```sh
 cp .env.example .env
 # edit .env — set OPEN_WEBUI_SECRET_KEY at minimum
-docker compose up -d --build
+docker compose up -d
 ```
 
+`compose up` pulls the prebuilt ComfyUI image from
+`git.anomalous.dev/alphacentri/comfyui-nvidia` (CI publishes it on every
+`v*` tag — see [.gitea/workflows/release.yml](.gitea/workflows/release.yml)).
+Use `docker compose build` to rebuild locally when iterating on the Dockerfile.
+
 Then drop a checkpoint into the `comfyui-models` volume and finish the Open
 WebUI ComfyUI configuration. Full walkthrough in [SETUP.md](SETUP.md).
 
diff --git a/SETUP.md b/SETUP.md
index d09c224..682d727 100644
--- a/SETUP.md
+++ b/SETUP.md
@@ -32,16 +32,27 @@ Edit `.env`:
 - `OPEN_WEBUI_SECRET_KEY` — generate with `openssl rand -hex 32`. Keep stable;
   rotating it logs every user out.
 
-## 3. Build and start
+## 3. Start the stack
 
 ```sh
-docker compose up -d --build
+docker compose up -d
 ```
 
-First build pulls the CUDA base, PyTorch wheels, and ComfyUI source — expect
-several minutes. `docker compose logs -f comfyui` should end with a line like
+This pulls the prebuilt `comfyui-nvidia` image from the Gitea registry (CI
+publishes it on every `v*` tag) plus the upstream Open WebUI image, then
+brings both up. `docker compose logs -f comfyui` should end with a line like
 `To see the GUI go to: http://0.0.0.0:8188`.
 
+To build the image locally instead (e.g. while iterating on the Dockerfile):
+
+```sh
+docker compose build comfyui
+docker compose up -d
+```
+
+First local build pulls the CUDA base, PyTorch wheels, and ComfyUI source —
+expect several minutes.
+
 Health-check both services:
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c1156b2..1f0e108 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -25,10 +25,14 @@ volumes:
 
 services:
   comfyui:
+    # CI (.gitea/workflows/release.yml) builds and pushes this image on tag.
+    # `build:` is kept so `docker compose build` still works locally — useful
+    # when iterating on the Dockerfile without going through CI.
+    image: git.anomalous.dev/alphacentri/comfyui-nvidia:${COMFYUI_IMAGE_TAG:-latest}
+    pull_policy: always
     build:
       context: .
       dockerfile: Dockerfile
-    image: comfyui-nvidia:local
     container_name: comfyui
     restart: unless-stopped
     networks: [comfyui-net]