diff --git a/.github/workflows/workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/workflow.yml
index c612f8e..be558a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/workflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/workflow.yml
@@ -28,53 +28,68 @@ jobs:
       run: black --check .
 
 
-  # Run python tests
-  test:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Set up Python 3.13.1
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-      with:
-        python-version: "3.13.1"
-    - name: Install dependencies
-      run: |
-        cd app
-        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-        pip install pytest coverage
-        pip install -r requirements.txt
-    - name: Run pytest
-      run: cd app && coverage run -m pytest .
-    - name: Create code coverage report
-      run: cd app && coverage html
-    - name: Upload coverage report
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-      with:
-        name: coverage
-        path: app/htmlcov
-        retention-days: 30
-
-
-  # Build Docker images to verify they can be built
+  # Build Docker image and save as artifact
   docker:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
     - name: Checkout
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Set up QEMU
-      uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
     - name: Set up Docker Buildx
       uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
-    - name: Build Docker images
+    - name: Build and load Docker image
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v5.3.0
       with:
         # Build's context is the set of files located in the specified PATH or URL
         context: app
-        # List of target platforms for build
-        platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-        # Don't push, just build to verify
+        # Build for single platform to enable loading
+        platforms: linux/amd64
+        # Load the image into Docker daemon
+        load: true
         push: false
         tags: hv-coordinator:buildtest
+    - name: Save Docker image
+      run: docker save hv-coordinator:buildtest -o /tmp/docker-image.tar
+    - name: Upload Docker image artifact
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: docker-image
+        path: /tmp/docker-image.tar
+        retention-days: 1
+
+
+  # Test inside Docker container
+  docker-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: docker
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Download Docker image artifact
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: docker-image
+        path: /tmp
+    - name: Load Docker image
+      run: docker load -i /tmp/docker-image.tar
+    - name: Run tests in container
+      run: |
+        docker run --name test-container \
+          --entrypoint sh \
+          -e COVERAGE_FILE=/tmp/.coverage \
+          hv-coordinator:buildtest \
+          -c "
+            mamba run -n coordinator pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
+            mamba run -n coordinator python -m coverage run -m pytest .
+            mamba run -n coordinator python -m coverage html -d /tmp/htmlcov
+          "
+    - name: Copy coverage report from container
+      run: docker cp test-container:/tmp/htmlcov ./coverage-output
+    - name: Remove container
+      run: docker rm test-container
+    - name: Upload coverage report
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: docker-coverage
+        path: coverage-output
+        retention-days: 30
 
diff --git a/app/Dockerfile b/app/Dockerfile
index 792304f..3003e63 100644
--- a/app/Dockerfile
+++ b/app/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,25 @@
+# Builder stage - has all build tools
+FROM condaforge/mambaforge AS builder
+
+WORKDIR /build
+COPY requirements.txt .
+
+# This is where pip will be after the conda environment is created
+ENV PIP=/opt/conda/envs/coordinator/bin/pip
+
+# Create conda environment and install dependencies
+RUN mamba create -n coordinator -y python=3.13.5 gcc \
+    && cd /tmp \
+    && git clone https://github.com/sunpy/sunpy.git \
+    && cd sunpy \
+    && git fetch origin pull/8500/head:pr-8500 \
+    && git checkout pr-8500 \
+    && mamba run -n coordinator pip install --no-cache-dir . \
+    && cd /build \
+    && mamba run -n coordinator pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt \
+    && rm -rf /tmp/sunpy
+
+# Final stage - minimal runtime image
 FROM condaforge/mambaforge
 
 RUN apt update && apt install -y curl
@@ -5,24 +27,22 @@ RUN apt update && apt install -y curl
 # Create and switch to non-root user
 RUN useradd -m -s /bin/bash nonroot
 WORKDIR /home/nonroot/app
-USER nonroot
+
+# Copy conda environment from builder (keep same path)
+COPY --from=builder /opt/conda/envs/coordinator /opt/conda/envs/coordinator
 
 # copy application files to the container
 COPY --chown=nonroot:nonroot . .
 
+USER nonroot
+
 # This is where pip will be after the conda environment is created
 # can't conda activate in dockerfile
-ENV PIP=/home/nonroot/.conda/envs/coordinator/bin/pip
-
-# Install dependencies in conda environment
-RUN <<EOF
-mamba create -n coordinator -y python=3.13.1
-$PIP install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
-EOF
+ENV PIP=/opt/conda/envs/coordinator/bin/pip
 
 HEALTHCHECK --interval=2s --timeout=10s \
     CMD curl --silent --fail "http://127.0.0.1/health-check"
 
-ENTRYPOINT ["/home/nonroot/.conda/envs/coordinator/bin/python"]
+ENTRYPOINT ["/opt/conda/envs/coordinator/bin/python"]
 
 CMD ["-m", "fastapi", "run", "--workers", "4", "--port", "80", "main.py"]
diff --git a/app/requirements-dev.txt b/app/requirements-dev.txt
index 6c774b3..0b0dde9 100644
--- a/app/requirements-dev.txt
+++ b/app/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
+black==26.1.0
 pytest==9.0.2
-httpx==0.28.1
-black==25.12.0
+coverage==7.13.3
diff --git a/app/requirements.txt b/app/requirements.txt
index bfc5c71..55a80c9 100644
--- a/app/requirements.txt
+++ b/app/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-astropy==7.2.0
-sunpy==7.1.0
-matplotlib==3.10.8
 reproject==0.19.0
-mpl_animators==1.2.4
 fastapi[standard]==0.128.0
+matplotlib==3.10.8
+mpl_animators==1.2.4