diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
index 15dbf7c59..b8a1771b9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ on:
       autoscaler-agent:
         description: 'autoscaler-agent image'
         value: ${{ jobs.tags.outputs.autoscaler-agent }}
-
+      daemon:
+        description: 'neonvm-daemon image'
+        value: ${{ jobs.tags.outputs.daemon }}
+        
 env:
   IMG_CONTROLLER:         "neondatabase/neonvm-controller"
   IMG_VXLAN_CONTROLLER:   "neondatabase/neonvm-vxlan-controller"
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ env:
   IMG_KERNEL:             "neondatabase/vm-kernel"
   IMG_SCHEDULER:          "neondatabase/autoscale-scheduler"
   IMG_AUTOSCALER_AGENT:   "neondatabase/autoscaler-agent"
+  IMG_DAEMON:             "neondatabase/neonvm-daemon"
   IMG_CLUSTER_AUTOSCALER: "neondatabase/cluster-autoscaler-neonvm"
   ECR_DEV:                "369495373322.dkr.ecr.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com"
   ECR_PROD:               "093970136003.dkr.ecr.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com"
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ jobs:
       scheduler:          ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.scheduler }}
       autoscaler-agent:   ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.autoscaler-agent }}
       cluster-autoscaler: ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.cluster-autoscaler }}
+      daemon:             ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.daemon }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - id: show-tags
@@ -90,6 +95,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "scheduler=${{ env.IMG_SCHEDULER }}:${{ inputs.tag }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "autoscaler-agent=${{ env.IMG_AUTOSCALER_AGENT }}:${{ inputs.tag }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "cluster-autoscaler=${{ env.IMG_CLUSTER_AUTOSCALER }}:${{ inputs.tag }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "daemon=${{ env.IMG_DAEMON }}:${{ inputs.tag }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
   vm-kernel:
     # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.skip = true AND inputs.skip = 'true'.
@@ -294,6 +300,19 @@ jobs:
             GO_BASE_IMG=${{ env.GO_BASE_IMG }}
             GIT_INFO=${{ steps.get-git-info.outputs.info }}
 
+      - name: Build and push neonvm-daemon image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          platforms: linux/amd64
+          push: true
+          file: neonvm-daemon/Dockerfile
+          cache-from: type=registry,ref=cache.neon.build/neonvm-daemon:cache
+          cache-to: ${{ github.ref_name == 'main' && 'type=registry,ref=cache.neon.build/neonvm-daemon:cache,mode=max' || '' }}
+          tags: ${{ needs.tags.outputs.daemon }}
+          build-args: |
+            GO_BASE_IMG=${{ env.GO_BASE_IMG }}            
+
       - name: Build and push cluster-autoscaler image
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
         if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.build-cluster-autoscaler) == 'true' }}
@@ -312,6 +331,7 @@ jobs:
             neonvm-controller \
             neonvm-vxlan-controller \
             neonvm-runner \
+            neonvm-daemon \
             vm-kernel \
             autoscale-scheduler \
             autoscaler-agent \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml
index 9fb28e0da..c63c5c4eb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ on:
 env:
   IMG_POSTGRES_16_BULLSEYE: "neondatabase/vm-postgres-16-bullseye"
   # using image built in the same workflow
-  IMG_DAEMON: "daemon:dev"
+  IMG_DAEMON: "neondatabase/neonvm-daemon"
 
 defaults:
   run:
@@ -46,13 +46,15 @@ jobs:
       - id: show-tags
         run: |
           echo "vm-postgres-16-bullseye=${{ env.IMG_POSTGRES_16_BULLSEYE }}:${{ inputs.tag }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "daemon=${{ env.IMG_DAEMON }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "daemon=${{ env.IMG_DAEMON }}:${{ inputs.tag }}" | tee -a $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
   build:
     # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.skip = true AND inputs.skip = 'true'.
     if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.skip) != 'true' }}
     needs: tags
     runs-on: [ self-hosted, gen3, large ]
+    env:
+      IMG_DAEMON: ${{ needs.tags.outputs.daemon }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v5