diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 61217ad40..000000000
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-FROM node:16.13-bullseye-slim as node
-
-FROM node as build
-# Having multiple steps in builder doesn't increase the final image size
-# So having verbose steps for readability and caching should be the target 
-
-WORKDIR /opt/viewer
-COPY packages/viewer/package*.json ./
-RUN npm install
-COPY packages/viewer .
-RUN npm run build
-
-WORKDIR /opt/frontend
-# Copy package defs first they are the least likely to change
-# Keeping this order will least likely trigger full rebuild
-COPY packages/frontend/package*.json ./
-RUN npm install ../viewer
-RUN npm ci
-
-WORKDIR /opt
-COPY packages/server/package*.json server/
-ENV NODE_ENV production
-RUN npm --prefix server ci server
-
-# Copy remaining files across for frontend. Changes to these files 
-# will be more common than changes to the dependencies. This should 
-# speed up rebuilds.
-COPY packages/frontend frontend
-
-WORKDIR /opt/frontend
-RUN npm run build
-
-FROM node as runtime
-
-RUN apk add --no-cache tini=0.19.0-r0
-ADD https://github.com/ufoscout/docker-compose-wait/releases/download/2.7.3/wait /wait
-RUN chmod +x /wait
-
-# Use a non-root user for increased security.
-USER node
-
-ENV NODE_ENV production
-
-# Copy dependencies and static files from build layer
-COPY --from=build --chown=node /opt/frontend/dist /home/node/frontend/dist
-COPY --from=build --chown=node /opt/server /home/node/server
-
-# Run the application from the non root users home directory
-WORKDIR /home/node/server
-
-# Copy remaining files across for the server. Changes to these 
-# files will be more common than changes to the dependencies. 
-# This should speed up rebuilds.
-COPY --chown=node packages/server /home/node/server
-
-# Init for containers https://github.com/krallin/tini
-ENTRYPOINT [ "/sbin/tini", "--" ]
-
-CMD /wait && node bin/www
diff --git a/packages/frontend/Dockerfile b/packages/frontend/Dockerfile
index 000480c88..ef9a9556f 100644
--- a/packages/frontend/Dockerfile
+++ b/packages/frontend/Dockerfile
@@ -1,23 +1,34 @@
 # NOTE: Docker context should be set to git root directory, to include the viewer
 
 # build stage
-FROM node:16.13-bullseye-slim as build-stage
+FROM node:16.13-bullseye-slim as deps-build
 
 WORKDIR /opt/objectloader
 COPY packages/objectloader /opt/objectloader
 RUN npm install
 RUN npm run build
+# this whole thing is required cause npm 6.* doesn't allow for pack output dir specification
+RUN mkdir /packages
+# invoke npm pack and move its result to the packages folder when done
+RUN npm pack --pack-destination=/packages/
 
 WORKDIR /opt/viewer
 COPY packages/viewer/package*.json ./
+# this installs objectloader from a tarball 
+RUN npm i $(find /packages -type f -name "speckle*.tgz")
 RUN npm install
-RUN npm install ../objectloader
 COPY packages/viewer .
 RUN npm run build
+RUN npm pack --pack-destination=/packages/
+RUN ls /packages
+
+FROM node:16.13-bullseye-slim as build-stage
 
 WORKDIR /opt/frontend
+COPY --from=deps-build /packages /packages
 COPY packages/frontend/package*.json ./
-RUN npm install ../viewer
+# RUN npm install ../viewer
+RUN npm i $(find /packages -type f -name "speckle*.tgz")
 RUN npm ci
 COPY packages/frontend .
 RUN npm run build
diff --git a/packages/preview-service/Dockerfile b/packages/preview-service/Dockerfile
index d377e8ee9..ba76c3976 100644
--- a/packages/preview-service/Dockerfile
+++ b/packages/preview-service/Dockerfile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 
 # build stage
-FROM node:14.16-buster-slim as build-stage
+FROM node:14.16-buster-slim as deps-build 
 
 ARG NODE_ENV=production
 ENV NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV}
@@ -12,25 +12,32 @@ COPY packages/objectloader/package*.json ./
 RUN npm install --production=false
 COPY packages/objectloader .
 RUN npm run build
+# this whole thing is required cause npm 6.* doesn't allow for pack output dir specification
+RUN mkdir /packages
+# invoke npm pack and move its result to the packages folder when done
+RUN mv $(npm pack) /packages/
 
 WORKDIR /opt/viewer
 COPY packages/viewer/package*.json ./
-RUN npm install ../objectloader
+# this installs objectloader from a tarball 
+RUN npm i $(find /packages -type f -name "speckle*.tgz")
 # Install dependencies and devDependencies
 RUN npm install --production=false
 COPY packages/viewer .
 RUN npm run build
+RUN mv $(npm pack) /packages/
+
+FROM node:14.16-buster-slim as build-stage
 
 WORKDIR /opt/preview-service
+COPY --from=deps-build /packages /packages
 COPY packages/preview-service/package*.json ./
-RUN npm install ../objectloader && rm -rf ../objectloader/node_modules
-RUN npm install ../viewer && rm -rf ../viewer/node_modules
+# this installs viewer and objectloader from a tarball
+RUN npm i $(find /packages -type f -name "speckle*.tgz")
 RUN npm ci --production=false
 COPY packages/preview-service .
 RUN npm run build-fe
 
-
-
 FROM node:14.16-buster-slim as node
 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
@@ -48,8 +55,6 @@ RUN chmod +x /wait
 ARG NODE_ENV=production
 ENV NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV}
 
-COPY --from=build-stage /opt/objectloader /opt/objectloader
-COPY --from=build-stage /opt/viewer /opt/viewer
 COPY --from=build-stage /opt/preview-service /opt/preview-service
 
 WORKDIR /opt/preview-service