diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index d78a235..b707c3b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ ARG ELIXIR_VERSION=1.18.4
 ARG OTP_VERSION=27.2.4
 ARG DEBIAN_VERSION=bullseye-20250520-slim
 
+# Set default non-root user and group IDs
+ARG USER_ID=1000
+ARG GROUP_ID=1000
+
 ARG BUILDER_IMAGE="hexpm/elixir:${ELIXIR_VERSION}-erlang-${OTP_VERSION}-debian-${DEBIAN_VERSION}"
-# Use distroless base image - this includes glibc and essential libraries
-ARG RUNNER_IMAGE="gcr.io/distroless/cc-debian11:nonroot"
+ARG RUNNER_IMAGE="debian:${DEBIAN_VERSION}"
 
 FROM ${BUILDER_IMAGE} AS builder
 
@@ -31,11 +34,15 @@ RUN mix deps.get --only $MIX_ENV
 RUN mkdir config
 
 # copy compile-time config files before we compile dependencies
+# to ensure any relevant config change will trigger the dependencies
+# to be re-compiled.
 COPY config/config.exs config/${MIX_ENV}.exs config/
 RUN mix deps.compile
 
 COPY priv priv
+
 COPY lib lib
+
 COPY assets assets
 
 # compile assets
@@ -48,36 +55,88 @@ RUN mix compile
 COPY config/runtime.exs config/
 
 COPY rel rel
-RUN mix release && \
-    chmod +x /app/_build/prod/rel/aprs/bin/server /app/_build/prod/rel/aprs/bin/aprs
+RUN mix release
 
-# Final distroless stage
+# start a new build stage so that the final image will only contain
+# the compiled release and other runtime necessities
 FROM ${RUNNER_IMAGE}
 
-# Set environment variables for production
+# Install security updates and required packages
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+RUN apt-get update -y && \
+    apt-get upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    libstdc++6 \
+    openssl \
+    libncurses5 \
+    locales \
+    ca-certificates \
+    tini && \
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
+    # Create a non-root user and group with specific ID
+    groupadd -g 1000 aprs && \
+    useradd -r -g aprs -u 1000 -s /bin/false -M aprs && \
+    # Remove setuid and setgid permissions
+    find / -perm /6000 -type f -exec chmod a-s {} \; || true && \
+    # Secure system configurations
+    chmod 0600 /etc/login.defs && \
+    chmod 0600 /etc/passwd && \
+    chmod 0600 /etc/group && \
+    # Create and secure app directory
+    mkdir -p /app && \
+    chown aprs:aprs /app && \
+    chmod 0750 /app
+
+# Set the locale
+RUN sed -i '/en_US.UTF-8/s/^# //g' /etc/locale.gen && locale-gen
+
+ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
+ENV LANGUAGE en_US:en
+ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8
+
+WORKDIR "/app"
+
+# Set security-related environment variables
 ENV MIX_ENV="prod" \
-    LANG=C.UTF-8 \
-    # Disable history files for security
+    LANG=en_US.UTF-8 \
+    LANGUAGE=en_US:en \
+    LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 \
+    # Disable history files
     HISTFILE=/dev/null \
-    # Set HOME to /tmp (writable in distroless)
-    HOME=/tmp \
-    # Configure Erlang VM
-    ERL_AFLAGS="+S 1:1 +A 1 +K true" \
+    # Prevent writing .erlang.cookie file
+    HOME=/dev/null \
+    # Add security headers
+    SECURITY_HEADERS="true" \
+    # Disable debug info in production
+    ERL_AFLAGS="+S 1:1 +A 1 +K true -kernel shell_history enabled -kernel shell_history_file_bytes 0" \
     PHX_SERVER=true
 
-WORKDIR /app
+# Only copy the final release from the build stage
+COPY --from=builder --chown=1000:1000 /app/_build/${MIX_ENV}/rel/aprs ./
 
-# Copy the Elixir release from builder stage
-# nonroot user in distroless has UID 65532
-COPY --from=builder --chown=65532:65532 /app/_build/prod/rel/aprs ./
+USER 1000
 
-# Add security metadata
+# Ensure the server binary is executable
+RUN chmod +x /app/bin/server
+
+# If using an environment that doesn't automatically reap zombie processes, it is
+# advised to add an init process such as tini via `apt-get install`
+# above and adding an entrypoint. See https://github.com/krallin/tini for details
+# ENTRYPOINT ["/tini", "--"]
+
+# Add specific capabilities needed by the app
+CMD /app/bin/server
+
+# Add security-related metadata
 LABEL org.opencontainers.image.vendor="APRS.me" \
-    org.opencontainers.image.title="APRS.me Server (Distroless)" \
-    org.opencontainers.image.description="APRS.me server with distroless base" \
-    security.distroless="true" \
-    security.nonroot="true"
+    org.opencontainers.image.title="APRS.me Server" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.description="APRS.me server with security hardening" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.version="${MIX_ENV}" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.created="$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')" \
+    security.root-user="false" \
+    security.non-root-user="app" \
+    security.privileged="false"
 
-# Run the server
-ENTRYPOINT ["/app/bin/server"]
+# Container configuration is handled by Dokku
 EXPOSE $PORT
diff --git a/Dockerfile.working b/Dockerfile.working
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b707c3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile.working
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+ARG ELIXIR_VERSION=1.18.4
+ARG OTP_VERSION=27.2.4
+ARG DEBIAN_VERSION=bullseye-20250520-slim
+
+# Set default non-root user and group IDs
+ARG USER_ID=1000
+ARG GROUP_ID=1000
+
+ARG BUILDER_IMAGE="hexpm/elixir:${ELIXIR_VERSION}-erlang-${OTP_VERSION}-debian-${DEBIAN_VERSION}"
+ARG RUNNER_IMAGE="debian:${DEBIAN_VERSION}"
+
+FROM ${BUILDER_IMAGE} AS builder
+
+# install build dependencies
+RUN apt-get update -y && \
+    apt-get upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y build-essential git && \
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# prepare build dir
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# install hex + rebar
+RUN mix local.hex --force && \
+    mix local.rebar --force
+
+# set build ENV
+ENV MIX_ENV="prod"
+
+# install mix dependencies
+COPY mix.exs mix.lock ./
+RUN mix deps.get --only $MIX_ENV
+RUN mkdir config
+
+# copy compile-time config files before we compile dependencies
+# to ensure any relevant config change will trigger the dependencies
+# to be re-compiled.
+COPY config/config.exs config/${MIX_ENV}.exs config/
+RUN mix deps.compile
+
+COPY priv priv
+
+COPY lib lib
+
+COPY assets assets
+
+# compile assets
+RUN mix assets.deploy
+
+# Compile the release
+RUN mix compile
+
+# Changes to config/runtime.exs don't require recompiling the code
+COPY config/runtime.exs config/
+
+COPY rel rel
+RUN mix release
+
+# start a new build stage so that the final image will only contain
+# the compiled release and other runtime necessities
+FROM ${RUNNER_IMAGE}
+
+# Install security updates and required packages
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+RUN apt-get update -y && \
+    apt-get upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    libstdc++6 \
+    openssl \
+    libncurses5 \
+    locales \
+    ca-certificates \
+    tini && \
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
+    # Create a non-root user and group with specific ID
+    groupadd -g 1000 aprs && \
+    useradd -r -g aprs -u 1000 -s /bin/false -M aprs && \
+    # Remove setuid and setgid permissions
+    find / -perm /6000 -type f -exec chmod a-s {} \; || true && \
+    # Secure system configurations
+    chmod 0600 /etc/login.defs && \
+    chmod 0600 /etc/passwd && \
+    chmod 0600 /etc/group && \
+    # Create and secure app directory
+    mkdir -p /app && \
+    chown aprs:aprs /app && \
+    chmod 0750 /app
+
+# Set the locale
+RUN sed -i '/en_US.UTF-8/s/^# //g' /etc/locale.gen && locale-gen
+
+ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
+ENV LANGUAGE en_US:en
+ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8
+
+WORKDIR "/app"
+
+# Set security-related environment variables
+ENV MIX_ENV="prod" \
+    LANG=en_US.UTF-8 \
+    LANGUAGE=en_US:en \
+    LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 \
+    # Disable history files
+    HISTFILE=/dev/null \
+    # Prevent writing .erlang.cookie file
+    HOME=/dev/null \
+    # Add security headers
+    SECURITY_HEADERS="true" \
+    # Disable debug info in production
+    ERL_AFLAGS="+S 1:1 +A 1 +K true -kernel shell_history enabled -kernel shell_history_file_bytes 0" \
+    PHX_SERVER=true
+
+# Only copy the final release from the build stage
+COPY --from=builder --chown=1000:1000 /app/_build/${MIX_ENV}/rel/aprs ./
+
+USER 1000
+
+# Ensure the server binary is executable
+RUN chmod +x /app/bin/server
+
+# If using an environment that doesn't automatically reap zombie processes, it is
+# advised to add an init process such as tini via `apt-get install`
+# above and adding an entrypoint. See https://github.com/krallin/tini for details
+# ENTRYPOINT ["/tini", "--"]
+
+# Add specific capabilities needed by the app
+CMD /app/bin/server
+
+# Add security-related metadata
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.vendor="APRS.me" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.title="APRS.me Server" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.description="APRS.me server with security hardening" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.version="${MIX_ENV}" \
+    org.opencontainers.image.created="$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')" \
+    security.root-user="false" \
+    security.non-root-user="app" \
+    security.privileged="false"
+
+# Container configuration is handled by Dokku
+EXPOSE $PORT