diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml b/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf78b44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_docker.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# action to build the Docker image at each commit without pushing it
+name: build Docker image
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'master'
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - 'master'
+    tags:
+      - "v*.*.*"
+
+jobs:
+  docker:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - 
+        name: Docker meta
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          images: |
+            ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/mesocircuit_model     
+          tags: |
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
+            type=sha
+            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
+      -
+        name: Set up QEMU
+        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
+      -
+        name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+      - 
+        name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}      
+      -
+        name: Build and push
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: "{{defaultContext}}:docker"
+          push: False
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          file:
+            ./Dockerfile
+          platforms:
+            linux/amd64
+            linux/arm64
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index e75c134..54889d6 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ FROM buildpack-deps:jammy
 # ---- install .deb packages ----
 RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y \
-    cmake=3.22.1-1ubuntu1.22.04.1 \
+    cmake=3.22.1-1ubuntu1.22.04.2 \
     libmpich-dev=4.0-3 \
     mpich=4.0-3 \
     doxygen=1.9.1-2ubuntu2 \
     libboost-dev=1.74.0.3ubuntu7 \
     libgsl-dev=2.7.1+dfsg-3 \
+    libltdl-dev=2.4.6-15build2 \
     fonts-humor-sans=1.0-4 \
     cython3=0.29.28-1ubuntu3 \
     python3-dev=3.10.6-1~22.04 \
@@ -43,9 +44,11 @@ RUN pip --no-cache-dir install --no-deps mpi4py==3.1.3 && \
   pip --no-cache-dir install jupyterlab==3.4.3
 
 # ---- install NEST 3.4 ----
-RUN git clone --depth 1 -b v3.4 https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator /usr/src/nest-simulator && \
+RUN git clone --depth 1 -b v3.8 https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator /usr/src/nest-simulator && \
   mkdir nest-build && \
   cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=/usr/local/ \
+        -Dwith-optimize="-O2" \
+        -Dwith-warning=ON \
         -Dwith-boost=ON \
         -Dwith-ltdl=ON \
         -Dwith-gsl=ON \
@@ -53,9 +56,13 @@ RUN git clone --depth 1 -b v3.4 https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator /usr/src/
         -Dwith-python=ON \
         -Dwith-mpi=ON \
         -Dwith-openmp=ON \
+        -Dwith-libneurosim=OFF \
+        -Dwith-sionlib=OFF \
+        -Dwith-music=OFF \
+        -Dwith-hdf5=OFF \
         -S /usr/src/nest-simulator \
         -B nest-build && \
-  make -j4 -C nest-build && \
+  make -C nest-build && \
   make -C nest-build install && \
   # clean up install/build files
   rm -r /usr/src/nest-simulator && \