diff --git a/.woodpecker.yml b/.woodpecker.yml
index 759d06c..707e8fe 100644
--- a/.woodpecker.yml
+++ b/.woodpecker.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ steps:
     volumes:
       - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
     commands:
-      - docker build -t localhost:5000/studio-admin-be:0.1.6 .
+      - sh scripts/build-image.sh -t localhost:5000/studio-admin-be:0.1.6 .
       - docker push localhost:5000/studio-admin-be:0.1.6
     when:
       branch: release
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 719a555..760704e 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ RUN npm run build
 
 FROM node:22-bookworm-slim AS runner
 WORKDIR /app
+COPY --from=docker:27.5.1-cli /usr/local/libexec/docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx /usr/local/libexec/docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
 ENV NODE_ENV=production
 ARG DOCKER_VERSION=27.5.1
 RUN apt-get update \
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ RUN apt-get update \
 COPY package*.json ./
 RUN npm ci --omit=dev
 COPY --from=builder /app/dist ./dist
+COPY scripts/build-image.sh scripts/buildkitd.toml ./scripts/
 COPY --from=builder /app/prisma ./prisma
 COPY --from=builder /app/node_modules/.prisma ./node_modules/.prisma
 COPY --from=builder /app/node_modules/@prisma/launcher-client ./node_modules/@prisma/launcher-client
diff --git a/docs/image-build-limits.md b/docs/image-build-limits.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a636cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/image-build-limits.md
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Container image build limits
+
+`scripts/build-image.sh` submits image builds to one Docker-container BuildKit
+worker named `studio-limited0` (container `buildx_buildkit_studio-limited0`).
+The shared worker has an aggregate 2-CPU quota, 8 GiB memory limit, no swap, and
+at most two parallel build steps. Concurrent API/CI image builds share these
+limits instead of each getting a separate allowance.
+
+The wrapper explicitly selects this worker and verifies its driver, node and
+Docker resource configuration before building. Missing Buildx or mismatched
+limits fail the build, with no unrestricted fallback. The result is loaded into
+Docker so existing push/deployment steps are unchanged. No global Docker daemon
+settings or default builder selection are changed.
+
+## Covered source paths
+
+- Admin app component image builds (including LMS FE/BE web images).
+- Launcher backend image builds.
+- Woodpecker image-build steps for admin FE/BE, auth, platform gateway and manual.
+
+The admin runtime includes Buildx and a copy of the wrapper/config. Other
+Woodpecker projects mount the host directory below read-only and invoke the same
+wrapper. Rollout of these source changes is required; preparing the worker alone
+does not redirect existing callers.
+
+## Server setup
+
+Copy `scripts/build-image.sh` and `scripts/buildkitd.toml` to
+`/home/future2/Studio_v2/build-tools/` before deploying the pipeline changes.
+Do not remove this directory while those pipelines reference it.
+
+The old host Buildx 0.10.5 does not support the required CPU driver options.
+Use the existing Docker 27 CLI image to prepare the worker without replacing the
+host CLI or restarting services:
+
+```sh
+docker run --rm --cpus=0.5 --memory=128m --memory-swap=128m \
+  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
+  -v /home/future2/Studio_v2/build-tools:/tools:ro \
+  docker:27-cli sh /tools/build-image.sh --prepare-only
+```
+
+BuildKit's existing server image is pinned by digest, independently of app
+versions. Its host network mode supports the existing localhost:5000 registry;
+this is a trusted build service, not an untrusted-code security sandbox.
+
+No `BUILD_ARTIFACT_IMAGE` or per-app build image setting is required.
+
+## Scope and rollout limitations
+
+This is not a daemon-wide enforcement mechanism: arbitrary `docker build`,
+unmodified GitHub Actions `setup-buildx-action`/`build-push-action` workflows, and
+other builders do not automatically use this worker. Those workflows must also
+be routed explicitly before claiming every image build on the server is limited.
+Do not let CI cleanup remove the shared builder after each job.
+
+Electron/npm builds outside Docker image builds are separate and unchanged.
+This does not diagnose or guarantee prevention of power, hardware or kernel
+failures. Runtime service limits, deployment behavior and database migrations
+are not modified.
+
+Tests: `node --test scripts/build-image.test.cjs` and `npx tsc --noEmit`.
diff --git a/scripts/build-image.sh b/scripts/build-image.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cea0fac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-image.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eu
+
+# All clients use the same worker container on the Docker host. Limits are
+# aggregate, including builds submitted simultaneously by API and CI clients.
+docker_bin=${DOCKER_BIN:-docker}
+builder=studio-limited
+node=${builder}0
+container=buildx_buildkit_${node}
+directory=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd)
+image=moby/buildkit@sha256:28a898719c18a33f4e8000685287fa36fd0dd9560c6440227d3a732d79bb41d8
+
+"$docker_bin" buildx version >/dev/null
+if ! "$docker_bin" buildx inspect "$builder" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  config_flag=--config
+  if "$docker_bin" buildx create --help | grep -q -- --buildkitd-config; then
+    config_flag=--buildkitd-config
+  fi
+  # Another caller may have registered the builder in this client config first.
+  "$docker_bin" buildx create --name "$builder" --node "$node" \
+    --driver docker-container \
+    --driver-opt "image=$image,memory=8g,memory-swap=8g,cpu-period=100000,cpu-quota=200000,network=host,restart-policy=unless-stopped" \
+    "$config_flag" "$directory/buildkitd.toml" >/dev/null \
+    || "$docker_bin" buildx inspect "$builder" >/dev/null
+fi
+
+info=$("$docker_bin" buildx inspect "$builder")
+driver=$(printf '%s\n' "$info" | awk '$1 == "Driver:" {print $2}')
+[ "$driver" = docker-container ] || { echo 'Refusing unrestricted build driver' >&2; exit 1; }
+names=$(printf '%s\n' "$info" | awk '$1 == "Name:" {print $2}')
+[ "$names" = "$(printf '%s\n%s' "$builder" "$node")" ] || {
+  echo 'Refusing unexpected builder nodes' >&2; exit 1
+}
+"$docker_bin" buildx inspect "$builder" --bootstrap >/dev/null
+limits=$("$docker_bin" inspect "$container" --format '{{.HostConfig.CpuPeriod}} {{.HostConfig.CpuQuota}} {{.HostConfig.Memory}} {{.HostConfig.MemorySwap}}')
+[ "$limits" = '100000 200000 8589934592 8589934592' ] || {
+  echo "Refusing build: unexpected worker limits: $limits" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+echo '[limits] shared image builder: 2 CPUs, 8 GiB RAM, no swap'
+if [ "${1:-}" = --prepare-only ]; then exit 0; fi
+exec "$docker_bin" buildx build --builder "$builder" --load --progress plain "$@"
diff --git a/scripts/build-image.test.cjs b/scripts/build-image.test.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27d84b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-image.test.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const os = require('node:os');
+const path = require('node:path');
+const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+
+function run(overrides = {}, args = ['-t', 'test:limited', '.']) {
+  const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'build-limits-test-'));
+  try {
+    const fake = path.join(dir, 'docker');
+    fs.writeFileSync(fake, `#!${process.execPath}
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const a = process.argv.slice(2);
+fs.appendFileSync(process.env.CALLS, JSON.stringify(a) + '\\n');
+if (a[0] === 'buildx' && a[1] === 'inspect') {
+  if (process.env.ABSENT && !fs.existsSync(process.env.CREATED)) process.exit(1);
+  console.log('Name: studio-limited\\nDriver: ' + (process.env.DRIVER || 'docker-container') + '\\nNodes:\\nName: ' + (process.env.NODE || 'studio-limited0'));
+}
+if (a[0] === 'buildx' && a[1] === 'create') {
+  if (a.includes('--help')) console.log('--buildkitd-config');
+  else fs.writeFileSync(process.env.CREATED, 'yes');
+}
+if (a[0] === 'inspect') console.log(process.env.LIMITS || '100000 200000 8589934592 8589934592');
+`, { mode: 0o755 });
+    const result = spawnSync('/bin/sh', [path.join(__dirname, 'build-image.sh'), ...args], {
+      encoding: 'utf8',
+      env: { ...process.env, DOCKER_BIN: fake, CALLS: path.join(dir, 'calls'), CREATED: path.join(dir, 'created'), ...overrides },
+    });
+    const calls = fs.readFileSync(path.join(dir, 'calls'), 'utf8').trim().split('\n').map(JSON.parse);
+    return { ...result, calls };
+  } finally {
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+test('uses the shared worker and loads the result for existing docker push', () => {
+  const result = run();
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  assert.deepEqual(result.calls.at(-1), ['buildx', 'build', '--builder', 'studio-limited', '--load', '--progress', 'plain', '-t', 'test:limited', '.']);
+});
+
+test('creates a bounded worker without changing the default builder', () => {
+  const result = run({ ABSENT: '1' });
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  const create = result.calls.find((a) => a[1] === 'create' && !a.includes('--help'));
+  const options = create[create.indexOf('--driver-opt') + 1];
+  for (const value of ['memory=8g', 'memory-swap=8g', 'cpu-period=100000', 'cpu-quota=200000']) assert.ok(options.includes(value));
+  assert.ok(!create.includes('--use'));
+});
+
+for (const overrides of [{ LIMITS: '0 0 0 0' }, { DRIVER: 'docker' }, { NODE: 'other-node' }]) {
+  test(`refuses an unbounded or unexpected worker: ${JSON.stringify(overrides)}`, () => {
+    const result = run(overrides);
+    assert.notEqual(result.status, 0);
+    assert.ok(!result.calls.some((a) => a[0] === 'buildx' && a[1] === 'build'));
+  });
+}
+
+test('prepare-only never builds an application', () => {
+  const result = run({}, ['--prepare-only']);
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  assert.ok(!result.calls.some((a) => a[0] === 'buildx' && a[1] === 'build'));
+});
diff --git a/scripts/buildkitd.toml b/scripts/buildkitd.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66b7533
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/buildkitd.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[worker.oci]
+  max-parallelism = 2
+
+[registry."localhost:5000"]
+  http = true
diff --git a/src/apps/build-runner.service.ts b/src/apps/build-runner.service.ts
index 16946e2..a8507fc 100644
--- a/src/apps/build-runner.service.ts
+++ b/src/apps/build-runner.service.ts
@@ -296,6 +296,9 @@ export class BuildRunnerService implements OnModuleInit, OnModuleDestroy {
   ) {
     const image = this.resolveImage(job.image!);
     const builder = this.configService.get<string>('BUILD_IMAGE_BUILDER', 'docker');
+    if (builder !== 'docker') {
+      throw new Error('Image builds require the resource-limited Docker Buildx worker');
+    }
     const dockerfile = this.configService.get<string>('BUILD_DOCKERFILE', 'Dockerfile');
     const contextPath = this.configService.get<string>('BUILD_CONTEXT_PATH', '.');
     const contextDir = path.resolve(workDir, contextPath);
@@ -328,38 +331,10 @@ export class BuildRunnerService implements OnModuleInit, OnModuleDestroy {
       await append(`[image] rewritten to ${image}`);
     }
 
-    if (builder === 'nerdctl') {
-      const namespace = this.configService.get<string>('BUILD_NERDCTL_NAMESPACE');
-      const prefix = namespace ? ['--namespace', namespace] : [];
-
-      await runCommand({
-        jobId: job.id,
-        command: this.configService.get<string>('NERDCTL_BIN', 'nerdctl'),
-        args: [...prefix, 'build', ...buildArgs, '-t', image, '-f', dockerfile, '.'],
-        cwd: contextDir,
-        append,
-        onProcess: (child) => this.activeProcesses.set(job.id, child),
-        onProcessEnd: () => this.activeProcesses.delete(job.id),
-      });
-
-      if (pushEnabled) {
-        await runCommand({
-          jobId: job.id,
-          command: this.configService.get<string>('NERDCTL_BIN', 'nerdctl'),
-          args: [...prefix, 'push', image],
-          cwd: contextDir,
-          append,
-          onProcess: (child) => this.activeProcesses.set(job.id, child),
-          onProcessEnd: () => this.activeProcesses.delete(job.id),
-        });
-      }
-      return;
-    }
-
     await runCommand({
       jobId: job.id,
-      command: this.configService.get<string>('DOCKER_BIN', 'docker'),
-      args: ['build', ...buildArgs, '-t', image, '-f', dockerfile, '.'],
+      command: '/bin/sh',
+      args: [path.resolve(__dirname, '../../scripts/build-image.sh'), ...buildArgs, '-t', image, '-f', dockerfile, '.'],
       cwd: contextDir,
       append,
       onProcess: (child) => this.activeProcesses.set(job.id, child),
diff --git a/src/launcher/launcher.service.ts b/src/launcher/launcher.service.ts
index 60d20d7..2ea4db3 100644
--- a/src/launcher/launcher.service.ts
+++ b/src/launcher/launcher.service.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { exec, execFile } from 'node:child_process';
 import { createHash } from 'node:crypto';
 import { createReadStream } from 'node:fs';
 import { copyFile, mkdir, readFile, rm, stat } from 'node:fs/promises';
-import { basename } from 'node:path';
+import { basename, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { promisify } from 'node:util';
 import { PutObjectCommand, S3Client } from '@aws-sdk/client-s3';
 
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ export class LauncherService {
           data: { version: packageVersion, uploadPath: dockerfile, downloadUrl: imageTag },
         });
         await runCommand(
-          `docker build -t ${quote(imageTag)} -f ${quote(dockerfile)} .`,
+          `/bin/sh ${quote(resolve(__dirname, '../../scripts/build-image.sh'))} -t ${quote(imageTag)} -f ${quote(dockerfile)} .`,
           workDir,
           append,
         );