diff --git a/api/Dockerfile b/api/Dockerfile
index 35d2a4e..022057f 100644
--- a/api/Dockerfile
+++ b/api/Dockerfile
@@ -1,23 +1,58 @@
-# Dockerfile
-FROM python:3.12-slim
+# Multi-stage Dockerfile
+# Stage 1: Builder - Install Python dependencies
+FROM python:3.12-slim AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
+# Install git in builder stage (needed for pip install from git)
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     git \
-    ffmpeg \
     && apt-get clean \
     && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Copy and install requirements
 COPY requirements.txt .
 
-RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+# Install dependencies to user directory for easy copying
+RUN pip install --user --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt && \
+    # Clean up pip cache after installation
+    rm -rf /root/.cache/pip
 
 # Force reinstall of pipecat on every build (cache bust)
-ARG CACHEBUST=1
-RUN pip install 'git+https://github.com/dograh-hq/pipecat.git@main#egg=pipecat-ai[cartesia,deepgram,openai,elevenlabs,groq,google,azure]'
 
+ARG CACHEBUST=1
+RUN pip install --user 'git+https://github.com/dograh-hq/pipecat.git@main#egg=pipecat-ai[cartesia,deepgram,openai,elevenlabs,groq,google,azure]' && \
+    # Clean up pip cache after pipecat installation
+    rm -rf /root/.cache/pip
+
+# Remove unnecessary Python cache files from installed packages
+RUN find /root/.local -type f -name '*.pyc' -delete && \
+    find /root/.local -type d -name '__pycache__' -delete && \
+    find /root/.local -type f -name '*.pyo' -delete
+
+# Stage 2: Runtime - Minimal image with only runtime dependencies
+FROM python:3.12-slim AS runner
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Only install ffmpeg (runtime dependency)
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    ffmpeg \
+    && apt-get clean \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Copy Python packages from builder stage
+COPY --from=builder /root/.local /root/.local
+
+# Make sure scripts in .local are available
+ENV PATH=/root/.local/bin:$PATH
+
+# Set Python to not generate .pyc files in runtime
+ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
+# Unbuffered output for better container logging
+ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+
+# Copy application code
 COPY . ./api
 
 ENV PYTHONPATH=/app
diff --git a/ui/Dockerfile b/ui/Dockerfile
index 3d0b757..095f6de 100644
--- a/ui/Dockerfile
+++ b/ui/Dockerfile
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
-FROM node:20-alpine
-
+# Multi-stage build
+# Stage 1: Dependencies
+FROM node:20-alpine AS deps
 WORKDIR /app
 
-ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_NODE_ENV=local
-ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_PROVIDER=local
-ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_DEPLOYMENT_MODE=oss
-ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL="http://localhost:8000"
-ENV BACKEND_URL="http://api:8000"
+# Copy package files
+COPY package*.json ./
+# Install all dependencies (including dev dependencies for building)
+RUN npm ci --cache /tmp/empty-cache && \
+    npm cache clean --force
 
+# Stage 2: Builder
+FROM node:20-alpine AS builder
+WORKDIR /app
 
-# Copy package files and other config files needed for build
+# Copy dependencies from deps stage
+COPY --from=deps /app/node_modules ./node_modules
+
+# Copy all files needed for build
 COPY package*.json ./
 COPY tsconfig.json ./
 COPY next.config.ts ./
@@ -17,18 +24,42 @@ COPY components.json ./
 COPY sentry.edge.config.ts ./
 COPY sentry.server.config.ts ./
 COPY postcss.config.mjs ./
-
-# Install dependencies (including dev deps for building)
-RUN npm ci
-
-# Copy all source file
 COPY public ./public
 COPY src ./src
 
-RUN npm run build
+# Set build-time environment variables (needed for Next.js build)
+ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_NODE_ENV=local
+ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_PROVIDER=local
+ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_DEPLOYMENT_MODE=oss
+ENV NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL="http://localhost:8000"
+ENV BACKEND_URL="http://api:8000"
+ENV NEXT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1
+
+# Build the application with standalone mode
+RUN npm run build && \
+    rm -rf /tmp/* /root/.npm /root/.next/cache
+
+# Stage 3: Runner (production image)
+FROM node:20-alpine AS runner
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Environment variables will be provided by docker-compose
+ENV NODE_ENV=production
+
+# Create a non-root user
+RUN addgroup --system --gid 1001 nodejs && \
+    adduser --system --uid 1001 nextjs
+
+# Copy standalone build output
+COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/.next/standalone ./
+COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/.next/static ./.next/static
+COPY --from=builder --chown=nextjs:nodejs /app/public ./public
+
+# Switch to non-root user
+USER nextjs
 
 # Expose the port Next.js runs on
 EXPOSE 3000
 
-# Start the production server
-CMD ["npm", "run", "start"]
\ No newline at end of file
+# Start the production server using the standalone Node.js server
+CMD ["node", "server.js"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/next.config.ts b/ui/next.config.ts
index 604a811..2ece625 100644
--- a/ui/next.config.ts
+++ b/ui/next.config.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import type { NextConfig } from "next";
 
 const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
   /* config options here */
+  output: 'standalone',
   experimental: {
     serverSourceMaps: true,
   },