diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker_images.yml b/.github/workflows/docker_images.yml
index 04e27e0a81..1837c06805 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker_images.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker_images.yml
@@ -48,9 +48,14 @@ jobs:
           submodules: recursive
           fetch-depth: 0
           path: kernelci-core
+      - name: Setup Python with pip cache
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.x'
+          cache: 'pip'
+          cache-dependency-path: kernelci-core/pyproject.toml
       - name: Prepare necessary tools
         run: |
-          pip3 install --upgrade pip
           cd kernelci-core
           python3 -m pip install '.[dev]' --break-system-packages
           sudo cp -R config /etc/kernelci/
@@ -144,9 +149,14 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ env.USER_GIT_BRANCH }}
           fetch-depth: 0
           path: kernelci-api
+      - name: Setup Python with pip cache
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.x'
+          cache: 'pip'
+          cache-dependency-path: kernelci-core/pyproject.toml
       - name: Prepare necessary tools
         run: |
-          pip3 install --upgrade pip
           cd kernelci-core
           python3 -m pip install '.[dev]' --break-system-packages
           sudo cp -R config /etc/kernelci/
@@ -202,4 +212,3 @@ jobs:
           DHNAME=$(./kci docker name --prefix=kernelci/staging- ${{ matrix.kcicmd }})
           docker tag $NAME $DHNAME
           docker push $DHNAME
-