diff --git a/.github/workflows/actions/build-composite.yml b/.github/workflows/actions/build-composite.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fba9af5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/actions/build-composite.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+name: "BlueBuild"
+description: "Build a custom OS image"
+inputs:
+  recipe:
+    description: |
+      The [recipe](https://blue-build.org/reference/recipe/) file to build the image from, relative to the `config/` or `recipes/` directory.
+    required: true
+    default: "recipe.yml"
+  cosign_private_key:
+    description: |
+      The Sigstore/cosign secret used to sign the image.
+
+      Example: `${{ secrets.SIGNING_SECRET }}`
+    required: true
+  registry_token:
+    description: |
+      The token used to sign into the container registry.
+
+      Example: `${{ github.token }}`
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+  registry_username:
+    description: |
+      The username used to sign into the container registry.
+    required: false
+    default: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+  pr_event_number:
+    description: |
+      The event number used to tag images pushed from pull requests.
+
+      Example: `${{ github.event.number }}`
+    required: true
+  maximize_build_space:
+    description: |
+      Whether to run the unwanted software remover to maximize build space in the GitHub builder.
+      Disable this with 'false' if your image doesn't take up a lot of space and you'd rather have shorter build times.
+    required: false
+    default: "true"
+  cli_version:
+    description: |
+      Set this with a tag, sha, or branch name for the blue-build/cli repo to use that particular version of the CLI tool. This will override the `use_unstable_cli` input for the action.
+    required: false
+  registry:
+    description: |
+      The container registry to push the built image to.
+    required: false
+    default: "git.hydrosaber.com"
+  registry_namespace:
+    description: |
+      The namespace on the registry to push to.
+
+      Example: `ublue-os`
+    required: false
+    default: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+  use_cache:
+    description: |
+      Make use of layer cache by pushing the layers to the registry. Input must match the string 'true' for the step to be enabled.
+    required: false
+    default: "true"
+  squash:
+    description: |
+      Uses buildah to squash the build's layers into a single layer. Use of this option
+      disables cache. Conflicts with adding `--build-driver` or `--squash` to the build opts.
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
+  build_opts:
+    description: |
+      Provide options to the call to the BlueBuild CLI build command. If you use this with
+      the squash input set to true and provide either of the `--build-driver` or `--squash` flags
+      an error will occur and the action will not run.
+    required: false
+    default: " "
+  working_directory:
+    description: |
+      Changes working directory for whole build.
+      For example, setting this to `./abc/` would cause for the recipe to be read from `./abc/recipes/recipe.yml`.
+    required: false
+    default: ./
+  skip_checkout:
+    description: |
+      Set to true to skip doing the actions/checkout step.
+      This allows you to checkout manually before calling bluebuild/github-action
+      and to modify files (such as supplying build information to other scripts) before building.
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: Validate inputs
+      shell: bash
+      run: "${{ github.action_path }}/build_opts_check.sh"
+      env:
+        SQUASH_INPUT_VALUE: "${{ inputs.squash }}"
+        BUILD_OPTS: "${{ inputs.build_opts }}"
+    # building custom images might take a lot of space,
+    # so it's best to remove unneeded softawre
+    - name: Maximize build space
+      uses: jlumbroso/free-disk-space@54081f138730dfa15788a46383842cd2f914a1be # v1.3.1
+      if: ${{ inputs.maximize_build_space == 'true' }}
+
+    - name: Get Ubuntu version
+      id: ubuntu_version
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        VERSION=$(awk -F= '/^VERSION_ID=/ {gsub(/"/, "", $2); print $2}' /etc/os-release)
+        echo "Ubuntu version is $VERSION"
+        echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+    # that is compatible with BlueBuild
+    - name: Setup Podman
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        # from https://askubuntu.com/questions/1414446/whats-the-recommended-way-of-installing-podman-4-in-ubuntu-22-04
+        ubuntu_version='22.04'
+        key_url="https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/unstable/xUbuntu_${ubuntu_version}/Release.key"
+        sources_url="https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/unstable/xUbuntu_${ubuntu_version}"
+        echo "deb $sources_url/ /" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/devel-kubic-libcontainers-unstable.list
+        curl -fsSL $key_url | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/devel_kubic_libcontainers_unstable.gpg > /dev/null
+        sudo apt-get update
+        sudo apt-get install -y podman
+
+    - uses: sigstore/cosign-installer@sigstore/cosign-installer # v3.9.0
+      with:
+        install-dir: /usr/bin
+        use-sudo: true
+
+    # clones user's repo
+    - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+      if: ${{ inputs.skip_checkout == 'false' }}
+
+    - name: Determine Vars
+      id: build_vars
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        RECIPE: ${{ inputs.recipe }}
+      run: |
+        if [ -n "${{ inputs.cli_version }}" ]; then
+          CLI_VERSION_TAG="${{ inputs.cli_version }}"
+        else
+          CLI_VERSION_TAG="v0.9"
+        fi
+        echo "cli_version=${CLI_VERSION_TAG}" >> ${GITHUB_OUTPUT}
+
+        RECIPE_PATH=""
+        if [ -f "./config/${RECIPE}" ]; then
+          RECIPE_PATH="./config/${RECIPE}"
+        else
+          RECIPE_PATH="./recipes/${RECIPE}"
+        fi
+        echo "recipe_path=${RECIPE_PATH}" >> ${GITHUB_OUTPUT}
+
+    - name: Install BlueBuild
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        CLI_VERSION_TAG: ${{ steps.build_vars.outputs.cli_version }}
+      run: |
+        sudo docker create \
+          --name blue-build-installer \
+          ghcr.io/blue-build/cli:${{ env.CLI_VERSION_TAG }}-installer
+        sudo docker cp blue-build-installer:/out/bluebuild /usr/bin/bluebuild
+        sudo docker rm blue-build-installer
+        bluebuild --version
+
+    # blue-build/cli does the heavy lifting
+    - name: Build Image
+      shell: bash
+      working-directory: ${{ inputs.working_directory }}
+      env:
+        COSIGN_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ inputs.cosign_private_key }}
+        GH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.registry_token }}
+        BB_PASSWORD: ${{ inputs.registry_token }}
+        BB_USERNAME: ${{ inputs.registry_username }}
+        BB_REGISTRY: ${{ inputs.registry }}
+        BB_REGISTRY_NAMESPACE: ${{ inputs.registry_namespace }}
+        GH_PR_EVENT_NUMBER: ${{ inputs.pr_event_number }}
+        BB_CACHE_LAYERS: ${{ inputs.use_cache }}
+        RECIPE_PATH: ${{ steps.build_vars.outputs.recipe_path }}
+        RUST_LOG_STYLE: always
+        CLICOLOR_FORCE: "1"
+        BUILD_OPTS: ${{ inputs.build_opts }}
+      run: |
+        sudo -E bluebuild build -v --push --rechunk ${BUILD_OPTS} ${RECIPE_PATH}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index b51e455..d87bfab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -32,13 +32,10 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       # the build is fully handled by the reusable github action
       - name: Build Custom Image
-        uses: blue-build/github-action@v1.8
+        uses: ./.github/workflows/actions/build-composite.yml
         with:
           recipe: ${{ matrix.recipe }}
           cosign_private_key: ${{ secrets.SIGNING_SECRET }}
           registry: 'git.hydrosaber.com'
           registry_token: ${{ secrets.PACKAGE_BUILDER_TOKEN }}
           pr_event_number: ${{ github.event.number }}
-
-          # enabled by default, disable if your image is small and you want faster builds
-          maximize_build_space: true