diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d55ceb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+name: docker-publish
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      tag:
+        description: Published release tag to build
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: docker-publish-${{ inputs.tag || github.event.release.tag_name || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ (inputs.tag && format('refs/tags/{0}', inputs.tag)) || (github.event.release.tag_name && format('refs/tags/{0}', github.event.release.tag_name)) || github.sha }}
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - name: Read build metadata
+        id: build
+        run: |
+          {
+            echo "version=$(cat VERSION)"
+            echo "commit=$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+            echo "date=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
+          } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      - uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+      - name: Generate image tags and labels
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          context: workflow
+          images: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}
+          flavor: latest=false
+          tags: |
+            type=raw,value=${{ inputs.tag || github.event.release.tag_name || 'latest' }}
+            type=sha,format=long
+      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Build and push image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          platforms: linux/amd64
+          push: true
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          build-args: |
+            VERSION=${{ steps.build.outputs.version }}
+            COMMIT=${{ steps.build.outputs.commit }}
+            BUILD_DATE=${{ steps.build.outputs.date }}
+            DIRTY=false
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index a299577..24e296b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -69,3 +69,13 @@ jobs:
             --title "$RELEASE_TAG" --generate-notes \
             ./*.tar.gz SHA256SUMS
           gh release edit "$RELEASE_TAG" --draft=false
+
+  # GITHUB_TOKEN-created releases do not trigger release-event workflows.
+  image:
+    needs: publish
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml
+    with:
+      tag: ${{ github.ref_name }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 70ad18c..ae6556b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -79,6 +79,19 @@ The version endpoint confirms that the proxy is running; it does not contact you
 gateway. Next, configure the client you use below. Keep your existing API
 credentials: the proxy forwards them to the gateway.
 
+Prebuilt Linux amd64 images are published to GitHub Container Registry:
+
+```bash
+docker pull ghcr.io/xllent-ai/steady-proxy:latest
+```
+
+`latest` follows `main`; release tags such as `v0.1.1` select a release instead.
+To use a prebuilt image with the example Compose configuration, change its
+`image:` to `ghcr.io/xllent-ai/steady-proxy:latest`, remove the `build:` block, then
+run `docker compose pull && docker compose up -d`. See
+[container publishing](docs/RELEASING.md#container-images) for tagging and registry
+access details.
+
 ### Claude Code
 
 Merge this `env` block into `~/.claude/settings.json`, keeping your other settings
diff --git a/docs/RELEASING.md b/docs/RELEASING.md
index ac92983..178d420 100644
--- a/docs/RELEASING.md
+++ b/docs/RELEASING.md
@@ -64,10 +64,33 @@ The workflow then:
 4. Refuses to proceed if any release already uses the tag, including a draft.
 5. Creates a draft with generated GitHub release notes and all five assets, then
    publishes it after uploading succeeds.
+6. Calls the container publishing workflow to build the tagged source and push
+   `ghcr.io/xllent-ai/steady-proxy:v0.1.1` (using the actual release tag).
 
-The workflow uses GitHub's automatic token; no personal token is needed. It does
-not upload container images. Review the published release notes for any migration
-or configuration guidance that commit and pull-request summaries do not explain.
+The workflows use GitHub's automatic token; no personal token is needed. The
+container job has `packages: write` permission. Review the published release notes
+for any migration or configuration guidance that commit and pull-request summaries
+do not explain.
+
+## Container images
+
+The [container workflow](../.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml) publishes Linux
+amd64 images to `ghcr.io/xllent-ai/steady-proxy`:
+
+- Every push to `main` updates `latest` from that push's commit.
+- Publishing a GitHub release builds its tag and publishes an image with that
+  tag, such as `v0.1.1`. Release images never move `latest`.
+- Both paths also publish `sha-<full-commit-sha>` and stamp the executable with
+  `VERSION`, the checked-out commit, build time, and clean working-tree status.
+
+The release workflow calls the container workflow directly because releases
+created with `GITHUB_TOKEN` do not trigger another workflow via a `release` event.
+Manually published releases use the `release: published` trigger instead.
+
+After the first image is published, check the package's visibility in GitHub's
+package settings; change it to public to allow unauthenticated pulls. The image's
+source label links it to this repository. If a package with the same name already
+exists, grant this repository Actions access to it before publishing.
 
 ## If a release fails
 
@@ -76,6 +99,9 @@ failure creates no GitHub release. An upload or publication failure can leave a
 draft; inspect it and delete that draft before rerunning the failed jobs. The
 workflow will not overwrite its assets automatically.
 
+If only the container job fails after the release is published, rerun that failed
+job; do not recreate the release. It rebuilds the same release tag.
+
 If a published release needs a fix, use a new version and tag. Keep existing
 published tags and assets unchanged so downloads continue to identify the same
 code and checksums.