diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-push.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-and-push.yaml
index 5995f586c..400df6883 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-push.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-push.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
     paths:
-      - ".github/workflows/build-and-push.yaml"
+      - "Makefile"
       - "pom.xml"
+      - ".github/workflows/build-and-push.yaml"
       - "geoserver_submodule/**"
       - "src/**"
     tags:
@@ -42,10 +43,15 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Build GeoServer 2.21.0-CLOUD
       run: |
-        make install 
+        make deps 
 
-    - name: Build and push Hotspot and OpenJ9 docker images
-      run: ./mvnw install -f src/ -Ddockerfile.push.skip=false -ntp -Dfmt.skip -T1 -DskipTests
+    - name: Build without tests
+      run: |
+        make install
+
+    - name: Build and push Hotspot docker images
+      run: |
+        make build-image SKIP_PUSH=false
 
     - name: Remove project jars from cached repository
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/config-service-native-image.yaml b/.github/workflows/config-service-native-image.yaml
index 37294aa87..3f1afeadb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/config-service-native-image.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/config-service-native-image.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ on:
       - '*'
     paths:
       - ".github/workflows/config-service-native-image.yaml"
+      - "Makefile"
       - "pom.xml"
       - "src/pom.xml"
       - "src/apps/infrastructure/pom.xml"
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - ".github/workflows/config-service-native-image.yaml"
+      - "Makefile"
       - "pom.xml"
       - "src/pom.xml"
       - "src/apps/infrastructure/pom.xml"
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 09b66b0fb..7b5c4712d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 all: deps install test docker
 
-# run `make build-image[-*] PUSH=true` to push the images to dockerhub
-PUSH?="false"
+# run `make build-image[-*] SKIP_PUSH=false` to push the images to dockerhub
+SKIP_PUSH?="true"
 
 check:
 	./mvnw -f src/ -P-geoserver fmt:check -DskipTests -ntp -T4
@@ -21,21 +21,21 @@ build-image-openj9: build-image-infrastructure-openj9 build-image-geoserver-open
 
 build-image-infrastructure:
 	./mvnw clean package -f src/apps/infrastructure \
-	-Ddocker -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
+	-Ddocker -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(SKIP_PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
 
 build-image-infrastructure-openj9:
 	./mvnw clean package -f src/apps/infrastructure \
-	-Dopenj9 -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
+	-Dopenj9 -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(SKIP_PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
 
 build-image-geoserver:
 	./mvnw clean package -f src/apps/geoserver \
-	-Ddocker -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
+	-Ddocker -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(SKIP_PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
   
 build-image-geoserver-openj9:
 	./mvnw clean package -f src/apps/geoserver \
-	-Dopenj9 -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
+	-Dopenj9 -P-geoserver -Ddockerfile.push.skip=$(SKIP_PUSH) -ntp -Dfmt.skip -DskipTests
 
 build-config-native-image:
-	./mvnw -pl :gs-cloud-config-service package -am -Dfmt.action=check -ntp -P-geoserver
+	./mvnw -pl :gs-cloud-config-service install -am -Dfmt.action=check -ntp -P-geoserver
 	./mvnw -pl :gs-cloud-config-service spring-boot:build-image -Pnative,-geoserver -ntp -DskipTests -Dfmt.skip