diff --git a/.tangled/workflows/check.yml b/.tangled/workflows/check.yml
index 19281b4..09ad689 100644
--- a/.tangled/workflows/check.yml
+++ b/.tangled/workflows/check.yml
@@ -21,28 +21,5 @@ steps:
   - name: "Initialize devenv"
     command: devenv shell true
 
-  - name: "Publish Dagger base image cache"
-    command: |
-      devenv shell -- bash -c '
-        set -euo pipefail
-        export DAGGER_NO_NAG=1
-        BASE_HASH="$(sha256sum \
-          application/Dockerfile \
-          application/frankenphp/conf.d/10-app.ini \
-          application/frankenphp/docker-entrypoint.sh \
-          application/frankenphp/Caddyfile \
-          | sha256sum | cut -c1-16)"
-        BASE_REF="${DAGGER_PHP_BASE_REF:-ttl.sh/rssbase-application-dagger-frankenphp-base-${BASE_HASH}:24h}"
-
-        if docker buildx imagetools inspect "${BASE_REF}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-          echo "Using cached Dagger base image: ${BASE_REF}"
-        else
-          echo "Publishing Dagger-built base image: ${BASE_REF}"
-          dagger call application build-base publish --address "${BASE_REF}"
-        fi
-
-        dagger settings application phpBaseImageRef "${BASE_REF}"
-      '
-
   - name: "Run checks"
-    command: DAGGER_NO_NAG=1 devenv shell dagger check
+    command: DAGGER_NO_NAG=1 devenv shell dagger check --env ci
diff --git a/application/.dagger/main.dang b/application/.dagger/main.dang
index fcf7b10..83c965c 100644
--- a/application/.dagger/main.dang
+++ b/application/.dagger/main.dang
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Dagger workflows for rssbase.io/application.
 type Application {
   pub source: Directory!
   pub phpBaseImageRef: String!
+  pub composerValidateBaseImageRef: String!
 
   new(
     ws: Workspace!,
@@ -12,6 +13,10 @@ type Application {
     Useful in ephemeral CI where the Dagger engine cache starts empty.
     """
     phpBaseImageRef: String! = "",
+    """
+    Optional lightweight image for composer validate checks.
+    """
+    composerValidateBaseImageRef: String! = "",
   ) {
     self.source = ws.directory("/application", exclude: [
       ".dagger",
@@ -19,23 +24,34 @@ type Application {
       "vendor",
     ])
     self.phpBaseImageRef = phpBaseImageRef
+    self.composerValidateBaseImageRef = composerValidateBaseImageRef
     self
   }
 
-  let phpBase: Container! {
-    let base = if (phpBaseImageRef != "") {
+  let phpBaseImage: Container! {
+    if (phpBaseImageRef != "") {
       container.from(phpBaseImageRef)
     } else {
       buildBase
     }
+  }
 
-    base
+  let phpBase: Container! {
+    phpBaseImage
       .withDirectory("/app", source)
       .withWorkdir("/app")
       .withMountedCache("/tmp/composer-cache", cacheVolume("composer-cache"))
       .withEnvVariable("COMPOSER_CACHE_DIR", "/tmp/composer-cache")
   }
 
+  let composerValidateBase: Container! {
+    if (composerValidateBaseImageRef != "") {
+      container.from(composerValidateBaseImageRef)
+    } else {
+      phpBaseImage
+    }
+  }
+
   """
   Build the reusable FrankenPHP base image from application/Dockerfile.
   """
@@ -54,8 +70,10 @@ type Application {
   Validate Composer metadata.
   """
   @check
-  pub composerValidate: String! {
-    phpBase
+  pub composerValidate(base: Container! = composerValidateBase): String! {
+    base
+      .withDirectory("/app", source)
+      .withWorkdir("/app")
       .withExec(["composer", "validate", "--strict"])
       .stdout
   }
diff --git a/dagger.toml b/dagger.toml
index 50adc71..9759c01 100644
--- a/dagger.toml
+++ b/dagger.toml
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@
 source = "application"
 legacy-default-path = true
 # settings.source = "./path"
+
+[env.ci.modules.application.settings]
+composerValidateBaseImageRef = "composer:2"