diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 5703411..dfc3ef8 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ variables:
   GID: "2897"
   # build args-based base images to use Dependency Proxy on CI
   DEPLOY_IMAGE: "$CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX/alpine:edge"
-  BUILDER_IMAGE: "$CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX/golang:1.24-alpine"
+  BUILDER_IMAGE: "$CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX/golang:1.26-alpine"
   # enable buildkit
   DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
   # env vars for build/ci-publish-builds
diff --git a/bin/build b/bin/build
index f4fd0e4..3de76f0 100755
--- a/bin/build
+++ b/bin/build
@@ -14,15 +14,17 @@ COMMIT_SHA=${CI_COMMIT_SHA:-$_COMMIT_SHA_LOCAL}
 BRANCH_NAME_SLUG=${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG:-$_BRANCH_NAME_SLUG_LOCAL}
 IMAGE_NAME=${IMAGE_NAME:-"$CI_REGISTRY/$CI_PROJECT_PATH"}
 KNOT_REPO_URL=${1:-"https://tangled.org/tangled.org/core"}
-KNOT_RELEASE_TAG=${2:-"v1.11.0-alpha"}
+KNOT_RELEASE_TAG=${2:-"master"} # build from dev branch if release tag left blank
 BUILD_TYPE=${BUILD_TYPE:-"production"}
 DOCKER_BUILD_REPO=${DOCKER_BUILD_REPO:-"https://tangled.org/recaptime.dev/knot-docker-nest"}
+DEPLOY_IMAGE=${DEPLOY_IMAGE:-"alpine:edge"}
+BUILDER_IMAGE=${BUILDER_IMAGE:-"golang:1.26-alpine"}
 
 echo "Attempting to build $IMAGE_NAME:build-$TIMESTAMP for $BUILD_TYPE"
 DOCKER_BUILDKIT=${DOCKER_BUILDKIT:-1} docker build \
   -t "$IMAGE_NAME:build-$TIMESTAMP" \
   --build-arg TAG=$KNOT_RELEASE_TAG \
-  --build-arg REPO_URL=$KNOT_REPO_URL \
+  --build-arg KNOT_REPO_URL=$KNOT_REPO_URL \
   --build-arg DOCKER_BUILD_REPO=$DOCKER_BUILD_REPO \
   --build-arg DOCKER_BUILD_COMMIT=$COMMIT_SHA \
   --build-arg UID=$UID \