diff --git a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.golang b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.golang
index 7c80956..cca9574 100644
--- a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.golang
+++ b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.golang
@@ -1,15 +1,10 @@
-FROM docker:27-cli
+FROM code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner:6
 
-# Install Node.js + build essentials (needed for GitHub Actions checkout@v4, etc.)
+# Install Node.js (needed for GitHub Actions checkout@v4, etc.)
 RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
       nodejs \
-      npm \
-      git \
-      curl \
-      ca-certificates \
-      build-essential \
-      python3 && \
+      npm && \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Verify installations
diff --git a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.node b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.node
index 4675233..cdc3093 100644
--- a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.node
+++ b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.node
@@ -1,13 +1,4 @@
-FROM node:22-bookworm
+FROM code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner:6
 
-# Install Docker client (dind sidecar provides the daemon)
-RUN apt-get update && \
-    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
-      docker.io \
-      git \
-      curl \
-      ca-certificates && \
-    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
-
-# Verify installations
-RUN docker --version && node --version && git --version
+# Node.js is already in forgejo/runner, just verify
+RUN node --version && docker --version && git --version
diff --git a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.rust b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.rust
index 59d66bf..621b301 100644
--- a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.rust
+++ b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/Dockerfile.rust
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
-FROM docker:27-cli
+FROM code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner:6
 
-# Install Node.js + build essentials (needed for GitHub Actions checkout@v4, etc.)
+# Install Node.js + Rust (needed for GitHub Actions checkout@v4, etc.)
 RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
       nodejs \
-      npm \
-      git \
-      curl \
-      ca-certificates \
-      build-essential \
-      python3 && \
+      npm && \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Install Rust
-RUN curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y && \
-    . $HOME/.cargo/env
+RUN curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y
+
+ENV PATH="/root/.cargo/bin:${PATH}"
 
 # Verify installations
 RUN docker --version && node --version && git --version && rustc --version
diff --git a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-node.yaml b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-node.yaml
index a8dea01..2015d39 100644
--- a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-node.yaml
+++ b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-node.yaml
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@
 #
 # node:22-bookworm ships Node natively. Docker client installed via workflow step if needed.
 # (homelab has no CI; custom runner images built manually if desired)
-# Bootstrap with base image, custom image via CI+Image Updater
+# Bootstrap with runner image (already has Node.js), CI builds custom
 runner:
   image:
-    repository: node
-    tag: "22-bookworm"
+    repository: code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner
+    tag: "6"
   name: node-runner
-  labels: "node:docker://node:22-bookworm"
+  labels: "node:docker://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner:6"
 
 # GC CronJob renders only from the default (golang) values to avoid duplicates
 gc:
diff --git a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-rust.yaml b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-rust.yaml
index 10956d2..3e56586 100644
--- a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-rust.yaml
+++ b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values-rust.yaml
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 # runner instance. Only runner.name and runner.labels differ -- everything
 # else (image, dind, persistence, tolerations, nodeSelector) is shared.
 #
-# Bootstrap with base image, custom image via CI+Image Updater
+# Bootstrap with runner image, CI builds custom with Node.js+Rust
 runner:
   image:
-    repository: docker
-    tag: "27-cli"
+    repository: code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner
+    tag: "6"
   name: rust-runner
-  labels: "rust:docker://docker:27-cli"
+  labels: "rust:docker://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner:6"
 
 
 
diff --git a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values.yaml b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values.yaml
index db9844d..71aea9d 100644
--- a/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values.yaml
+++ b/k8s/infra/forgejo-runner/values.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 runner:
   image:
-    repository: docker
-    tag: "27-cli"  # Bootstrap with base image, custom image via CI+Image Updater
+    repository: code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner
+    tag: "6"  # Bootstrap with runner image, CI builds custom with Node.js
   name: golang-runner
-  labels: "golang:docker://docker:27-cli"
+  labels: "golang:docker://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner:6"
   forgejoUrl: http://forgejo-gitea-http.cicd.svc.cluster.local:3000
   tokenSecret: runner-token
   resources: