diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index c948610b68a20bfdeceebe867bd540bee59f9a38..cdaa7cd9c7136ca9155b03e58ae19e13e5bc5dd2 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ variables:
   LIBGKFS_LOG:                  "all"
   LIBGKFS_LOG_OUTPUT:           "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/logs/gkfs_client.log"
   GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY:       recursive
+  CCACHE_DIR:                   "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/ccache"
+
 
 # base image
 image: gekkofs/core:0.9.4-dev
@@ -55,8 +57,13 @@ gkfs:
     - sed -i 's/constexpr auto use_mtime = false;/constexpr auto use_mtime = true;/g' "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/include/config.hpp"
     - sed -i 's/constexpr auto use_link_cnt = false;/constexpr auto use_link_cnt = true;/g' "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/include/config.hpp"
     - sed -i 's/constexpr auto use_blocks = false;/constexpr auto use_blocks = true;/g' "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/include/config.hpp"
+      # use ccache
+    - ccache --zero-stats
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cmake --preset ci-coverage -DCOVERAGE_OUTPUT_DIR=${COVERAGE_PATH}
     - cmake --build ${BUILD_PATH} -j $(nproc) --target install
+    - ccache --show-stats
     # reduce artifacts size
     - ${CI_SCRIPTS_DIR}/trim_build_artifacts.sh ${BUILD_PATH}
   artifacts:
@@ -64,6 +71,10 @@ gkfs:
       - ${BUILD_PATH}
       - ${INSTALL_PATH}
     expire_in: 1 week
+  cache:
+    key: ccache-gekko
+    paths:
+      - $CCACHE_DIR
 
 ################################################################################
 ## Testing
@@ -108,6 +119,9 @@ gkfs:integration:
     ## capture coverage information for this test and write it to
     ## $COVERAGE_PATH/$SUBTEST.info
     - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}
+    # use ccache
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cmake --preset ci-coverage
           -DCOVERAGE_OUTPUT_DIR=${COVERAGE_PATH}
           -DCOVERAGE_CAPTURE_TRACEFILE=${COVERAGE_PATH}/${SUBTEST}.info
@@ -158,6 +172,9 @@ gkfwd:integration:
     ## capture coverage information for this test and write it to
     ## $COVERAGE_PATH/$SUBTEST.info
     - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}
+    # use ccache
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cmake --preset ci-coverage
           -DCOVERAGE_OUTPUT_DIR=${COVERAGE_PATH}
           -DCOVERAGE_CAPTURE_TRACEFILE=${COVERAGE_PATH}/${SUBTEST}.info
@@ -202,6 +219,9 @@ gkfs:unit:
     ## capture coverage information for this test and write it to
     ## $COVERAGE_PATH/unit.info
     - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}
+        # use ccache
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cmake --preset ci-coverage
           -DCOVERAGE_OUTPUT_DIR=${COVERAGE_PATH}
           -DCOVERAGE_CAPTURE_TRACEFILE=${COVERAGE_PATH}/unit.info
@@ -240,6 +260,9 @@ documentation:
       when: always
 
   script:
+    # use ccache
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cmake --preset ci-docs
     - cmake --build ${BUILD_PATH} --target docs
   artifacts:
@@ -262,6 +285,10 @@ coverage:baseline:
   script:
     ## capture initial coverage information to establish a baseline
     ## and write it to $COVERAGE_PATH/zerocount.info
+    # use ccache
+    - ccache --zero-stats
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}
     - cmake --preset ci-coverage
       -DCOVERAGE_OUTPUT_DIR=${COVERAGE_PATH}
@@ -286,6 +313,10 @@ coverage:
 #           'gkfs:unit' ]
   needs: [ 'coverage:baseline', 'gkfs:integration', 'gkfs:unit', 'gkfwd:integration']
   script:
+      # use ccache
+    - ccache --zero-stats
+    - /usr/sbin/update-ccache-symlinks
+    - export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH"
     - cd ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}
     - cmake
           --preset ci-coverage
diff --git a/docker/0.9.4/core/Dockerfile b/docker/0.9.4/core/Dockerfile
index a55434924b2cfe720195c371de6736ac049826f7..ced6c14a32bda048afb0a50547a3792f0d4118c8 100644
--- a/docker/0.9.4/core/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/0.9.4/core/Dockerfile
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
 		libcapstone-dev \
 		# GekkoFS dependencies
 		libboost-program-options-dev \
-		uuid-dev && \
+		uuid-dev ccache && \
     # install cmake 3.14+ since it's needed for some dependencies
     curl -OL https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.25.2/cmake-3.25.2-Linux-x86_64.sh && \
     chmod u+x ./cmake-3.25.2-Linux-x86_64.sh && \