diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fb93bab52..57a2f8068 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -140,13 +140,15 @@ deploy: ## 🚀 Deploy to k8s context defined by $KUBECTX (default: kind-rig)
 		--set image.tag=$(TAG) \
 		--set mongodb.enabled=true \
 		--set rig.telemetry.enabled=false \
+		--set rig.cluster.dev_registry.host="localhost:30000" \
+		--set rig.cluster.dev_registry.cluster_host="registry:5000" \
   		--create-namespace
 	$(KUBECTL) rollout restart deployment -n rig-system rig
 
 .PHONY: kind-create
 kind-create: kind ## 🐋 Create kind cluster with rig dependencies
 	$(KIND) get clusters | grep '^rig$$' || \
-		$(KIND) create cluster --name rig
+		./deploy/kind/create.sh $(KIND)
 
 .PHONY: kind-load
 kind-load: kind docker ## 🐋 Load docker image into kind cluster
@@ -159,6 +161,10 @@ kind-deploy: kind kind-load deploy ## 🐋 Deploy rig to kind cluster
 kind-clean: ## 🧹 Clean kind cluster
 	$(KIND) delete clusters rig
 
+.PHONY: kind-registry
+kind-registry: ## 🐋 Install docker registry in
+	$(KUBECTL) apply -f ./deploy/registry/registry.yaml -n rig-system
+
 ##@ Release
 
 .PHONY: release
diff --git a/cmd/rig-server/root.go b/cmd/rig-server/root.go
index 6bcbc39d1..2690738dc 100644
--- a/cmd/rig-server/root.go
+++ b/cmd/rig-server/root.go
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/handler"
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/handler/registry"
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/service/operator"
-	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-
 	pkg_service "github.com/rigdev/rig/pkg/service"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"go.uber.org/dig"
 	"go.uber.org/fx"
 	"go.uber.org/fx/fxevent"
diff --git a/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/create_build.go b/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/create_build.go
index 509aa6065..4e96b8f56 100644
--- a/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/create_build.go
+++ b/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/create_build.go
@@ -23,8 +23,9 @@ func CapsuleCreateBuild(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string,
 	var buildID string
 	if res, err := nc.Capsule().CreateBuild(ctx, &connect.Request[capsule.CreateBuildRequest]{
 		Msg: &capsule.CreateBuildRequest{
-			CapsuleId: capsuleID.String(),
-			Image:     image,
+			CapsuleId:      capsuleID.String(),
+			Image:          image,
+			SkipImageCheck: skipImageCheck,
 		},
 	}); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/setup.go b/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/setup.go
index 0c5a4a119..00c6711db 100644
--- a/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/setup.go
+++ b/cmd/rig/cmd/capsule/setup.go
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@ var (
 )
 
 var (
-	deploy      bool
-	follow      bool
-	interactive bool
-	outputJSON  bool
+	deploy         bool
+	follow         bool
+	interactive    bool
+	outputJSON     bool
+	skipImageCheck bool
 )
 
 var (
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ func Setup(parent *cobra.Command) {
 	}
 	createBuild.Flags().StringVarP(&image, "image", "i", "", "image to use for the build")
 	createBuild.Flags().BoolVarP(&deploy, "deploy", "d", false, "deploy build after successful creation")
+	createBuild.Flags().BoolVarP(&skipImageCheck, "skip-image-check", "s", false, "skip validating that the docker image exists")
 	capsule.AddCommand(createBuild)
 
 	deploy := &cobra.Command{
diff --git a/deploy/charts/rig/templates/_config.tpl b/deploy/charts/rig/templates/_config.tpl
index 882923854..aac03bfaa 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/rig/templates/_config.tpl
+++ b/deploy/charts/rig/templates/_config.tpl
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ client:
   {{- end }}
 cluster:
   type: k8s
+  {{- with .Values.rig.cluster.dev_registry }}
+  dev_registry:
+    enabled: {{ .enabled }}
+    host: {{ .host }}
+    cluster_host: {{ .cluster_host }}
+  {{- end }}
 {{- with .Values.rig.email }}
 email:
   type: {{ .type | quote }}
diff --git a/deploy/kind/create.sh b/deploy/kind/create.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..550576b82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/kind/create.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+cat <<EOF | $1 create cluster --name rig --config=-
+kind: Cluster
+apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
+nodes:
+- role: control-plane
+  extraPortMappings:
+  - containerPort: 30000
+    hostPort: 30000
+    listenAddress: "127.0.0.1"
+    protocol: TCP
+EOF
diff --git a/deploy/registry/registry.yaml b/deploy/registry/registry.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf12ed5ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/registry/registry.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  labels:
+    run: registry
+  name: registry
+  namespace: rig-system
+spec:
+  replicas: 1
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      run: registry
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        run: registry
+    spec:
+      containers:
+        - name: registry
+          image: registry:2
+          ports:
+            - containerPort: 5000
+---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Service
+metadata:
+  name: registry
+  namespace: rig-system
+spec:
+  type: NodePort
+  selector:
+    run: registry
+  ports:
+    - name: registry-tcp
+      nodePort: 30000
+      protocol: TCP
+      port: 5000
+      targetPort: 5000
diff --git a/internal/config/types.go b/internal/config/types.go
index 19e1ebccb..8d0c37626 100644
--- a/internal/config/types.go
+++ b/internal/config/types.go
@@ -112,7 +112,14 @@ type OAuthClientCredentials struct {
 }
 
 type Cluster struct {
-	Type ClusterType `mapstructure:"type"`
+	Type        ClusterType `mapstructure:"type"`
+	DevRegistry DevRegistry `mapstructure:"dev_registry"`
+}
+
+type DevRegistry struct {
+	Host        string `mapstructure:"host"`
+	ClusterHost string `mapstructure:"cluster_host"`
+	Size        uint64 `mapstructure:"size"`
 }
 
 type ClusterType string
diff --git a/internal/service/capsule/build.go b/internal/service/capsule/build.go
index 55b95bf08..5e1a3b650 100644
--- a/internal/service/capsule/build.go
+++ b/internal/service/capsule/build.go
@@ -87,7 +87,11 @@ func (s *Service) validateImage(ctx context.Context, ref name.Reference) (string
 		}))
 	}
 
-	img, err := remote.Image(ref, opts...)
+	lookupRef, err := s.getLookupDockerRef(ref)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	img, err := remote.Image(lookupRef, opts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		if terr, ok := err.(*transport.Error); ok {
 			if len(terr.Errors) > 0 {
@@ -111,3 +115,21 @@ func (s *Service) validateImage(ctx context.Context, ref name.Reference) (string
 
 	return d.String(), nil
 }
+
+func (s *Service) getLookupDockerRef(ref name.Reference) (name.Reference, error) {
+	cfg := s.cfg.Cluster.DevRegistry
+	if cfg.Host == "" || cfg.ClusterHost == "" {
+		return ref, nil
+	}
+
+	if ref.Context().RegistryStr() != cfg.Host {
+		return ref, nil
+	}
+
+	r, err := name.NewRegistry(cfg.ClusterHost, name.Insecure)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	repo := r.Repo(ref.Context().RepositoryStr())
+	return repo.Tag(ref.Identifier()), nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/service/capsule/service.go b/internal/service/capsule/service.go
index 10343bcf3..1b093d493 100644
--- a/internal/service/capsule/service.go
+++ b/internal/service/capsule/service.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig-go-api/api/v1/capsule"
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig-go-api/model"
+	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/config"
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/gateway/cluster"
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/repository"
 	"github.com/rigdev/rig/internal/service/auth"
@@ -24,9 +25,10 @@ type Service struct {
 	as     *auth.Service
 	ps     project.Service
 	q      *Queue[Job]
+	cfg    config.Config
 }
 
-func NewService(cr repository.Capsule, sr repository.Secret, cg cluster.Gateway, as *auth.Service, ps project.Service, logger *zap.Logger) *Service {
+func NewService(cr repository.Capsule, sr repository.Secret, cg cluster.Gateway, as *auth.Service, ps project.Service, cfg config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) *Service {
 	s := &Service{
 		cr:     cr,
 		sr:     sr,
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ func NewService(cr repository.Capsule, sr repository.Secret, cg cluster.Gateway,
 		as:     as,
 		ps:     ps,
 		q:      NewQueue[Job](),
+		cfg:    cfg,
 		logger: logger,
 	}