diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2778074a1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+name: build
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - "pgeth"
+
+permissions: write-all
+
+jobs:
+  sync:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: "generate:build_id"
+        run: |
+          branch=${GITHUB_REF##*/}
+          sha=${GITHUB_SHA::8}
+          ts=$(date +%s)
+          echo "BUILD_ID=${branch}-${sha}-${ts}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: "build the docker image"
+        run: docker build -f Dockerfile.plugins . --tag "ghcr.io/kilnfi/pgeth:${{ env.BUILD_ID }}" --tag ghcr.io/kilnfi/pgeth:latest --tag ghcr.io/kilnfi/pgeth:${GITHUB_SHA}
+      - name: "login to ghcr"
+        uses: docker/login-action@v2
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: "push to ghcr"
+        run: |
+          docker push ghcr.io/kilnfi/pgeth:latest
+          docker push ghcr.io/kilnfi/pgeth:${GITHUB_SHA}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync-and-build-plugins.yaml b/.github/workflows/sync-and-build-plugins.yaml
index d830b54a29..551e74fd09 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync-and-build-plugins.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync-and-build-plugins.yaml
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 name: sync
 
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - "pgeth"
   schedule:
     - cron: "0 * * * *" # every hour
-  workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions: write-all
 
@@ -25,24 +21,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: "check if diff exists"
         id: diffcheck
         run: echo "stdout=$(git diff master geth/master -- | wc -c)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-      - name: "generate:build_id"
-        run: |
-          branch=${GITHUB_REF##*/}
-          sha=${GITHUB_SHA::8}
-          ts=$(date +%s)
-          echo "BUILD_ID=${branch}-${sha}-${ts}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        if: github.event_name == 'push'
-      - name: "generate:build_id"
-        run: |
-          echo "BUILD_ID=${{ github.event.release.name }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        if: github.event_name == 'release'
       - name: "generate:build_id"
         run: |
           ts=$(date +%d%m%Y-%H%M%S)
           echo "BUILD_ID=auto-${ts}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        if: github.event_name == 'schedule'
-
       - name: "perform sync operations"
         if: steps.diffcheck.outputs.stdout != '0'
         run: |