diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5758f64..fe7a66d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ LINTER_CMD          := "github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/cmd/golangci-lint" run
 LINTER_CONFIG       := .golangci.yaml
 
 # docker image options
-DOCKER_REGISTRY     ?= quay.io
-DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME   ?= kubernetes-entrypoint
-DOCKER_IMAGE_PREFIX ?= airshipit
-DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG    ?= dev
-DOCKER_IMAGE        ?= $(DOCKER_REGISTRY)/$(DOCKER_IMAGE_PREFIX)/$(DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME):$(DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG)
-DOCKER_MAKE_TARGET  := build
-DOCKER_TARGET_STAGE ?= release
+DOCKER_REGISTRY       ?= quay.io
+DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME     ?= kubernetes-entrypoint
+DOCKER_IMAGE_PREFIX   ?= airshipit
+DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG      ?= dev
+DOCKER_IMAGE          ?= $(DOCKER_REGISTRY)/$(DOCKER_IMAGE_PREFIX)/$(DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME):$(DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG)
+DOCKER_MAKE_TARGET    := build
+DOCKER_TARGET_STAGE   ?= release
+DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE     ?= docker.io/golang:1.12.6-stretch
+DOCKER_RELEASE_IMAGE  ?= scratch
 
 PKG                 := ./...
 TESTS               := .
@@ -27,7 +29,10 @@ lint:
 
 .PHONY: docker-image
 docker-image:
-	@docker build . --build-arg MAKE_TARGET=$(DOCKER_MAKE_TARGET) --tag $(DOCKER_IMAGE) --target $(DOCKER_TARGET_STAGE)
+	@docker build . --tag $(DOCKER_IMAGE) --target $(DOCKER_TARGET_STAGE) \
+		--build-arg MAKE_TARGET=$(DOCKER_MAKE_TARGET) \
+		--build-arg GO_IMAGE=$(DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE) \
+		--build-arg RELEASE_IMAGE=$(DOCKER_RELEASE_IMAGE)
 
 .PHONY: docker-image-unit-tests
 docker-image-unit-tests: DOCKER_MAKE_TARGET = unit-tests