diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker_build_images.yml b/.github/workflows/docker_build_images.yml
index 6d5e12119b3..827946a43dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker_build_images.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker_build_images.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Docker Build Images
+name: Build Docker Images
 on:
   push:
     branches:
@@ -8,14 +8,68 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 concurrency:
-  group: format('{0}-{1}', ${{ github.ref }}, 'Docker Build Images (v20+)')
+  group: format('{0}-{1}', ${{ github.ref }}, 'Build Docker Images')
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 permissions: read-all
 
 jobs:
+  build_and_push_vttestserver:
+    name: Build and push vttestserver
+    runs-on: gh-hosted-runners-16cores-1
+    if: github.repository == 'vitessio/vitess'
+
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: true
+      matrix:
+        branch: [ mysql80 ]
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out code
+        uses: actions/checkout@692973e3d937129bcbf40652eb9f2f61becf3332 # v4.1.7
+
+      - name: Login to Docker Hub
+        uses: docker/login-action@9780b0c442fbb1117ed29e0efdff1e18412f7567 # v3.3.0
+        with:
+          username: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Set Dockerfile path
+        run: |
+          echo "DOCKERFILE=./docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.${{ matrix.branch }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Build and push on main
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: ${{ env.DOCKERFILE }}
+          push: true
+          tags: vitess/vttestserver:${{ matrix.branch }}
+
+      ######
+      # All code below only applies to new tags
+      ######
+      - name: Get the Git tag
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        run: echo "TAG_NAME=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Set Docker tag name
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        run: |
+          echo "DOCKER_TAG=vitess/vttestserver:${TAG_NAME}-${{ matrix.branch }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Build and push on tags
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: ${{ env.DOCKERFILE }}
+          push: true
+          tags: ${{ env.DOCKER_TAG }}
+
   build_and_push_lite:
-    name: Build and push vitess/lite Docker images
+    name: Build and push lite
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     if: github.repository == 'vitessio/vitess'
 
@@ -26,10 +80,10 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Check out code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@692973e3d937129bcbf40652eb9f2f61becf3332 # v4.1.7
 
       - name: Login to Docker Hub
-        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        uses: docker/login-action@9780b0c442fbb1117ed29e0efdff1e18412f7567 # v3.3.0
         with:
           username: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -43,8 +97,8 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
       - name: Build and push on main
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
         with:
           context: .
           file: ${{ env.DOCKERFILE }}
@@ -69,7 +123,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build and push on tags
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
         with:
           context: .
           file: ${{ env.DOCKERFILE }}
@@ -77,23 +131,24 @@ jobs:
           tags: ${{ env.DOCKER_TAG }}
 
   build_and_push_components:
-    name: Build and push vitess components Docker images
-    needs: build_and_push_lite
+    name: Build and push
     runs-on: gh-hosted-runners-16cores-1
-    if: github.repository == 'vitessio/vitess'
+    if: github.repository == 'vitessio/vitess' && needs.build_and_push_lite.result == 'success'
+    needs:
+      - build_and_push_lite
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: true
       matrix:
         debian: [ bullseye, bookworm ]
-        component: [ vtadmin, vtorc, vtgate, vttablet, mysqlctld, mysqlctl, vtctl, vtctlclient, vtctld, logrotate, logtail, vtbackup, vtexplain ]
+        component: [ vtadmin, vtorc, vtgate, vttablet, mysqlctld, mysqlctl, vtctl, vtctlclient, vtctld, vtctldclient, logrotate, logtail, vtbackup, vtexplain ]
 
     steps:
       - name: Check out code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@692973e3d937129bcbf40652eb9f2f61becf3332 # v4.1.7
 
       - name: Login to Docker Hub
-        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        uses: docker/login-action@9780b0c442fbb1117ed29e0efdff1e18412f7567 # v3.3.0
         with:
           username: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -103,8 +158,8 @@ jobs:
           echo "DOCKER_CTX=./docker/binaries/${{ matrix.component }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Build and push on main latest tag
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && matrix.debian == 'bookworm'
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false && matrix.debian == 'bookworm'
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
         with:
           context: ${{ env.DOCKER_CTX }}
           push: true
@@ -114,8 +169,8 @@ jobs:
             DEBIAN_VER=${{ matrix.debian }}-slim
 
       - name: Build and push on main debian specific tag
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') == false
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
         with:
           context: ${{ env.DOCKER_CTX }}
           push: true
@@ -147,7 +202,7 @@ jobs:
       # Build and Push component image to DOCKER_TAG, applies to both debian version
       - name: Build and push on tags using Debian extension
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
         with:
           context: ${{ env.DOCKER_CTX }}
           push: true
@@ -160,11 +215,29 @@ jobs:
       # It is fine to build a second time here when "matrix.debian == 'bookworm'" as we have cached the first build already
       - name: Build and push on tags without Debian extension
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') && matrix.debian == 'bookworm'
-        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@ca052bb54ab0790a636c9b5f226502c73d547a25 # v5.4.0
         with:
           context: ${{ env.DOCKER_CTX }}
           push: true
           tags: ${{ env.DOCKER_TAG_DEFAULT_DEBIAN }}
           build-args: |
             VT_BASE_VER=${{ env.TAG_NAME }}
-            DEBIAN_VER=${{ matrix.debian }}-slim
\ No newline at end of file
+            DEBIAN_VER=${{ matrix.debian }}-slim
+
+  slack_notification:
+    name: Slack Notification if failed
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      - build_and_push_vttestserver
+      - build_and_push_lite
+      - build_and_push_components
+    if: ${{ failure() }}
+    steps:
+    - name: Slack Workflow Notification
+      uses: Gamesight/slack-workflow-status@68bf00d0dbdbcb206c278399aa1ef6c14f74347a # v1.3.0
+      with:
+        repo_token: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
+        slack_webhook_url: ${{secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL}}
+        channel: '#docker-build-notifications'
+        name: 'Docker Build Notification'
+        icon_url: https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/33043890?s=96&v=4
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker/vttestserver/README.md b/docker/vttestserver/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1567cf30340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/vttestserver/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+## vttestserver docker image
+
+### How to build manually during a release
+
+If for whatever reason the automatic build did not happen for `vttestserver` during a release, or if it has failed,
+there is a way of building it by hand. Here is how it goes:
+
+```bash
+docker login
+
+# we first checkout to the git tag of the release we want to build
+# we assume in this example that we are releasing v21.0.0-rc1, but replace this by any other tag
+git checkout v21.0.0-rc1
+
+docker build -f docker/vtttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql80 -t vitess/vttestserver:v21.0.0-rc1-mysql80 .
+docker push vitess/vttestserver:v21.0.0-rc1-mysql80
+```
\ No newline at end of file