diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-push-dev.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-push-dev.yml
index bb6b8c8..c1df118 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-push-dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-push-dev.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
           REPO_NAME: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}
         run: |
           REPO_NAME=$(echo $REPO_NAME | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
-          TAG="0.3.1-dev"
+          TAG="0.3.3-dev"
 
           # Docker
           echo "docker_image_name=${REPO_NAME}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           context: .
           builder: ${{ steps.buildx.outputs.name }}
+          target: emulator
           file: Dockerfile
           push: false
           load: true
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index b78189a..bbd3135 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # NOTE: If you make any BREAKING CHANGE:
 # - Update the Docker image tag in `./.github/workflows/docker-push-dev.yml`
 # - Update the `mapswipe-backend` workflow to use the new image tag
-FROM node:20-bullseye-slim
+FROM node:20-bullseye-slim AS base
 
 ENV PNPM_HOME="/pnpm"
 ENV PATH="$PNPM_HOME:$PATH"
@@ -18,9 +18,12 @@ WORKDIR /firebase
 ARG FIREBASE_TOOLS_VERSION=14.5.1
 
 RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
-    npm install -g firebase-tools@$FIREBASE_TOOLS_VERSION \
-    # Download jar files
-    && firebase setup:emulators:database \
+    npm install -g firebase-tools@$FIREBASE_TOOLS_VERSION
+
+FROM base AS emulator
+
+# Pre-download firebase emulator tools
+RUN firebase setup:emulators:database \
     && firebase setup:emulators:firestore \
     && firebase setup:emulators:storage \
     && firebase setup:emulators:ui
diff --git a/docker_entrypoint.sh b/docker_entrypoint.sh
index ad129d5..6d98d45 100755
--- a/docker_entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker_entrypoint.sh
@@ -2,23 +2,28 @@
 
 set -e
 
+FIREBASE_EMULATOR_FUNCTIONS_DISABLED=${FIREBASE_EMULATOR_FUNCTIONS_DISABLED:-false}
+
 BASE_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 FIREBASE_FUNCTIONS_DIR="$BASE_DIR/functions/"
 
-cd "$BASE_DIR"
 
-# NOTE: when we are using mapswipe-firebase as a submodule inside docker,
-# the .git directory is not accessible. The parent .git directory is in host
-# system not accesssible by the container
-# Inside the container, pnpm install fails when we are installing packages from git repository.
-# So, we need to switch to /tmp directory as a workaround
-echo "[INFO] Installing dependencies for transpiling functions for Firebase..."
-cd /tmp/
-pnpm --dir "$FIREBASE_FUNCTIONS_DIR" install --frozen-lockfile
+cd "$BASE_DIR"
 
-echo "[INFO] Transpiling functions for Firebase..."
-cd "$FIREBASE_FUNCTIONS_DIR"
-pnpm build
+if [ $FIREBASE_EMULATOR_FUNCTIONS_DISABLED != "true" ]; then
+    # NOTE: when we are using mapswipe-firebase as a submodule inside docker,
+    # the .git directory is not accessible. The parent .git directory is in host
+    # system not accesssible by the container
+    # Inside the container, pnpm install fails when we are installing packages from git repository.
+    # So, we need to switch to /tmp directory as a workaround
+    echo "[INFO] Installing dependencies for transpiling functions for Firebase..."
+    cd /tmp/
+    pnpm --dir "$FIREBASE_FUNCTIONS_DIR" install --frozen-lockfile
+
+    echo "[INFO] Transpiling functions for Firebase..."
+    cd "$FIREBASE_FUNCTIONS_DIR"
+    pnpm build
+fi
 
 # PIDs
 pid=0
@@ -49,8 +54,13 @@ trap graceful_shutdown SIGINT SIGTERM
 # Start Firebase emulator in background
 echo "[INFO] Starting Firebase emulator..."
 FIREBASE_EMULATOR_DATA_DIR=${FIREBASE_EMULATOR_DATA_DIR?FIREBASE_EMULATOR_DATA_DIR is required}
-firebase emulators:start --import="$FIREBASE_EMULATOR_DATA_DIR" --export-on-exit &
-pid="$!"
+if [ $FIREBASE_EMULATOR_FUNCTIONS_DISABLED != "true" ]; then
+    firebase emulators:start --import="$FIREBASE_EMULATOR_DATA_DIR" --export-on-exit &
+    pid="$!"
+else
+    firebase emulators:start --only database,hosting,auth --import="$FIREBASE_EMULATOR_DATA_DIR" --export-on-exit &
+    pid="$!"
+fi
 
 
 # Keep container alive with dummy tail