diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 828a7b570..250cb3fc2 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ RUN \
         CGO_ENABLED=1 go test -race -p 1 -timeout="${BACKEND_TEST_TIMEOUT:-300s}" -covermode=atomic -coverprofile=/profile.cov_tmp ./... && \
         cat /profile.cov_tmp | grep -v "_mock.go" > /profile.cov ; \
         golangci-lint run --config ../.golangci.yml ./... ; \
-    else echo "skip backend tests and linter" ; fi
+    else \
+    	echo "skip backend tests and linter" \
+    ; fi
 
 RUN \
     version="$(/script/version.sh)" && \
@@ -33,25 +35,41 @@ RUN \
 FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM node:16.13.2-alpine as build-frontend-deps
 
 ARG CI
+ARG SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD
 ENV HUSKY_SKIP_INSTALL=true
 
-RUN apk add --no-cache --update git
+RUN if [ -z "$SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD" ] ; then \
+    	apk add --no-cache --update git \
+    ; fi
 ADD frontend/package.json /srv/frontend/package.json
 ADD frontend/package-lock.json /srv/frontend/package-lock.json
-RUN cd /srv/frontend && CI=true npm ci --loglevel warn
+WORKDIR /srv/frontend
+RUN mkdir node_modules
+RUN if [ -z "$SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD" ] ; then \
+    	CI=true npm ci --loglevel warn \
+    else \
+    	echo "skip frontend build" \
+    ; fi
 
 FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM node:16.13.2-alpine as build-frontend
 
 ARG CI
 ARG SKIP_FRONTEND_TEST
+ARG SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD
 ARG NODE_ENV=production
 
 COPY --from=build-frontend-deps /srv/frontend/node_modules /srv/frontend/node_modules
 ADD frontend /srv/frontend
-RUN cd /srv/frontend && \
-    if [ -z "$SKIP_FRONTEND_TEST" ] ; then npm run lint test check; \
-    else echo "skip frontend tests and lint" ; npm run build ; fi && \
-    rm -rf ./node_modules
+WORKDIR /srv/frontend
+RUN mkdir public
+RUN if [ -z "$SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD" ] ; then \
+		if [ -z "$SKIP_FRONTEND_TEST" ] ; then \
+			npm run lint test check; \
+			else \
+    			echo "skip frontend tests and lint" ; npm run build \
+    	; fi \
+    ; fi
+RUN rm -rf ./node_modules
 
 FROM umputun/baseimage:app-v1.8.0
 
diff --git a/compose-dev-frontend.yml b/compose-dev-frontend.yml
index e887e68e8..3d5d4ca87 100644
--- a/compose-dev-frontend.yml
+++ b/compose-dev-frontend.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ services:
       dockerfile: Dockerfile
       args:
         - SKIP_BACKEND_TEST=true
+        - SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD=true
         # - NODE_ENV=development
 
     image: umputun/remark42:dev
diff --git a/site/src/docs/contributing/development/backend/index.md b/site/src/docs/contributing/development/backend/index.md
index 9d053448d..b474f71be 100644
--- a/site/src/docs/contributing/development/backend/index.md
+++ b/site/src/docs/contributing/development/backend/index.md
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ cp compose-dev-backend.yml compose-private.yml
 # now, edit / debug `compose-private.yml` to your heart's content
 
 # build and run
-make rundev
-# this is an equivalent of these two commands:
-# docker-compose -f compose-private.yml build
-# docker-compose -f compose-private.yml up
+docker-compose -f compose-private.yml up --build
 ```
 
 It starts Remark42 on `127.0.0.1:8080` and adds local OAuth2 provider "Dev". To access the UI demo page go to <http://127.0.0.1:8080/web/>. By default, you would be logged in as `dev_user`, defined as admin. You can tweak any of the [supported parameters](https://remark42.com/docs/configuration/parameters/) in corresponded yml file.
diff --git a/site/src/docs/contributing/development/frontend/index.md b/site/src/docs/contributing/development/frontend/index.md
index 9c3c259c0..014f04ccf 100644
--- a/site/src/docs/contributing/development/frontend/index.md
+++ b/site/src/docs/contributing/development/frontend/index.md
@@ -41,10 +41,7 @@ cp compose-dev-frontend.yml compose-private.yml
 # now, edit / debug `compose-private.yml` to your heart's content
 
 # build and run
-make rundev
-# this is an equivalent of these two commands:
-# docker-compose -f compose-private.yml build
-# docker-compose -f compose-private.yml up
+docker-compose -f compose-private.yml up --build
 ```
 
 Then in the new terminal tab or window, run the following to start the frontend with Hot Reloading:
@@ -60,7 +57,7 @@ It starts Remark42 backend on `127.0.0.1:8080` and adds local OAuth2 provider "D
 
 Frontend Docker Compose config (`compose-dev-frontend.yml`) by default skips running backend related tests and sets `NODE_ENV=development` for frontend build.
 
-**Important**: Before submitting your changes as a Pull Request, re-run the backend using the `make rundev` command and test your changes against <http://127.0.0.1:8080/web/>, frontend, built statically (unlike frontend on port 9000, which runs dynamically). That is how Remark42 authors will test your changes once you submit them.
+**Important**: Before submitting your changes as a Pull Request, run the backend using the `docker-compose -f compose-dev-frontend.yml build --build-arg SKIP_FRONTEND_BUILD=""; docker-compose -f compose-private.yml up` command and test your changes against <http://127.0.0.1:8080/web/>, frontend, built statically (unlike frontend on port 9000, which runs dynamically). That is how Remark42 authors will test your changes once you submit them.
 
 #### Static build