diff --git a/.github/workflows/render-quarto.yml b/.github/workflows/render-quarto.yml
index 5e7d9c8b7e2..c47cfaa465b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/render-quarto.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/render-quarto.yml
@@ -20,8 +20,14 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
       - name: Build PEcAn base Docker image
+        env:
+          DOCKER_BUILDKIT: "1"
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
-          docker build -t pecan-base-ci:latest -f docker/base/Dockerfile .
+          docker build \
+            --secret id=GITHUB_PAT,env=GITHUB_TOKEN \
+            -t pecan-base-ci:latest \
+            -f docker/base/Dockerfile .
 
       - name: Set up Quarto
         uses: quarto-dev/quarto-actions/setup@v2
diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile b/docker/base/Dockerfile
index 19a2692ef2d..2c613000129 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ COPY models   /pecan/models/
 # install all PEcAn packages
 # `make clean` is to remove artifacts copied in from host system
 #   (e.g. basgra.so)
-RUN cd /pecan \
+RUN --mount=type=secret,id=GITHUB_PAT \
+    export GITHUB_PAT=$(cat /run/secrets/GITHUB_PAT 2>/dev/null || true) \
+    && cd /pecan \
     && make clean \
     && make \
     && rm -rf /tmp/downloaded_packages