diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
index c7e4a17..be8ce88 100644
--- a/.dockerignore
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -4,9 +4,17 @@
 # (worse) can leak in-progress secrets or unfinished work into intermediate
 # image layers.
 
-# Build outputs
+# Build outputs.
+#
+# We DO need the staged jar to enter the build context — the Dockerfile
+# either COPYs `target/netcopy.jar` (local `docker build .`) or
+# `release/netcopy-<version>.jar` (CI release.yml). The unignore patterns
+# below let exactly those jars through while still keeping intermediate
+# build artefacts (classes, generated sources, surefire reports, …) out.
 target/
+!target/netcopy.jar
 release/
+!release/*.jar
 
 # Git history (we COPY only the staged jar / entrypoint into the image)
 .git/