diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline-resource-definitions/kibana-vm-images.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline-resource-definitions/kibana-vm-images.yml
index c0ca615646e93..d17ff5ffc3b70 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline-resource-definitions/kibana-vm-images.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline-resource-definitions/kibana-vm-images.yml
@@ -27,17 +27,24 @@ spec:
       provider_settings:
         trigger_mode: none
       schedules:
-        daily kibana image build:
+        daily kibana base image build:
           branch: main
           cronline: '0 0 * * *'
           env:
-            IMAGES_CONFIG: kibana/images.yml
-          message: Builds Kibana VM images daily
+            IMAGES_CONFIG: kibana/base_image.yml
+          message: Builds Kibana VM base image daily
+        daily kibana cache layer build:
+          branch: main
+          cronline: '0 1 * * *' # make sure this runs after the daily kibana base image build
+          env:
+            IMAGES_CONFIG: kibana/image_cache.yml
+            BASE_IMAGES_CONFIG: 'core/images.yml,kibana/base_image.yml'
+          message: Builds Kibana VM cache warmup daily
         daily kibana fips image build:
           branch: main
-          cronline: '0 4 * * *' # make sure this runs after the daily kibana image build
+          cronline: '0 4 * * *' # make sure this runs after the daily kibana cache image build
           env:
-            BASE_IMAGES_CONFIG: 'core/images.yml,kibana/images.yml'
+            BASE_IMAGES_CONFIG: 'core/images.yml,kibana/base_image.yml,kibana/image_cache.yml'
             IMAGES_CONFIG: kibana/fips.yml
           message: Builds Kibana FIPS VM image daily
       teams:
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_serverless/promote_es_serverless_image.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_serverless/promote_es_serverless_image.sh
index a8885c44cfb74..309086fedb007 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_serverless/promote_es_serverless_image.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_serverless/promote_es_serverless_image.sh
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ steps:
     async: true
     build:
       env:
-        IMAGES_CONFIG: "kibana/images.yml"
+        IMAGES_CONFIG: 'kibana/image_cache.yml'
+        BASE_IMAGES_CONFIG: 'core/images.yml,kibana/base_image.yml'
         RETRY: "1"
 EOF
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_snapshots/promote.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_snapshots/promote.sh
index 2b85505619a95..9f249680dd851 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_snapshots/promote.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/es_snapshots/promote.sh
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ steps:
     async: true
     build:
       env:
-        IMAGES_CONFIG: "kibana/images.yml"
+        IMAGES_CONFIG: 'kibana/image_cache.yml'
+        BASE_IMAGES_CONFIG: 'core/images.yml,kibana/base_image.yml'
         RETRY: "1"
 EOF
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/fleet/promote_package_registry.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/fleet/promote_package_registry.sh
index 5fa62369cfa87..ba40b3214db96 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/steps/fleet/promote_package_registry.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/steps/fleet/promote_package_registry.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ steps:
     async: true
     build:
       env:
-        IMAGES_CONFIG: "kibana/images.yml"
+        IMAGES_CONFIG: 'kibana/image_cache.yml'
+        BASE_IMAGES_CONFIG: 'core/images.yml,kibana/base_image.yml'
         RETRY: "1"
 EOF
 else