diff --git a/.changeset/tricky-badgers-tell.md b/.changeset/tricky-badgers-tell.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b95923e97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tricky-badgers-tell.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'skuba': patch
+---
+
+**template/lambda-sqs-worker-\*:** Build once upfront
+
+This employs Buildkite [artifacts](https://buildkite.com/docs/pipelines/artifacts) to share compiled code with each subsequent deployment step.
diff --git a/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/.buildkite/pipeline.yml b/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
index 321af124b..b584ba2b3 100644
--- a/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
+++ b/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@ configs:
     - &dev
       agents:
         queue: <%- devBuildkiteQueueName %>
+      env:
+        ENVIRONMENT: dev
 
     - &prod
       agents:
         queue: <%- prodBuildkiteQueueName %>
+      env:
+        ENVIRONMENT: prod
 
   plugins:
     - &aws-sm
@@ -14,12 +18,6 @@ configs:
         env:
           NPM_READ_TOKEN: arn:aws:secretsmanager:ap-southeast-2:987872074697:secret:npm/npm-read-token
 
-    - &docker
-      docker#v3.8.0:
-        volumes:
-          - /workdir/lib
-          - /workdir/node_modules
-
     - &docker-ecr-cache
       seek-oss/docker-ecr-cache#v1.11.0:
         cache-on:
@@ -33,12 +31,20 @@ configs:
 
   base-steps:
     - &deploy
+      commands:
+        - echo '+++ yarn deploy'
+        - yarn deploy
       concurrency: 1
       plugins:
+        - artifacts#v1.3.0:
+            build: ${BUILDKITE_BUILD_ID}
+            download: lib/*
         - *aws-sm
         - *private-npm
         - *docker-ecr-cache
-        - *docker
+        - docker-compose#v3.7.0:
+            dependencies: false
+            run: app
       retry:
         manual:
           # Only use this if you need to roll back a deployment ASAP.
@@ -47,17 +53,21 @@ configs:
 
 steps:
   - <<: *dev
-    label: 🧪 Test & Lint
+    label: 🧪 Test, Lint & Build
+    artifact_paths: lib/**/*
     commands:
       - echo '+++ yarn test:ci'
       - yarn test
       - echo '--- yarn lint'
       - yarn lint
+      - echo '--- yarn build'
+      - yarn build
     plugins:
       - *aws-sm
       - *private-npm
       - *docker-ecr-cache
-      - *docker
+      - docker-compose#v3.7.0:
+          run: app
 
   - wait
   - block: 🙋🏻‍♀️ Deploy Dev
@@ -66,11 +76,6 @@ steps:
   - <<: *dev
     <<: *deploy
     label: 🤞 Deploy Dev
-    commands:
-      - echo '--- yarn build'
-      - yarn build
-      - echo '+++ yarn deploy:dev'
-      - yarn deploy:dev
     concurrency_group: '<%- repoName %>/deploy/dev'
     key: deploy-dev
 
@@ -78,10 +83,5 @@ steps:
     <<: *deploy
     label: 🚀 Deploy Prod
     branches: ${BUILDKITE_PIPELINE_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-    commands:
-      - echo '--- yarn build'
-      - yarn build
-      - echo '+++ yarn deploy:prod'
-      - yarn deploy:prod
     concurrency_group: '<%- repoName %>/deploy/prod'
     depends_on: deploy-dev
diff --git a/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/docker-compose.yml b/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46bfc4b61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+version: '3.7'
+
+services:
+  app:
+    environment:
+      - BUILDKITE_COMMIT
+      - ENVIRONMENT
+      - VERSION
+    image: ${BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_DOCKER_IMAGE:-''}
+    init: true
+    volumes:
+      - ./:/workdir
+      - /workdir/lib/node_modules
+      - /workdir/node_modules
diff --git a/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/package.json b/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/package.json
index 1bbe2f5fa..62a889642 100644
--- a/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/package.json
+++ b/template/lambda-sqs-worker-cdk/package.json
@@ -25,13 +25,12 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "build": "skuba build",
+    "deploy": "cdk deploy appStack --require-approval never --context stage=${ENVIRONMENT}",
     "format": "skuba format",
     "lint": "skuba lint",
+    "package": "yarn install --ignore-optional --ignore-scripts --modules-folder ./lib/node_modules --non-interactive --offline --production",
     "test": "skuba test",
     "test:ci": "skuba test --coverage",
-    "test:watch": "skuba test --watch",
-    "package": "yarn install --ignore-optional --ignore-scripts --modules-folder ./lib/node_modules --non-interactive --offline --production",
-    "deploy:dev": "cdk deploy appStack --require-approval never --context stage=dev",
-    "deploy:prod": "cdk deploy appStack --require-approval never --context stage=prod"
+    "test:watch": "skuba test --watch"
   }
 }
diff --git a/template/lambda-sqs-worker/.buildkite/pipeline.yml b/template/lambda-sqs-worker/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
index 2087cbed0..e00543dc3 100644
--- a/template/lambda-sqs-worker/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
+++ b/template/lambda-sqs-worker/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
@@ -34,8 +34,14 @@ configs:
 
   base-steps:
     - &deploy
+      commands:
+        - echo '+++ yarn deploy'
+        - yarn deploy
       concurrency: 1
       plugins:
+        - artifacts#v1.3.0:
+            build: ${BUILDKITE_BUILD_ID}
+            download: lib/*
         - *aws-sm
         - *private-npm
         - *docker-ecr-cache
@@ -50,12 +56,15 @@ configs:
 
 steps:
   - <<: *prod
-    label: 🧪 Test & Lint
+    label: 🧪 Test, Lint & Build
+    artifact_paths: lib/**/*
     commands:
       - echo '+++ yarn test:ci'
       - yarn test:ci
       - echo '--- yarn lint'
       - yarn lint
+      - echo '--- yarn build'
+      - yarn build
     plugins:
       - *aws-sm
       - *private-npm
@@ -69,7 +78,6 @@ steps:
 
   - <<: *dev
     <<: *deploy
-    command: yarn deploy
     concurrency_group: <%- repoName %>/deploy/dev
     label: 🤞 Deploy Dev
 
@@ -78,6 +86,5 @@ steps:
   - <<: *prod
     <<: *deploy
     branches: ${BUILDKITE_PIPELINE_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-    command: yarn deploy
     concurrency_group: <%- repoName %>/deploy/prod
     label: 🚀 Deploy Prod
diff --git a/template/lambda-sqs-worker/package.json b/template/lambda-sqs-worker/package.json
index de38ae836..7bdcc12ff 100644
--- a/template/lambda-sqs-worker/package.json
+++ b/template/lambda-sqs-worker/package.json
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "build": "skuba build",
-    "deploy": "yarn build && serverless deploy --force --verbose",
+    "deploy": "serverless deploy --force --verbose",
     "format": "skuba format",
     "lint": "skuba lint",
     "smoke": "serverless invoke --data '{}' --function Worker",