diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index e697893f88fc9092d8ed09b1d75fe40ad6ed7106..b8dd934c46752e2c3a77490540cc32b68404d66d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ prepare_ci_mac_docker_image:
     - docker build --build-arg BASE_VERSION=$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA -t ci_mac:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA -f  Docker/lofar-ci/Dockerfile_ci_mac .
   interruptible: true
 
+prepare_ci_pulp_builder_docker_image:
+  stage: prepare
+  script:
+    - docker build --build-arg BASE_VERSION=$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA -t ci_pulp_builder:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA -f  Docker/lofar-ci/Dockerfile_ci_ci_pulp_builder .
+  interruptible: true
+
+
 #
 # BUILD STAGE
 #
@@ -109,8 +116,8 @@ build_MCU_MAC:
 
 build_pulp_docker_image:
   stage: build
-  # use ci_base:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA as an image to build in/with
-  image: ci_base:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
+  # use ci_pulp_builder:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA as an image to build in/with
+  image: ci_pulp_builder:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
   script:
     - git clone https://git.astron.nl/ro/pulp-dockers
     - cd pulp-dockers/lofar-pulp
diff --git a/Docker/lofar-ci/Dockerfile_ci_pulp_builder b/Docker/lofar-ci/Dockerfile_ci_pulp_builder
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a5abd36d7b0d18a002b45fa68597ceb4674c6057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Docker/lofar-ci/Dockerfile_ci_pulp_builder
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#
+# This builds an image with all tools to clone and build to pulp-docker-file from https://git.astron.nl/ro/pulp-dockers
+#
+# base
+#
+ARG BASE_VERSION=latest
+FROM ci_base:$BASE_VERSION
+
+RUN echo "Installing packages/tools to build/clone..." && \
+    yum install -y git docker.io
+