diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index 8448d8e23..8d3a8d674 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name == 'release' # Only for GitHub releases
         run: |
           echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "BUILD=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD || \"\")" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          BRANCH=$(git symbolic-ref --short HEAD | tr -d \/)
-          [ ${BRANCH} == "main" ] && BRANCH=""
-          echo "BRANCH=${BRANCH}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Set up QEMU
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v1
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
@@ -60,7 +56,6 @@ jobs:
           cache-from: type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/${{ env.GHCR_NAMESPACE }}/dendrite-monolith:buildcache
           cache-to: type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/${{ env.GHCR_NAMESPACE }}/dendrite-monolith:buildcache,mode=max
           context: .
-          build-args: FLAGS=-X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.branch=${{ env.BRANCH }} -X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.build=${{ env.BUILD }}
           platforms: ${{ env.PLATFORMS }}
           push: true
           tags: |
@@ -75,7 +70,6 @@ jobs:
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
           context: .
-          build-args: FLAGS=-X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.branch=${{ env.BRANCH }} -X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.build=${{ env.BUILD }}
           platforms: ${{ env.PLATFORMS }}
           push: true
           tags: |
@@ -109,10 +103,6 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name == 'release' # Only for GitHub releases
         run: |
           echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "BUILD=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD || \"\")" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          BRANCH=$(git symbolic-ref --short HEAD | tr -d \/)
-          [ ${BRANCH} == "main" ] && BRANCH=""
-          echo "BRANCH=${BRANCH}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Set up QEMU
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v1
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
@@ -137,7 +127,6 @@ jobs:
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
           context: .
-          build-args: FLAGS=-X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.branch=${{ env.BRANCH }} -X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.build=${{ env.BUILD }}
           file: ./build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-pinecone
           platforms: ${{ env.PLATFORMS }}
           push: true
@@ -153,7 +142,6 @@ jobs:
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
           context: .
-          build-args: FLAGS=-X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.branch=${{ env.BRANCH }} -X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.build=${{ env.BUILD }}
           file: ./build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-pinecone
           platforms: ${{ env.PLATFORMS }}
           push: true
@@ -176,10 +164,6 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name == 'release' # Only for GitHub releases
         run: |
           echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "BUILD=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD || \"\")" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          BRANCH=$(git symbolic-ref --short HEAD | tr -d \/)
-          [ ${BRANCH} == "main" ] && BRANCH=""
-          echo "BRANCH=${BRANCH}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Set up QEMU
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v1
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
@@ -204,7 +188,6 @@ jobs:
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
           context: .
-          build-args: FLAGS=-X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.branch=${{ env.BRANCH }} -X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.build=${{ env.BUILD }}
           file: ./build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-yggdrasil
           platforms: ${{ env.PLATFORMS }}
           push: true
@@ -220,7 +203,6 @@ jobs:
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
           context: .
-          build-args: FLAGS=-X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.branch=${{ env.BRANCH }} -X github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal.build=${{ env.BUILD }}
           file: ./build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-yggdrasil
           platforms: ${{ env.PLATFORMS }}
           push: true
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 4ee20933a..8c8f1588f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 # base installs required dependencies and runs go mod download to cache dependencies
 #
-FROM --platform=${BUILDPLATFORM} docker.io/golang:1.20-alpine AS base
+FROM --platform=${BUILDPLATFORM} docker.io/golang:1.21-alpine AS base
 RUN apk --update --no-cache add bash build-base curl git
 
 #
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ FROM --platform=${BUILDPLATFORM} base AS build
 WORKDIR /src
 ARG TARGETOS
 ARG TARGETARCH
-ARG FLAGS
 RUN --mount=target=. \
     --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/go-build \
     --mount=type=cache,target=/go/pkg/mod \
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ RUN --mount=target=. \
     GOARCH="$TARGETARCH" \
     GOOS="linux" \
     CGO_ENABLED=$([ "$TARGETARCH" = "$USERARCH" ] && echo "1" || echo "0") \
-    go build -v -ldflags="${FLAGS}" -trimpath -o /out/ ./cmd/...
+    go build -v -trimpath -o /out/ ./cmd/...
 
 
 #
diff --git a/build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-yggdrasil b/build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-yggdrasil
index efae5496c..b9e387666 100644
--- a/build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-yggdrasil
+++ b/build/docker/Dockerfile.demo-yggdrasil
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM docker.io/golang:1.19-alpine AS base
+FROM docker.io/golang:1.21-alpine AS base
 
 #
 # Needs to be separate from the main Dockerfile for OpenShift,