diff --git a/Makefile.eve b/Makefile.eve
index bd28a91b14e8a..066376d6e0e88 100644
--- a/Makefile.eve
+++ b/Makefile.eve
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ help: Makefile
 	@echo "  clean: remove generated files"
 	@echo
 
+.PHONY: ensure-builder
+ensure-builder:
+	docker builder inspect eve-kernel-builder || docker builder create --name eve-kernel-builder --driver docker-container --bootstrap
+
 .PHONY: linuxkit
 linuxkit: $(LK)
 $(LK):
@@ -54,9 +58,10 @@ $(LK):
 
 KERNEL_OCI_FILE:=$(shell mktemp -u)-kernel.tar
 
-kernel-build-%: Makefile.eve linuxkit
+kernel-build-%: Makefile.eve linuxkit ensure-builder
 	@echo "Building kernel version $(BRANCH):$(VERSION)-$* with compiler $*"
 	docker buildx build \
+	--builder=eve-kernel-builder \
 	--build-arg="SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH=$(SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH)" \
 	--build-arg="KBUILD_BUILD_TIMESTAMP=$(KBUILD_BUILD_TIMESTAMP)" \
 	--build-arg="LOCALVERSION=$(VERSION)$(DIRTY)" \