diff --git a/.github/workflows/images.yaml b/.github/workflows/images.yaml
index fcb02f635..045a1dd5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/images.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/images.yaml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ jobs:
       kube-webhook-certgen: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.kube-webhook-certgen }}
       ext-auth-example-authsvc: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.ext-auth-example-authsvc }}
       nginx: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.nginx }}
+      opentelemetry: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.opentelemetry }}
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ jobs:
               - 'images/ext-auth-example-authsvc/**'
             nginx:
               - 'images/nginx/**'
+            opentelemetry:
+              - 'images/opentelemetry/**'
  
   #### TODO: Make the below jobs 'less dumb' and use the job name as parameter (the github.job context does not work here)
   cfssl:
@@ -179,3 +182,20 @@ jobs:
       uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v3.23.1
       with:
         sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'
+
+  opentelemetry:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      PLATFORMS: linux/amd64,linux/arm,linux/arm64,linux/s390x
+    needs: changes
+    if: |
+      (needs.changes.outputs.opentelemetry == 'true')
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        nginx: ['1.25.3', '1.21.6']
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4.1.1
+    - name: image build
+      run: |
+        cd images/opentelemetry && make NGINX_VERSION=${{ matrix.nginx }} build
diff --git a/images/opentelemetry/Makefile b/images/opentelemetry/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..60a562a57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/opentelemetry/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# Copyright 2024 The Kubernetes Authors. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+.DEFAULT_GOAL:=build
+
+# set default shell
+SHELL=/bin/bash -o pipefail -o errexit
+
+DIR:=$(strip $(shell dirname $(realpath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))))
+INIT_BUILDX=$(DIR)/../../hack/init-buildx.sh
+
+# 0.0.0 shouldn't clobber any released builds
+SHORT_SHA ?=$(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+TAG ?=v$(shell date +%Y%m%d)-$(SHORT_SHA)
+
+REGISTRY ?= gcr.io/k8s-staging-ingress-nginx
+
+IMAGE = $(REGISTRY)/opentelemetry
+
+# required to enable buildx
+export DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL=enabled
+
+# build with buildx
+PLATFORMS?=linux/amd64,linux/arm,linux/arm64,linux/s390x
+OUTPUT=
+PROGRESS=plain
+
+precheck:
+ifndef NGINX_VERSION
+	$(error NGINX_VERSION variable is required)
+endif
+
+build: precheck ensure-buildx
+	docker buildx build \
+		--label=org.opencontainers.image.source=https://github.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx \
+		--label=org.opencontainers.image.licenses=Apache-2.0 \
+		--label=org.opencontainers.image.description="Ingress NGINX Opentelemetry image" \
+		--platform=${PLATFORMS} $(OUTPUT) \
+		--progress=$(PROGRESS) \
+		--build-arg=$(NGINX_VERSION) \
+		--pull \
+		--tag $(IMAGE)-$(NGINX_VERSION):$(TAG) rootfs
+
+# push the cross built image
+push: OUTPUT=--push
+push: build
+
+# enable buildx
+ensure-buildx:
+# this is required for cloudbuild
+ifeq ("$(wildcard $(INIT_BUILDX))","")
+	@curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/main/hack/init-buildx.sh | bash
+else
+	@exec $(INIT_BUILDX)
+endif
+	@echo "done"
+
+.PHONY: build precheck push ensure-buildx
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/images/opentelemetry/cloudbuild.yaml b/images/opentelemetry/cloudbuild.yaml
index 6705dac87..bc48a93f4 100644
--- a/images/opentelemetry/cloudbuild.yaml
+++ b/images/opentelemetry/cloudbuild.yaml
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ steps:
     - -c
     - |
       gcloud auth configure-docker \
-      && cd images/ && make NAME=opentelemetry push
+      && cd images/opentelemetry && make NGINX_VERSION=1.25.3 push \
+      && make NGINX_VERSION=1.21.6 push
diff --git a/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/Dockerfile b/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/Dockerfile
index e568237c2..198961496 100644
--- a/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/Dockerfile
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@ RUN bash /opt/third_party/build.sh -o v1.11.0
 
 # install otel_ngx_module.so
 FROM base as nginx
+ARG NGINX_VERSION=1.25.3
 COPY --from=grpc /opt/third_party/install/ /usr
 COPY --from=otel-cpp /opt/third_party/install/ /usr
-RUN bash /opt/third_party/build.sh -n
+RUN bash /opt/third_party/build.sh -n ${NGINX_VERSION}
 
-FROM cgr.dev/chainguard/go:latest as build-init
+FROM golang:1.21.6-bullseye as build-init
 
 WORKDIR /go/src/app
 COPY . .
diff --git a/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/build.sh b/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/build.sh
index 8b491589f..f8cf67393 100755
--- a/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/build.sh
+++ b/images/opentelemetry/rootfs/build.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ export GRPC_GIT_TAG=${GRPC_GIT_TAG:="v1.43.2"}
 export OPENTELEMETRY_CPP_VERSION=${OPENTELEMETRY_CPP_VERSION:="1.2.0"}
 export ABSL_CPP_VERSION=${ABSL_CPP_VERSION:="20230802.0"}
 export INSTAL_DIR=/opt/third_party/install
+
+export NGINX_VERSION=${NGINX_VERSION:-"1.25.3"}
 # improve compilation times
 CORES=$(($(grep -c ^processor /proc/cpuinfo) - 1))
 
@@ -148,7 +150,6 @@ get_src()
 
 install_nginx()
 {
-  export NGINX_VERSION=1.25.3
 
   # Check for recent changes: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-cpp-contrib/compare/2656a4...main
   export OPENTELEMETRY_CONTRIB_COMMIT=aaa51e2297bcb34297f3c7aa44fa790497d2f7f3
@@ -197,6 +198,7 @@ while getopts ":pha:g:o:n" option; do
         prepare
         exit;;
     n) # install nginx
+        NGINX_VERSION=${OPTARG}
         install_nginx
         exit;;
     a) # install abseil