diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9f4131d2d46441e00faf1b27709a932755b18308..22fb0c8d114ccdd8b39453e4c1472b7ebf5591ac 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -67,30 +67,35 @@ docker-push:
     AURA_IMAGE_NAME: "autoradio/steering"
   services:
     - docker:dind
+  before_script:
+    # on a feature branch will login to gitlab registry
+    # else to docker hub
+    # hint: feature branches must begin with "feat"
+    - |
+      if expr "$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME" : ^feat > /dev/null
+        then docker login -u "$CI_REGISTRY_USER" -p "$CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" "$CI_REGISTRY"
+      else docker login -u "$DOCKER_ID" -p "$DOCKER_HUB_AUTH"
+      fi
   script:
-    # every commit on main branch builds and pushes the image with labels "main" and "main-{hash}"
-    # elseif its a protected branch build and push to gitlab registry
+    # every commit on main branch should build and push image as main
+    # elseif it is a feature branch build and push to gitlab registry
     # else it is from a tag (enforced by gitlab-ci rules)
     # hint: tags are references independent of branches
     # hint: feature branches must begin with "feat"
     - |
       if [ "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH" == "$CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH" ]
-        then docker login -u "$DOCKER_ID" -p "$DOCKER_HUB_AUTH"
-        docker build -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:main -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:main-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA .
-        docker push --all-tags $AURA_IMAGE_NAME
-      elif [ "$CI_COMMIT_REF_PROTECTED" = "true" ] && [ "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH" != "$CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH" ]
-        then docker login -u "$CI_REGISTRY_USER" -p "$CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" "$CI_REGISTRY"
-        docker build -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME -t $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA .
-        docker push $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
-      else
-        docker login -u "$DOCKER_ID" -p "$DOCKER_HUB_AUTH"
-        docker build -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_TAG .
-        docker push $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_TAG
+        then docker build -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:main .
+        docker push $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:main
+      elif expr "$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME" : ^feat > /dev/null
+        then docker build -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME -t $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME .
+        docker push $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME
+      else docker build -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME -t $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_TAG .
+      docker push $AURA_IMAGE_NAME:$CI_COMMIT_TAG
       fi
   rules:
     - *release-rules
     # every commit on master/main or feature branch should trigger a push
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH || $CI_COMMIT_REF_PROTECTED =~ "true"
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH || $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME =~ /^feat/
       exists:
         - Dockerfile