diff --git a/changelog.d/20230427_154822_regis_build_mount.md b/changelog.d/20230427_154822_regis_build_mount.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dbc5e908de1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/20230427_154822_regis_build_mount.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- [Improvement] Considerably accelerate building the "openedx" Docker image with `RUN --mount=type=cache`. This feature is only for Docker with BuildKit, so detection is performed at build-time. (by @regisb)
diff --git a/tests/commands/test_images.py b/tests/commands/test_images.py
index 20abdd2bd1e..622be9b8aa7 100644
--- a/tests/commands/test_images.py
+++ b/tests/commands/test_images.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
 
 from tests.helpers import PluginsTestCase, temporary_root
-from tutor import images, plugins
+from tutor import images, plugins, utils
 from tutor.__about__ import __version__
 from tutor.commands.images import ImageNotFoundError
 
@@ -128,16 +128,29 @@ def test_images_build_plugin_with_args(self, image_build: Mock) -> None:
             "service1",
         ]
         with temporary_root() as root:
-            self.invoke_in_root(root, ["config", "save"])
-            result = self.invoke_in_root(root, build_args)
+            utils.is_buildkit_enabled.cache_clear()
+            with patch.object(utils, "is_buildkit_enabled", return_value=False):
+                self.invoke_in_root(root, ["config", "save"])
+                result = self.invoke_in_root(root, build_args)
         self.assertIsNone(result.exception)
         self.assertEqual(0, result.exit_code)
         image_build.assert_called()
         self.assertIn("service1:1.0.0", image_build.call_args[0])
-        for arg in image_build.call_args[0][2:]:
-            # The only extra args are `--build-arg`
-            if arg != "--build-arg":
-                self.assertIn(arg, build_args)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [
+                "service1:1.0.0",
+                "--no-cache",
+                "--build-arg",
+                "myarg=value",
+                "--add-host",
+                "host",
+                "--target",
+                "target",
+                "docker_args",
+                "--cache-from=type=registry,ref=service1:1.0.0-cache",
+            ],
+            list(image_build.call_args[0][1:])
+        )
 
     def test_images_push(self) -> None:
         result = self.invoke(["images", "push"])
diff --git a/tutor/commands/images.py b/tutor/commands/images.py
index c300ff80616..a162bee086c 100644
--- a/tutor/commands/images.py
+++ b/tutor/commands/images.py
@@ -136,8 +136,9 @@ def build(
     if target:
         command_args += ["--target", target]
     if utils.is_buildkit_enabled():
-        # Export image to docker.
-        command_args.append("--output=type=image")
+        # Export image to docker. This is necessary to make the image available to docker-compose.
+        # The `--load` option is a shorthand for `--output=type=docker`.
+        command_args.append("--load")
     if docker_args:
         command_args += docker_args
     for image in image_names:
diff --git a/tutor/env.py b/tutor/env.py
index e24e90e5f88..2460ec8a70e 100644
--- a/tutor/env.py
+++ b/tutor/env.py
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ def _prepare_environment() -> None:
             ("HOST_USER_ID", utils.get_user_id()),
             ("TUTOR_APP", __app__.replace("-", "_")),
             ("TUTOR_VERSION", __version__),
+            ("is_buildkit_enabled", utils.is_buildkit_enabled),
         ],
     )
 
diff --git a/tutor/images.py b/tutor/images.py
index d0637fe4903..0d1e80bd578 100644
--- a/tutor/images.py
+++ b/tutor/images.py
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ def get_tag(config: Config, name: str) -> str:
 
 def build(path: str, tag: str, *args: str) -> None:
     fmt.echo_info(f"Building image {tag}")
-    command = hooks.Filters.DOCKER_BUILD_COMMAND.apply(
-        ["build", "-t", tag, *args, path]
-    )
+    build_command = ["build", "-t", tag, *args, path]
+    if utils.is_buildkit_enabled():
+        build_command.insert(0, "buildx")
+    command = hooks.Filters.DOCKER_BUILD_COMMAND.apply(build_command)
     utils.docker(*command)
 
 
diff --git a/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile b/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile
index 3bbc842c210..e9284b49bb5 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile
+++ b/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+{% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.4{% endif %}
 ###### Minimal image with base system requirements for most stages
 FROM docker.io/ubuntu:20.04 as minimal
 LABEL maintainer="Overhang.io <contact@overhang.io>"
 
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-RUN apt update && \
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/apt,sharing=locked \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/var/lib/apt,sharing=locked{% endif %} \
+    apt update && \
     apt install -y build-essential curl git language-pack-en
 ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8
 {{ patch("openedx-dockerfile-minimal") }}
@@ -11,16 +14,23 @@ ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8
 ###### Install python with pyenv in /opt/pyenv and create virtualenv in /openedx/venv
 FROM minimal as python
 # https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/wiki/Common-build-problems#prerequisites
-RUN apt update && \
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/apt,sharing=locked \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/var/lib/apt,sharing=locked {% endif %}apt update && \
     apt install -y libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev \
     libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev \
     xz-utils tk-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev python-openssl git
-# https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/releases
+
+# Install pyenv
 # https://www.python.org/downloads/
+# https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/releases
 ARG PYTHON_VERSION=3.8.15
 ENV PYENV_ROOT /opt/pyenv
 RUN git clone https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv $PYENV_ROOT --branch v2.3.17 --depth 1
+
+# Install Python
 RUN $PYENV_ROOT/bin/pyenv install $PYTHON_VERSION
+
+# Create virtualenv
 RUN $PYENV_ROOT/versions/$PYTHON_VERSION/bin/python -m venv /openedx/venv
 
 ###### Checkout edx-platform code
@@ -45,6 +55,12 @@ RUN git config --global user.email "tutor@overhang.io" \
 {# Example: RUN curl -fsSL https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform/commit/<GITSHA1>.patch | git am #}
 {{ patch("openedx-dockerfile-post-git-checkout") }}
 
+##### Empty layer with just the repo at the root.
+# This is useful when overriding the build context with a host repo:
+# docker build --build-context edx-platform=/path/to/edx-platform
+FROM scratch as edx-platform
+COPY --from=code /openedx/edx-platform /
+
 ###### Download extra locales to /openedx/locale/contrib/locale
 FROM minimal as locales
 ARG OPENEDX_I18N_VERSION={{ OPENEDX_COMMON_VERSION }}
@@ -59,36 +75,39 @@ RUN cd /tmp \
 FROM python as python-requirements
 ENV PATH /openedx/venv/bin:${PATH}
 ENV VIRTUAL_ENV /openedx/venv/
+ENV XDG_CACHE_HOME /openedx/.cache
 
-RUN apt update && apt install -y software-properties-common libmysqlclient-dev libxmlsec1-dev libgeos-dev
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/apt,sharing=locked \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/var/lib/apt,sharing=locked {% endif %}apt update \
+    && apt install -y software-properties-common libmysqlclient-dev libxmlsec1-dev libgeos-dev
 
 # Install the right version of pip/setuptools
-# https://pypi.org/project/setuptools/
-# https://pypi.org/project/pip/
-# https://pypi.org/project/wheel/
-RUN pip install setuptools==67.6.1 pip==23.0.1. wheel==0.40.0
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}pip install \
+    # https://pypi.org/project/setuptools/
+    # https://pypi.org/project/pip/
+    # https://pypi.org/project/wheel/
+    setuptools==67.6.1 pip==23.0.1. wheel==0.40.0
 
 # Install base requirements
-COPY --from=code /openedx/edx-platform/requirements/edx/base.txt /tmp/base.txt
-RUN pip install -r /tmp/base.txt
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=bind,from=edx-platform,source=/requirements/edx/base.txt,target=/openedx/edx-platform/requirements/edx/base.txt \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}pip install -r /openedx/edx-platform/requirements/edx/base.txt
 
-# Install django-redis for using redis as a django cache
-# https://pypi.org/project/django-redis/
-RUN pip install django-redis==5.2.0
-
-# Install uwsgi
-# https://pypi.org/project/uWSGI/
-RUN pip install uwsgi==2.0.21
+# Install extra requirements
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}pip install \
+    # Use redis as a django cache https://pypi.org/project/django-redis/
+    django-redis==5.2.0 \
+    # uwsgi server https://pypi.org/project/uWSGI/
+    uwsgi==2.0.21
 
 {{ patch("openedx-dockerfile-post-python-requirements") }}
 
 # Install private requirements: this is useful for installing custom xblocks.
 COPY ./requirements/ /openedx/requirements
-RUN cd /openedx/requirements/ \
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}cd /openedx/requirements/ \
   && touch ./private.txt \
   && pip install -r ./private.txt
 
-{% for extra_requirements in OPENEDX_EXTRA_PIP_REQUIREMENTS %}RUN pip install '{{ extra_requirements }}'
+{% for extra_requirements in OPENEDX_EXTRA_PIP_REQUIREMENTS %}RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}pip install '{{ extra_requirements }}'
 {% endfor %}
 
 ###### Install nodejs with nodeenv in /openedx/nodeenv
@@ -103,18 +122,18 @@ RUN nodeenv /openedx/nodeenv --node=16.14.0 --prebuilt
 
 # Install nodejs requirements
 ARG NPM_REGISTRY={{ NPM_REGISTRY }}
-COPY --from=code /openedx/edx-platform/package.json /openedx/edx-platform/package.json
-COPY --from=code /openedx/edx-platform/package-lock.json /openedx/edx-platform/package-lock.json
 WORKDIR /openedx/edx-platform
-RUN npm clean-install --verbose --registry=$NPM_REGISTRY
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=bind,from=edx-platform,source=/package.json,target=/openedx/edx-platform/package.json \
+    --mount=type=bind,from=edx-platform,source=/package-lock.json,target=/openedx/edx-platform/package-lock.json \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm,sharing=shared {% endif %}npm clean-install --verbose --no-audit --registry=$NPM_REGISTRY
 
 ###### Production image with system and python requirements
 FROM minimal as production
 
 # Install system requirements
-RUN apt update && \
-    apt install -y gettext gfortran graphviz graphviz-dev libffi-dev libfreetype6-dev libgeos-dev libjpeg8-dev liblapack-dev libmysqlclient-dev libpng-dev libsqlite3-dev libxmlsec1-dev lynx mysql-client ntp pkg-config rdfind && \
-    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/apt,sharing=locked \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/var/lib/apt,sharing=locked {% endif %}apt update \
+    && apt install -y gettext gfortran graphviz graphviz-dev libffi-dev libfreetype6-dev libgeos-dev libjpeg8-dev liblapack-dev libmysqlclient-dev libpng-dev libsqlite3-dev libxmlsec1-dev lynx mysql-client ntp pkg-config rdfind
 
 # From then on, run as unprivileged "app" user
 # Note that this must always be different from root (APP_USER_ID=0)
@@ -124,14 +143,17 @@ RUN useradd --home-dir /openedx --create-home --shell /bin/bash --uid ${APP_USER
 USER ${APP_USER_ID}
 
 # https://hub.docker.com/r/powerman/dockerize/tags
-COPY --from=docker.io/powerman/dockerize:0.19.0 /usr/local/bin/dockerize /usr/local/bin/dockerize
-COPY --chown=app:app --from=code /openedx/edx-platform /openedx/edx-platform
+COPY {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--link {% endif %}--from=docker.io/powerman/dockerize:0.19.0 /usr/local/bin/dockerize /usr/local/bin/dockerize
+COPY --chown=app:app --from=edx-platform / /openedx/edx-platform
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=locales /openedx/locale /openedx/locale
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=python /opt/pyenv /opt/pyenv
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=python-requirements /openedx/venv /openedx/venv
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=python-requirements /openedx/requirements /openedx/requirements
 COPY --chown=app:app --from=nodejs-requirements /openedx/nodeenv /openedx/nodeenv
-COPY --chown=app:app --from=nodejs-requirements /openedx/edx-platform/node_modules /openedx/edx-platform/node_modules
+COPY --chown=app:app --from=nodejs-requirements /openedx/edx-platform/node_modules /openedx/node_modules
+
+# Symlink node_modules such that we can bind-mount the edx-platform repository
+RUN ln -s /openedx/node_modules /openedx/edx-platform/node_modules
 
 ENV PATH /openedx/venv/bin:./node_modules/.bin:/openedx/nodeenv/bin:${PATH}
 ENV VIRTUAL_ENV /openedx/venv/
@@ -215,16 +237,16 @@ FROM production as development
 
 # Install useful system requirements (as root)
 USER root
-RUN apt update && \
-    apt install -y vim iputils-ping dnsutils telnet \
-    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/apt,sharing=locked \
+    --mount=type=cache,target=/var/lib/apt,sharing=locked {% endif %}apt update && \
+    apt install -y vim iputils-ping dnsutils telnet
 USER app
 
 # Install dev python requirements
-RUN pip install -r requirements/edx/development.txt
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}pip install -r requirements/edx/development.txt
 # https://pypi.org/project/ipdb/
 # https://pypi.org/project/ipython
-RUN pip install ipdb==0.13.13 ipython==8.12.0
+RUN {% if is_buildkit_enabled() %}--mount=type=cache,target=/openedx/.cache/pip,sharing=shared {% endif %}pip install ipdb==0.13.13 ipython==8.12.0
 
 # Add ipdb as default PYTHONBREAKPOINT
 ENV PYTHONBREAKPOINT=ipdb.set_trace
diff --git a/tutor/utils.py b/tutor/utils.py
index 545ce38b204..06c0e3d0b98 100644
--- a/tutor/utils.py
+++ b/tutor/utils.py
@@ -173,6 +173,25 @@ def docker(*command: str) -> int:
     return execute("docker", *command)
 
 
+@lru_cache(maxsize=None)
+def is_buildkit_enabled() -> bool:
+    """
+    A helper function to determine whether we can run `docker buildx` with BuildKit.
+    """
+    # First, we respect the DOCKER_BUILDKIT environment variable
+    enabled_by_env = {
+        "1": True,
+        "0": False,
+    }.get(os.environ.get("DOCKER_BUILDKIT", ""))
+    if enabled_by_env is not None:
+        return enabled_by_env
+    try:
+        subprocess.run(["docker", "buildx", "version"], capture_output=True, check=True)
+        return True
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        return False
+
+
 def docker_compose(*command: str) -> int:
     return execute("docker", "compose", *command)