diff --git a/.github/workflows/beta-server-image.yml b/.github/workflows/beta-server-image.yml
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+++ b/.github/workflows/beta-server-image.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+name: Beta Server Image
+
+# Publishes the relay server as a Docker image under NON-production tags so a
+# feature branch can be deployed to a staging/backup server and used as a custom
+# server, without ever touching the ':latest' tag the official relay tracks.
+#
+# Tags produced (on ghcr.io/<owner>/<repo>):
+#   - beta                         moving channel pointer to the newest build
+#   - <branch-slug>                e.g. feature-host-control-mode
+#   - sha-<short-commit>           immutable, pin to an exact build
+#   - <custom>                     only on manual run, e.g. hostcontrol01
+# Never ':latest' (flavor: latest=false).
+#
+# Remove this workflow once the feature is merged & released the normal way.
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - feature/host-control-mode
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      tag:
+        description: 'Extra immutable tag for this build (e.g. hostcontrol01). Optional.'
+        required: false
+        default: ''
+
+concurrency:
+  group: beta-image-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  build-beta-image:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v4
+
+      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v4
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Extract Docker metadata
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v6
+        with:
+          images: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}
+          # Never publish ':latest' from a beta build.
+          flavor: |
+            latest=false
+          tags: |
+            type=raw,value=beta
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=sha,prefix=sha-
+            type=raw,value=${{ github.event.inputs.tag }},enable=${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.tag != '' }}
+
+      - name: Build and push Docker image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v7
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: server/Dockerfile
+          push: true
+          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max