diff --git a/guides/deployment/releases.md b/guides/deployment/releases.md
index 7e4d1668fa..2d9a288871 100644
--- a/guides/deployment/releases.md
+++ b/guides/deployment/releases.md
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ ARG RUNNER_IMAGE="debian:${DEBIAN_VERSION}"
 FROM ${BUILDER_IMAGE} AS builder
 
 # install build dependencies
-RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y build-essential git \
-    && apt-get clean && rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/*_*
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends build-essential git \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # prepare build dir
 WORKDIR /app
@@ -227,9 +227,9 @@ RUN mix release
 # the compiled release and other runtime necessities
 FROM ${RUNNER_IMAGE}
 
-RUN apt-get update -y && \
-  apt-get install -y libstdc++6 openssl libncurses5 locales ca-certificates \
-  && apt-get clean && rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/*_*
+RUN apt-get update && \
+  apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libstdc++6 openssl libncurses5 locales ca-certificates \
+  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Set the locale
 RUN sed -i '/en_US.UTF-8/s/^# //g' /etc/locale.gen && locale-gen
diff --git a/priv/templates/phx.gen.release/Dockerfile.eex b/priv/templates/phx.gen.release/Dockerfile.eex
index 3792821c8d..af5a380ff0 100644
--- a/priv/templates/phx.gen.release/Dockerfile.eex
+++ b/priv/templates/phx.gen.release/Dockerfile.eex
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ ARG RUNNER_IMAGE="docker.io/debian:${DEBIAN_VERSION}"
 FROM ${BUILDER_IMAGE} AS builder
 
 # install build dependencies
-RUN apt-get update -y && apt-get install -y build-essential git \
-    && apt-get clean && rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/*_*
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends build-essential git \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # prepare build dir
 WORKDIR /app
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ RUN mix release
 # the compiled release and other runtime necessities
 FROM ${RUNNER_IMAGE}
 
-RUN apt-get update -y && \
-  apt-get install -y libstdc++6 openssl libncurses5 locales ca-certificates \
-  && apt-get clean && rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/*_*
+RUN apt-get update && \
+  apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libstdc++6 openssl libncurses5 locales ca-certificates \
+  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Set the locale
 RUN sed -i '/en_US.UTF-8/s/^# //g' /etc/locale.gen && locale-gen