diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
index c66935aed..6ffe6f93c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# SIMPLIFIED: Only builds mana-core-auth + chat containers
+# MINIMAL: Only builds mana-core-auth + chat Docker images, no validation
 # Full config archived at: .github/workflows/ci-main.full.yml
 #
 # To restore: cp .github/workflows/ci-main.full.yml .github/workflows/ci-main.yml
@@ -15,41 +15,11 @@ concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
-env:
-  NODE_VERSION: '20'
-  PNPM_VERSION: '9.15.0'
-
 jobs:
-  # Quick validation - skip heavy checks for faster iteration
-  validate:
-    name: Quick Validate
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Setup pnpm
-        uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4
-        with:
-          version: ${{ env.PNPM_VERSION }}
-
-      - name: Setup Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
-          cache: 'pnpm'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
-
-      - name: Build shared packages
-        run: pnpm run build:packages
-
-  # Build only mana-core-auth and chat Docker images
+  # Build Docker images directly - Dockerfiles handle their own dependencies
   build-docker-images:
-    name: Build Docker Images
+    name: Build ${{ matrix.service.name }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: validate
     strategy:
       matrix:
         service:
@@ -71,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
             echo "exists=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-            echo "Warning: No Dockerfile found for ${{ matrix.service.name }}"
+            echo "::warning::No Dockerfile found for ${{ matrix.service.name }}"
           fi
 
       - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
@@ -89,9 +59,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           images: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/${{ matrix.service.name }}
           tags: |
-            type=sha,prefix={{branch}}-
-            type=ref,event=branch
-            type=raw,value=latest,enable=${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
+            type=raw,value=latest
 
       - name: Build and push
         if: steps.check-dockerfile.outputs.exists == 'true'
@@ -104,22 +72,14 @@ jobs:
           labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
-          build-args: |
-            NODE_ENV=production
-            PORT=${{ matrix.service.port }}
 
-      - name: Image digest
-        if: steps.check-dockerfile.outputs.exists == 'true'
-        run: echo "Image digest - ${{ steps.meta.outputs.digest }}"
-
-  # Trigger staging deployment
-  trigger-staging-deploy:
-    name: Trigger Staging Deployment
+  # Trigger staging deployment after all images are built
+  deploy-staging:
+    name: Deploy to Staging
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: build-docker-images
-    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
     steps:
-      - name: Trigger staging deployment workflow
+      - name: Trigger staging deployment
         uses: actions/github-script@v7
         with:
           script: |
@@ -129,10 +89,4 @@ jobs:
               workflow_id: 'cd-staging.yml',
               ref: 'main'
             });
-
-      - name: Deployment notification
-        run: |
-          echo "## Staging Deployment Triggered" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "Docker images built: mana-core-auth, chat-backend, chat-web" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "Staging deployment workflow has been triggered." >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            console.log('Staging deployment triggered');