diff --git a/.github/workflows/Dockerfile.yml b/.github/workflows/Dockerfile.yml
index 24cb276..4bf74ad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/Dockerfile.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/Dockerfile.yml
@@ -20,12 +20,15 @@ env:
   PUSH_ENABLED: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN && github.ref_type == 'tag' && startsWith(github.ref_name, 'v') != true && 'true' || 'false' }}
   IMAGE: ${{ format('{0}/{1}:{2}', secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN && 'docker.io' || 'ghcr.io', github.repository, github.ref_type == 'tag' && github.ref_name || github.event.ref || 'latest') }}
   CORE_GIT_REF: https://github.com/stellar/stellar-core.git#master
-  CORE_COMPILE_CONFIGURE_FLAGS: "--disable-tests"
   SOROBAN_RPC_GIT_REF: https://github.com/stellar/soroban-tools.git#main
   RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION: stable
   SOROBAN_CLI_GIT_REF: https://github.com/stellar/soroban-tools.git#main
   QUICKSTART_GIT_REF: https://github.com/stellar/quickstart.git#master
-  JS_SOROBAN_CLIENT_NPM_VERSION: https://github.com/stellar/js-stellar-sdk.git#master
+  # leaving sdk npm version blank defaults to whatever npm has for latest version
+  # rather than build from git source, which is fine for ci test build
+  JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION: 
+  RS_XDR_GIT_REPO: https://github.com/stellar/rs-stellar-xdr
+  RS_XDR_GIT_REF: main
 jobs:
   complete:
     if: always()
@@ -51,7 +54,9 @@ jobs:
              RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION=${{ env.RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION }} \
              SOROBAN_CLI_GIT_REF=${{ env.SOROBAN_CLI_GIT_REF }} \
              SYSTEM_TEST_IMAGE=${{ env.PUSH_ENABLED == 'true' && env.IMAGE || 'stellar/system-test:dev' }} \
-             JS_SOROBAN_CLIENT_NPM_VERSION=${{ env.JS_SOROBAN_CLIENT_NPM_VERSION }} \
+             JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION=${{ env.JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION }} \
+             RS_XDR_GIT_REPO=${{ env.RS_XDR_GIT_REPO }} \
+             RS_XDR_GIT_REF=${{ env.RS_XDR_GIT_REF }} \
              QUICKSTART_GIT_REF=${{ env.QUICKSTART_GIT_REF }} build;
     - if: ${{ env.PUSH_ENABLED == 'true' }}
       name: Save Docker Image to file
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index a455ee2..1d6ec4d 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ ARG JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION
 ADD package.json /home/tester/
 ADD js-stellar-sdk /home/tester/js-stellar-sdk
 RUN sudo chown -R tester:tester /home/tester
-RUN yarn install --network-concurrency 1
+RUN yarn cache clean && yarn install --network-concurrency 1
 RUN if echo "$JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION" | grep -q '.*file:.*'; then \
     cd /home/tester/js-stellar-sdk; \
     yarn cache clean; \
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5ecd53a..659b189 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ SYSTEM_TEST_SHA=$(shell git rev-parse HEAD)
 QUICKSTART_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-base:dev
 CORE_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-core:dev
 HORIZON_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-horizon:dev
+RS_XDR_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-rs-xdr:dev
 FRIENDBOT_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-friendbot:dev
 SOROBAN_RPC_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-soroban-rpc:dev
 SOROBAN_CLI_STAGE_IMAGE=stellar/system-test-soroban-cli:dev
@@ -20,8 +21,11 @@ CORE_GIT_REF=https://github.com/stellar/stellar-core.git\#master
 SOROBAN_RPC_GIT_REF=https://github.com/stellar/soroban-tools.git\#main
 SOROBAN_CLI_GIT_REF=https://github.com/stellar/soroban-tools.git\#main
 GO_GIT_REF=https://github.com/stellar/go.git\#master
+RS_XDR_GIT_REPO=https://github.com/stellar/rs-stellar-xdr
+RS_XDR_GIT_REF=main
 QUICKSTART_GIT_REF=https://github.com/stellar/quickstart.git\#master
-# specify the published npm repo version of soroban-client js library, or you can specify gh git ref url as the version also
+# specify the published npm repo version of soroban-client js library, 
+# or you can specify gh git ref url as the version
 JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION=https://github.com/stellar/js-stellar-sdk.git\#master
 
 # variables to set if wanting to use existing dockerhub images instead of compiling
@@ -40,6 +44,9 @@ HORIZON_IMAGE=
 # image must have friendbot bin at /app/friendbot
 FRIENDBOT_IMAGE=
 #
+# image must have the bin at /usr/local/cargo/bin/stellar-xdr
+RS_XDR_IMAGE=
+#
 # image must have core bin at /usr/local/bin/stellar-core
 CORE_IMAGE=
 #
@@ -49,7 +56,7 @@ CORE_IMAGE=
 # work those images whether the build host is arm64 or amd64.
 QUICKSTART_IMAGE=
 
-NODE_VERSION?=16.20.2
+NODE_VERSION?=18.19.0
 
 # if crate version is set, then it overrides SOROBAN_CLI_GIT_REF, cli will be installed from this create instead
 SOROBAN_CLI_CRATE_VERSION=
@@ -75,6 +82,20 @@ build-friendbot:
 		-f services/friendbot/docker/Dockerfile "$$SOURCE_URL"; \
 	fi
 
+build-rs-xdr: 
+	if [ -z "$(QUICKSTART_IMAGE)" ] && [ -z "$(RS_XDR_IMAGE)" ]; then \
+		SOURCE_URL="$(QUICKSTART_GIT_REF)"; \
+		if [[ ! "$(QUICKSTART_GIT_REF)" =~ \.git ]]; then \
+			pushd "$(QUICKSTART_GIT_REF)"; \
+			SOURCE_URL=.; \
+		fi; \
+		docker build -t "$(RS_XDR_STAGE_IMAGE)" --target builder \
+		--build-arg BUILDKIT_CONTEXT_KEEP_GIT_DIR=true \
+		--build-arg REPO=$$RS_XDR_GIT_REPO \
+		--build-arg REF=$$RS_XDR_GIT_REF \
+		-f Dockerfile.xdr "$$SOURCE_URL"; \
+	fi	
+
 build-soroban-rpc:
 	if [ -z "$(QUICKSTART_IMAGE)" ] && [ -z "$(SOROBAN_RPC_IMAGE)" ]; then \
 		SOURCE_URL="$(SOROBAN_RPC_GIT_REF)"; \
@@ -122,12 +143,13 @@ build-core:
 		-f docker/Dockerfile.testing "$$SOURCE_URL"; \
 	fi
 
-build-quickstart: build-core build-friendbot build-horizon build-soroban-rpc
+build-quickstart: build-core build-friendbot build-horizon build-rs-xdr build-soroban-rpc
 	if [ -z "$(QUICKSTART_IMAGE)" ]; then \
 		CORE_IMAGE_REF=$$( [ -z "$(CORE_IMAGE)" ] && echo "$(CORE_STAGE_IMAGE)" || echo "$(CORE_IMAGE)"); \
 		HORIZON_IMAGE_REF=$$( [ -z "$(HORIZON_IMAGE)" ] && echo "$(HORIZON_STAGE_IMAGE)" || echo "$(HORIZON_IMAGE)"); \
 		FRIENDBOT_IMAGE_REF=$$( [ -z "$(FRIENDBOT_IMAGE)" ] && echo "$(FRIENDBOT_STAGE_IMAGE)" || echo "$(FRIENDBOT_IMAGE)"); \
 		SOROBAN_RPC_IMAGE_REF=$$( [ -z "$(SOROBAN_RPC_IMAGE)" ] && echo "$(SOROBAN_RPC_STAGE_IMAGE)" || echo "$(SOROBAN_RPC_IMAGE)"); \
+		RS_XDR_IMAGE_REF=$$( [ -z "$(RS_XDR_IMAGE)" ] && echo "$(RS_XDR_STAGE_IMAGE)" || echo "$(RS_XDR_IMAGE)"); \
 		SOURCE_URL="$(QUICKSTART_GIT_REF)"; \
 		if [[ ! "$(QUICKSTART_GIT_REF)" =~ \.git ]]; then \
 			pushd "$(QUICKSTART_GIT_REF)"; \
@@ -136,6 +158,7 @@ build-quickstart: build-core build-friendbot build-horizon build-soroban-rpc
 		docker build -t "$(QUICKSTART_STAGE_IMAGE)" \
 		--build-arg BUILDKIT_CONTEXT_KEEP_GIT_DIR=true \
 		--build-arg STELLAR_CORE_IMAGE_REF=$$CORE_IMAGE_REF \
+		--build-arg STELLAR_XDR_IMAGE_REF=$$RS_XDR_IMAGE_REF \
 		--build-arg CORE_SUPPORTS_ENABLE_SOROBAN_DIAGNOSTIC_EVENTS=true \
 		--build-arg CORE_SUPPORTS_TESTING_SOROBAN_HIGH_LIMIT_OVERRIDE=true \
 		--build-arg HORIZON_IMAGE_REF=$$HORIZON_IMAGE_REF \
diff --git a/js-stellar-sdk/README.md b/js-stellar-sdk/README.md
index de2fdc2..5d2ae57 100644
--- a/js-stellar-sdk/README.md
+++ b/js-stellar-sdk/README.md
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 **This is a placeholder file only.**
 
 The `system-test/js-stellar-sdk` directory can be used if you want to build `system-test` with a local file path for the [stellar/js-stellar-sdk](https://github.com/stellar/js-stellar-sdk) project rather than pulling it from remote
-npm or GitHub ref. Run,
+npm or GitHub ref. 
+
+This can also be used as alternative when trying to use a GitHub ref url but getting the dreaded `file appears to be corrupt: ENOENT: no such file or directory` during build.
 
-```bash
-js-stellar-sdk$ yarn build
-```
 
-Then, copy the entire directory over the top of `system-test/js-stellar-sdk` (or soft link the directories, but be careful in the soft link case as you don't want to accidentally delete, etc.)
+First, clone/check-out a version of js-stellar-sdk from GH locally, it should be clean, remove any node-modules/yarn.lock.
 
-Once you have the `system-test/js-stellar-sdk` ready, then build `system-test` and trigger it to use with:
+
+Then, copy the entire `js-stellar-sdk` directory over the top of `system-test/js-stellar-sdk`, this directory will be copied to the `/home/tester/js-stellar-sdk` path in the docker image.
+
+Then build `system-test` and trigger it to compile js sdk using the local files with:
 
 ```bash
 make .... JS_STELLAR_SDK_NPM_VERSION=file:/home/tester/js-stellar-sdk build
 ```
 
-Then, `system-test/js-stellar-sdk` is copied to the `/home/tester/js-stellar-sdk` path in the docker image.
+