diff --git a/lmcache/Dockerfile b/lmcache/Dockerfile
index 26320a2..39c2f1d 100644
--- a/lmcache/Dockerfile
+++ b/lmcache/Dockerfile
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ ENV LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CUDA_HOME}/lib64:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
 FROM base AS build-base
 
 # Install build tools and dependencies
-RUN pip install -U build cmake ninja pybind11 "setuptools>=77.0.3,<81.0.0" wheel
+RUN pip install -U build cmake ninja pybind11 "setuptools>=77.0.3,<81.0.0"
 
 # Clone the repo, apply the patch, and build
 RUN git clone https://github.com/LMCache/LMCache.git && \
diff --git a/vllm/Dockerfile b/vllm/Dockerfile
index 3915d76..7de9dfa 100644
--- a/vllm/Dockerfile
+++ b/vllm/Dockerfile
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ RUN mkdir /wheels
 
 # Install build deps that aren't in project requirements files
 # Pin setuptools to <81 for LMCache compatibility (needs >=77.0.3,<81.0.0)
-RUN pip install -U build cmake ninja pybind11 "setuptools>=77.0.3,<81.0.0" wheel
+# Note: wheel is already installed in NGC container, don't try to upgrade it
+RUN pip install -U build cmake ninja pybind11 "setuptools>=77.0.3,<81.0.0"
 
 # Use PyPI triton wheel instead of building (QEMU segfaults during triton build)
 FROM build-base AS build-triton
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ RUN cd flashinfer && \
     git checkout ${FLASHINFER_REF} && \
     git submodule sync && \
     git submodule update --init --recursive -j 8 && \
-    pip build --wheel --no-build-isolation -o /wheels
+    python -m build --wheel --no-build-isolation -o /wheels
 
 FROM build-base AS build-lmcache
 # Bleeding edge: build from dev branch (v0.4.2+)
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ RUN cd vllm && \
     export CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL=$MAX_JOBS && \
     python use_existing_torch.py && \
     pip install -r requirements/build.txt && \
-    CCACHE_NOHASHDIR="true" pip build --wheel --no-build-isolation -o /wheels
+    CCACHE_NOHASHDIR="true" python -m build --wheel --no-build-isolation -o /wheels
 
 # Build infinistore after vllm to avoid cache invalidation
 FROM build-base AS build-infinistore
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ RUN pip install accelerate hf_transfer modelscope bitsandbytes timm boto3 runai-
 RUN pip cache purge || true
 
 # Install build tools and dependencies
-RUN pip install -U build cmake ninja pybind11 setuptools==79.0.1 wheel
+RUN pip install -U build cmake ninja pybind11 setuptools==79.0.1
 
 # Enable hf-transfer
 ENV HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER=1