diff --git a/crates/cargo-builder/src/cargo.rs b/crates/cargo-builder/src/cargo.rs
index d9eb60d2e0..09379b1c13 100644
--- a/crates/cargo-builder/src/cargo.rs
+++ b/crates/cargo-builder/src/cargo.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const AMBIGUOUS_TARGET_ERR_MSG: &str =
 
 const BUILD_CMD: &str = "build";
 const CLEAN_CMD: &str = "clean";
+const ZIGBUILD_CMD: &str = "zigbuild";
 
 #[derive(Default)]
 pub enum Profile {
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ pub enum CargoCommand {
     #[default]
     Build,
     Clean,
+    ZigBuild,
 }
 
 impl Display for Profile {
@@ -95,7 +97,6 @@ impl Cargo {
 
     fn make_cargo_cmd(&self) -> Result<Command> {
         let cwd = std::env::current_dir()?;
-
         let mut cargo = Command::new("cargo");
 
         cargo.output().map_err(Error::from)?;
@@ -113,6 +114,13 @@ impl Cargo {
             CargoCommand::Clean => {
                 cargo.current_dir(&cwd).arg(CLEAN_CMD);
             }
+            CargoCommand::ZigBuild => {
+                cargo
+                    .current_dir(&cwd)
+                    .arg(ZIGBUILD_CMD)
+                    .arg("--profile")
+                    .arg(&self.profile);
+            }
         }
 
         if self.lib {
diff --git a/crates/cdk/src/build.rs b/crates/cdk/src/build.rs
index 9d5cf51861..90e7e5e8a9 100644
--- a/crates/cdk/src/build.rs
+++ b/crates/cdk/src/build.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 use anyhow::Result;
@@ -8,12 +9,18 @@ use cargo_builder::package::PackageInfo;
 use crate::cmd::PackageCmd;
 use crate::utils::build::{BuildOpts, build_connector};
 
+const CLOUD_ARCH_TARGET: &str = "aarch64-unknown-linux-musl";
+
 /// Build the Connector in the current working directory
 #[derive(Debug, Parser)]
 pub struct BuildCmd {
     #[clap(flatten)]
     package: PackageCmd,
 
+    /// build optimized for running in the Infinyon Cloud environment
+    #[arg(long, default_value_t = false)]
+    cloud: bool,
+
     /// Extra arguments to be passed to cargo
     #[arg(raw = true)]
     extra_arguments: Vec<String>,
@@ -21,15 +28,36 @@ pub struct BuildCmd {
 
 impl BuildCmd {
     pub(crate) fn process(self) -> Result<()> {
-        let opt = self.package.as_opt();
+        let mut opt = self.package.as_opt();
+        if self.cloud {
+            opt.target = CLOUD_ARCH_TARGET.to_owned();
+        } else if target_not_specified() {
+            let tmap = Self::target_map();
+            if let Some(tgt) = tmap.get(&opt.target.as_str()) {
+                opt.target = tgt.to_string();
+            }
+        }
         let package_info = PackageInfo::from_options(&opt)?;
 
         build_connector(
             &package_info,
             BuildOpts {
+                cloud: self.cloud,
                 release: opt.release,
                 extra_arguments: self.extra_arguments,
             },
         )
     }
+
+    /// Map to most supported native target
+    fn target_map() -> HashMap<&'static str, &'static str> {
+        let mut map = HashMap::new();
+        map.insert("x86_64-unknown-linux-musl", "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu");
+        map
+    }
+}
+
+fn target_not_specified() -> bool {
+    let args = std::env::args().collect::<Vec<String>>();
+    !args.iter().any(|arg| arg.contains("--target"))
 }
diff --git a/crates/cdk/src/publish.rs b/crates/cdk/src/publish.rs
index ed8cff10bf..ef1f0c75ee 100644
--- a/crates/cdk/src/publish.rs
+++ b/crates/cdk/src/publish.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ pub struct PublishCmd {
     #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
     pub no_build: bool,
 
+    /// publish a build for running in the Infinyon Cloud environment
+    ///
+    #[arg(long, default_value_t = false)]
+    cloud: bool,
+
     /// do only the pack portion
     #[arg(long, hide_short_help = true)]
     pack: bool,
diff --git a/crates/cdk/src/test.rs b/crates/cdk/src/test.rs
index a1ce865e7b..72f3ec0018 100644
--- a/crates/cdk/src/test.rs
+++ b/crates/cdk/src/test.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ impl TestCmd {
         let opt = self.package.as_opt();
         let package_info = PackageInfo::from_options(&opt)?;
         let build_options = BuildOpts {
+            cloud: false,
             release: opt.release,
             extra_arguments: self.extra_arguments,
         };
diff --git a/crates/cdk/src/utils.rs b/crates/cdk/src/utils.rs
index 47c722f7ab..6f6ebd5397 100644
--- a/crates/cdk/src/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/cdk/src/utils.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ pub mod build {
     use anyhow::Result;
 
     use cargo_builder::package::PackageInfo;
-    use cargo_builder::cargo::Cargo;
+    use cargo_builder::cargo::{Cargo, CargoCommand};
 
     pub struct BuildOpts {
+        pub cloud: bool,
         pub(crate) release: String,
         pub(crate) extra_arguments: Vec<String>,
     }
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ pub mod build {
     impl BuildOpts {
         pub fn with_release(release: &str) -> Self {
             Self {
+                cloud: false,
                 release: release.to_string(),
                 extra_arguments: Vec::default(),
             }
@@ -20,14 +22,16 @@ pub mod build {
 
     /// Builds a Connector given it's package info and Cargo Build options
     pub fn build_connector(package_info: &PackageInfo, opts: BuildOpts) -> Result<()> {
-        let cargo = Cargo::build()
+        let mut cargo = Cargo::build()
             .profile(opts.release)
             .lib(false)
             .package(package_info.package_name())
             .target(package_info.arch_target())
             .extra_arguments(opts.extra_arguments)
             .build()?;
-
+        if opts.cloud {
+            cargo.cmd = CargoCommand::ZigBuild;
+        }
         cargo.run()
     }
 }