diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24f1f8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "optimism"]
+	path = optimism
+	url = git@github.com:ethereum-optimism/optimism.git
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 97b5261..e6c5e6e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ optimism_package:
 
   # Configuration place for da-server - https://github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/tree/develop/op-alt-da
   da_server_params:
+    image: us-docker.pkg.dev/oplabs-tools-artifacts/images/da-server:dev
+    build_image: true
     # A list of optional extra params that will be passed to the da-server container for modifying its behaviour
     da_server_extra_args: []
     generic_commitment: false
diff --git a/network_params.yaml b/network_params.yaml
index 4423444..688edd9 100644
--- a/network_params.yaml
+++ b/network_params.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ optimism_package:
     - el_type: op-nethermind
     - el_type: op-besu
   additional_services:
-    - blockscout
+    - da_server
+  #   - blockscout
+  da_server_params:
+    image: us-docker.pkg.dev/oplabs-tools-artifacts/images/da-server:dev
+    build_image: True
   op_contract_deployer_params:
     image: ethpandaops/optimism-contract-deployer:develop
diff --git a/optimism b/optimism
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..90700b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/optimism
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 90700b9bb37080961747420882b14578577d47cc
diff --git a/src/l2.star b/src/l2.star
index fe810ac..c548a8f 100644
--- a/src/l2.star
+++ b/src/l2.star
@@ -52,11 +52,23 @@ def launch_l2(
     # because op-node and op-batcher need to know the da-server url, if present
     da_server_context = da_server_launcher.disabled_da_server_context()
     if "da_server" in args_with_right_defaults.additional_services:
+        da_server_image = args_with_right_defaults.da_server_params.image
+        if args_with_right_defaults.da_server_params.build_image:
+            plan.print("Building da-server image")
+            da_server_image = ImageBuildSpec(
+                image_name=args_with_right_defaults.da_server_params.image,
+                # TODO: this doesn't work... because can't point to a dir outside of the kurtosis package
+                # also can't install optimism monorepo as a submodule because that makes the kurtosis package > 100MB, which is not allowed.
+                # Not sure how to fix this... detailed problem in https://github.com/ethpandaops/optimism-package/issues/72
+                build_context_dir="/optimism/ops/docker/op-stack-go",
+                target_stage="da-server-target",
+            )
+            plan.print("Successfully built da-server image")
         plan.print("Launching da-server")
         da_server_context = da_server_launcher.launch(
             plan,
             "da-server{0}".format(l2_services_suffix),
-            args_with_right_defaults.da_server_params.image,
+            da_server_image,
             args_with_right_defaults.da_server_params.da_server_extra_args,
             args_with_right_defaults.da_server_params.generic_commitment,
         )
diff --git a/src/package_io/input_parser.star b/src/package_io/input_parser.star
index 76f4a0e..dd682d1 100644
--- a/src/package_io/input_parser.star
+++ b/src/package_io/input_parser.star
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ DEFAULT_PROPOSER_IMAGES = {
 }
 
 DEFAULT_DA_SERVER_IMAGES = {
-    # TODO: latest tag is super outdated, and doesn't have the --generic-commitment flag
-    # the latest v0.1.0-rc.1 image from June doesn't run on macos...
-    "da-server": "us-docker.pkg.dev/oplabs-tools-artifacts/images/da-server:latest",
+    # latest tag is super outdated, and doesn't have the --generic-commitment flag
+    # so we use the dev tag as default, which requires building locally (see default_da_server_params)
+    "da-server": "us-docker.pkg.dev/oplabs-tools-artifacts/images/da-server:dev",
 }
 
 ATTR_TO_BE_SKIPPED_AT_ROOT = (
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ def input_parser(plan, input_args):
         da_server_params=struct(
             enabled=result["da_server_params"]["enabled"],
             image=result["da_server_params"]["image"],
+            build_image=result["da_server_params"]["build_image"],
             da_server_extra_args=result["da_server_params"]["da_server_extra_args"],
             generic_commitment=result["da_server_params"]["generic_commitment"],
         ),
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ def default_da_server_params():
     return {
         "enabled": False,
         "image": DEFAULT_DA_SERVER_IMAGES["da-server"],
+        "build_image": True,
         "da_server_extra_args": [],
         "generic_commitment": False,
     }
diff --git a/src/package_io/sanity_check.star b/src/package_io/sanity_check.star
index 4d530a9..6e2fa17 100644
--- a/src/package_io/sanity_check.star
+++ b/src/package_io/sanity_check.star
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ SUBCATEGORY_PARAMS = {
         "interop_time_offset",
     ],
     "op_contract_deployer_params": ["image"],
+    "da_server_params": [
+        "image",
+        "build_image",
+        "da_server_extra_args",
+        "generic_commitment",
+    ],
 }
 
 ADDITIONAL_SERVICES_PARAMS = [