diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2e2e89..8c308fe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -171,19 +171,54 @@ REBUILDERD_COOKIE_PATH=data/auth cargo run -p rebuildctl -- pkgs ls
 
 # Development
 
+If you want to build from source or you want to run rebuilderd built from a
+specific commit this section contains instructions for that.
+
 A rebuilder consists of the `rebuilderd` daemon and >= 1 workers:
 
-Run rebuilderd:
+First we switch into the `daemon/` folder and run our rebuilderd daemon:
 ```
 cd daemon; cargo run
 ```
 
-Run a rebuild worker:
+This takes a moment but the api should now be available at
+`https://127.0.0.1:8484/api/v0/dashboard`.
+
+This daemon needs to run in the background, so we're starting a new terminal to
+continue with the next steps.
+
+Next we're going to build the `rebuilctl binary` and confirm it's able to
+connect to the api. If we don't get an error message this means it's working.
+
+```
+cd tools; cargo run -- status
+```
+
+We didn't connect any workers yet so this output is empty.
+
+Next we want to connect a rebuilder. rebuilderd only does the scheduling for
+you, so you need to install additional software here (called a rebuilder
+backend):
+
+- **Arch Linux**: `pacman -S archlinux-repro` or `git clone
+  https://github.com/archlinux/archlinux-repro && archlinux-repro/ && make &&
+  sudo make install`. Note that on debian buster you need to install systemd
+  from buster-backports.
+
+With a rebuilder backend installed we're now going to run our first worker:
+
 ```
 cd worker; cargo run -- connect http://127.0.0.1:8484
 ```
 
-Afterwards import some packages:
+This rebuilder should now show up in our `rebuildctl status` output:
+
+```
+cd tools; cargo run -- status
+```
+
+Next we're going to import some packages:
+
 ```
 cd tools; cargo run -- pkgs sync archlinux community \
     'https://ftp.halifax.rwth-aachen.de/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' \
@@ -193,11 +228,19 @@ cd tools; cargo run -- pkgs sync archlinux community \
 The `--maintainer` option is optional and allows you to rebuild packages by a specific maintainer only.
 
 To show the current status of our imported packages run:
+
 ```
 cd tools; cargo run -- pkgs ls
 ```
 
+To monitor your workers are picking up tasks:
+
+```
+cd tools; cargo build && CLICOLOR_FORCE=1 watch -c ../target/debug/rebuildctl status
+```
+
 To inspect the queue run:
+
 ```
 cd tools; cargo run -- queue ls
 ```
diff --git a/daemon/src/auth.rs b/daemon/src/auth.rs
index daca011..39dbf97 100644
--- a/daemon/src/auth.rs
+++ b/daemon/src/auth.rs
@@ -30,39 +30,34 @@ pub fn worker(cfg: &Config, req: &HttpRequest) -> Result<()> {
     let worker_key = worker_key
         .context("Failed to get worker key")?;
 
-    if !cfg.worker.authorized_workers.is_empty() || cfg.worker.signup_secret.is_some() {
+    if !cfg.worker.authorized_workers.is_empty() {
         // TODO: we do not challenge the worker keys yet
         // Vec<String>::contains() is inefficient with &str
-        if cfg.worker.authorized_workers.iter().any(|x| x == worker_key) {
-            debug!("worker authenticated by allow-listed key");
-            return Ok(());
+        if !cfg.worker.authorized_workers.iter().any(|x| x == worker_key) {
+            bail!("Worker key is not on allow-list");
         }
+    }
 
-        if let Some(expected_signup_secret) = &cfg.worker.signup_secret {
-            let signup_secret = api::header(req, SIGNUP_SECRET_HEADER)
-                .context("Failed to get worker key")?;
+    if let Some(expected_signup_secret) = &cfg.worker.signup_secret {
+        let signup_secret = api::header(req, SIGNUP_SECRET_HEADER)
+            .context("Failed to get worker key")?;
 
-            if signup_secret == expected_signup_secret {
-                debug!("worker authenticated with signup secret");
-                return Ok(());
-            } else {
-                debug!("Signup secret mismatched");
-            }
+        if signup_secret == expected_signup_secret {
+            debug!("worker authenticated with signup secret");
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            bail!("Signup secret mismatched");
         }
-
-        debug!("Expected to match either authorized worker or signup secret but both failed");
     } else {
         let auth_cookie = api::header(req, AUTH_COOKIE_HEADER)
             .context("Failed to get auth cookie")?;
 
         if cfg.auth_cookie == auth_cookie {
-            return Ok(());
+            Ok(())
         } else {
-            debug!("Falling back to auth cookie authentication, but didn't match");
+            bail!("Fell back to auth cookie authentication, but didn't match");
         }
     }
-
-    bail!("All authentication methods failed")
 }
 
 pub fn setup_auth_cookie() -> Result<String> {
diff --git a/worker/.dockerignore b/worker/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e046284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worker/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+build
+cache
+rebuilder.key
+rebuilder.v2.key