diff --git a/containers/jug/xl.Dockerfile b/containers/jug/xl.Dockerfile
index 511c6e892db5ea6a3a32f785781df5f4b286d4c4..d4d978c1123f712c00679eb9c51548b06d53362d 100644
--- a/containers/jug/xl.Dockerfile
+++ b/containers/jug/xl.Dockerfile
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ ARG EICWEB="https://eicweb.phy.anl.gov/api/v4/projects"
 ARG JUGGLER_VERSION="master"
 ARG NPDET_VERSION="master"
 ARG EICD_VERSION="master"
-## afterburner
-## TODO move to spack build
-ARG AFTERBURNER_VERSION=main
 
 ## version will automatically bust cache for nightly, as it includes
 ## the date
@@ -22,7 +19,6 @@ ARG JUG_VERSION=1
 
 ADD ${EICWEB}/18/repository/tree?ref=${NPDET_VERSION} /tmp/18.json
 ADD ${EICWEB}/373/repository/tree?ref=${EICD_VERSION} /tmp/373.json
-ADD ${EICWEB}/492/repository/tree?ref=${AFTERBURNER_VERSION} /tmp/492.json
 RUN cd /tmp                                                                     \
  && echo " - jug_xl: ${JUG_VERSION}" >> /etc/jug_info                           \
  && echo "INSTALLING NPDET"                                                     \
@@ -43,19 +39,7 @@ RUN cd /tmp
  && pushd eicd                                                                  \
  && echo " - EICD: ${EICD_VERSION}-$(git rev-parse HEAD)">> /etc/jug_info       \
  && popd                                                                        \
- && rm -rf build eicd                                                           \
- && cd /tmp                                                                     \
- && echo "INSTALLING AFTERBURNER"                                               \
- && git clone -b ${AFTERBURNER_VERSION} --depth 1                               \
-        https://eicweb.phy.anl.gov/monte_carlo/afterburner.git                  \
- && cmake -B build -S afterburner/cpp -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local         \
-          -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=17                                               \
- && cmake --build build -j12 --target all -- install                            \
- && pushd afterburner                                                           \
- && echo " - afterburner: ${AFTERBURNER_VERSION}-$(git rev-parse HEAD)"         \
-          >> jug_info                                                           \
- && popd                                                                        \
- && rm -rf build afterburner
+ && rm -rf build eicd
 
 ADD ${EICWEB}/369/repository/tree?ref=${JUGGLER_VERSION} /tmp/369.json
 RUN cd /tmp                                                                     \
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index b4528544b2e9584bcbc5c9da11fb25335a9769ab..4e1238c854b852b517a1452e3a98fcbf3181d14a 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 spack:
   specs:
     - acts@19.1.0 +dd4hep +identification +json +tgeo +ipo +examples +fatras +geant4 +python
+    - afterburner@0.1.2 +root +zlib
     - cairo@1.16.0 +fc+ft+X+pdf+gobject
     - clhep@2.4.4.0 cxxstd=17
     - cmake@3.23.1