diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 6974d8554611a..ac96332b0ae92 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG_MODE=develop,debug
 # Whether or not to enable Memcached.
 LOCAL_PHP_MEMCACHED=false
 
+# Whether or not to enable PCOV.
+LOCAL_PHP_PCOV=false
+
 ##
 # The database software to use.
 #
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-phpunit-tests-v3.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-phpunit-tests-v3.yml
index bcad042dfe559..e06f9f24be17e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-phpunit-tests-v3.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-phpunit-tests-v3.yml
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ env:
   LOCAL_PHP: ${{ inputs.php }}-fpm
   LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG: false
   LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG_MODE: 'develop,debug'
+  LOCAL_PHP_PCOV: ${{ inputs.coverage-report }}
   LOCAL_DB_TYPE: ${{ inputs.db-type }}
   LOCAL_DB_VERSION: ${{ inputs.db-version }}
   LOCAL_PHP_MEMCACHED: ${{ inputs.memcached }}
@@ -200,31 +201,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install WordPress
         run: npm run env:install
 
-      # Installs PCOV as the code coverage driver for the PHPUnit run below.
-      #
-      # The INI directives tune PCOV for WordPress's codebase:
-      # - `pcov.enabled` keeps the Zend hooks active (this is the default, but
-      #   stated explicitly for clarity).
-      # - `pcov.directory` restricts instrumentation to `src/`, so PCOV does not
-      #   record hits for `vendor/`, `tests/`, or WordPress test fixtures that
-      #   PHPUnit would discard at report time anyway.
-      # - `pcov.initial.files` pre-sizes the internal file tracking array for
-      #   the thousands of files under `src/`, avoiding reallocation churn
-      #   during test warmup. The default of 64 is far too low here.
-      - name: Install PCOV coverage driver
-        if: ${{ inputs.coverage-report }}
-        run: |
-          docker compose exec -T -u 0 php sh -c '
-            pecl install --force pcov-1.0.12 &&
-            docker-php-ext-enable pcov &&
-            {
-              echo "pcov.enabled=1"
-              echo "pcov.directory=/var/www/src"
-              echo "pcov.initial.files=10000"
-            } >> /usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/docker-php-ext-pcov.ini &&
-            php -m | grep -i pcov
-          '
-
       - name: Run PHPUnit tests${{ inputs.phpunit-test-groups && format( ' ({0} groups)', inputs.phpunit-test-groups ) || '' }}${{ inputs.coverage-report && ' with coverage report' || '' }}
         continue-on-error: ${{ inputs.allow-errors }}
         run: |
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index cc2ed8d94975e..0af433a972b13 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ services:
   # The PHP container.
   ##
   php:
-    image: wordpressdevelop/php:${LOCAL_PHP-latest}
+    image: ghcr.io/wordpress/wpdev-docker-images/php:${LOCAL_PHP-latest}-210
 
     networks:
       - wpdevnet
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ services:
     environment:
       LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG: ${LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG-false}
       XDEBUG_MODE: ${LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG_MODE-develop,debug}
+      LOCAL_PHP_PCOV: ${LOCAL_PHP_PCOV-false}
       LOCAL_PHP_MEMCACHED: ${LOCAL_PHP_MEMCACHED-false}
       PHP_FPM_UID: ${PHP_FPM_UID-1000}
       PHP_FPM_GID: ${PHP_FPM_GID-1000}
@@ -92,13 +93,14 @@ services:
   # The WP CLI container.
   ##
   cli:
-    image: wordpressdevelop/cli:${LOCAL_PHP-latest}
+    image: ghcr.io/wordpress/wpdev-docker-images/cli:${LOCAL_PHP-latest}-210
 
     networks:
       - wpdevnet
 
     environment:
       LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG: ${LOCAL_PHP_XDEBUG-false}
+      LOCAL_PHP_PCOV: ${LOCAL_PHP_PCOV-false}
       LOCAL_PHP_MEMCACHED: ${LOCAL_PHP_MEMCACHED-false}
       PHP_FPM_UID: ${PHP_FPM_UID-1000}
       PHP_FPM_GID: ${PHP_FPM_GID-1000}
diff --git a/tools/local-env/php-config.ini b/tools/local-env/php-config.ini
index 6f98802e5c68a..30ee177289f1d 100644
--- a/tools/local-env/php-config.ini
+++ b/tools/local-env/php-config.ini
@@ -5,3 +5,9 @@ post_max_size = 1G
 xdebug.start_with_request=trigger
 xdebug.discover_client_host=true
 xdebug.client_host=host.docker.internal
+
+# Pre-sizes the internal file tracking array for the thousands of files under
+# `src/` or `build/`, avoiding reallocation churn during test warmup.
+#
+# The default of 64 is far too low here.
+pcov.initial.files=10000
diff --git a/tools/local-env/scripts/docker.js b/tools/local-env/scripts/docker.js
index c7b11f0058424..8391d2f5c6e98 100644
--- a/tools/local-env/scripts/docker.js
+++ b/tools/local-env/scripts/docker.js
@@ -20,6 +20,25 @@ if ( [ 'exec', 'run' ].includes( dockerCommand[0] ) && ! process.stdin.isTTY ) {
 	dockerCommand.splice( 1, 0, '--no-TTY' );
 }
 
+/*
+ * `pcov.directory` restricts instrumentation to the configured `LOCAL_DIR`. This prevents PCOV from recording hits for
+ * `vendor/`, `tests/`, or WordPress test fixtures that PHPUnit would discard at report time anyway.
+ */
+if ( process.env.LOCAL_PHP_PCOV === 'true' && dockerCommand.includes( '--coverage-clover' ) ) {
+	const phpunitIdx = dockerCommand.findIndex( ( arg ) => typeof arg === 'string' && arg.endsWith( 'phpunit' ) );
+	if ( phpunitIdx !== -1 ) {
+		const localDir = process.env.LOCAL_DIR || 'src';
+		dockerCommand.splice(
+			phpunitIdx,
+			1,
+			'php',
+			'-d',
+			`pcov.directory=/var/www/${ localDir }`,
+			dockerCommand[ phpunitIdx ]
+		);
+	}
+}
+
 // Add a --defaults flag to any db command WP-CLI command. See https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/63876.
 if ( dockerCommand.includes( 'cli' ) && dockerCommand.includes( 'db' ) && ! dockerCommand.includes( '--defaults' ) ) {
 	dockerCommand.push( '--defaults' );