diff --git a/scripts/bootc-image-builder.sh b/scripts/bootc-image-builder.sh
index aa10c8c..89f58fa 100755
--- a/scripts/bootc-image-builder.sh
+++ b/scripts/bootc-image-builder.sh
@@ -133,15 +133,12 @@ log_info "Container image: $CONTAINER_IMAGE"
 log_info "Output format: $OUTPUT_FORMAT"
 log_info "Output directory: $OUTPUT_DIR"
 
-# Create temporary working directory
-# Use /var/tmp or /home instead of /tmp to avoid tmpfs space limitations
-WORK_DIR=$(mktemp -d /var/tmp/bootc-builder-XXXXXX 2>/dev/null || mktemp -d /home/joe/tmp/bootc-builder-XXXXXX 2>/dev/null || echo "/home/joe/tmp/bootc-builder-$$")
-if [[ ! -d "$WORK_DIR" ]]; then
-    mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR" || {
-        log_error "Failed to create working directory"
-        exit 1
-    }
-fi
+# Create working directory in project directory
+WORK_DIR="$(pwd)/work/bootc-builder-$(date +%s)"
+mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR" || {
+    log_error "Failed to create working directory"
+    exit 1
+}
 log_info "Working directory: $WORK_DIR"
 
 # Check available space
@@ -176,7 +173,7 @@ cleanup_on_exit() {
         for loop_dev in /dev/loop*; do
             if [[ -b "$loop_dev" ]]; then
                 local mount_point
-                mount_point=$(losetup -l "$loop_dev" 2>/dev/null | grep -o "/var/tmp/bootc-builder-[^[:space:]]*" || true)
+                mount_point=$(losetup -l "$loop_dev" 2>/dev/null | grep -o ".*/work/bootc-builder-[^[:space:]]*" || true)
                 if [[ -n "$mount_point" ]]; then
                     log_info "Detaching orphaned loop device $loop_dev..."
                     sudo losetup -d "$loop_dev" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -215,7 +212,7 @@ cleanup_existing_loop_devices() {
     for loop_dev in /dev/loop*; do
         if [[ -b "$loop_dev" ]]; then
             local mount_point
-            mount_point=$(losetup -l "$loop_dev" 2>/dev/null | grep -o "/var/tmp/bootc-builder-[^[:space:]]*" || true)
+            mount_point=$(losetup -l "$loop_dev" 2>/dev/null | grep -o ".*/work/bootc-builder-[^[:space:]]*" || true)
             if [[ -n "$mount_point" ]]; then
                 log_warn "Found existing loop device $loop_dev from previous run, cleaning up..."
                 # Try to unmount if mounted
@@ -277,7 +274,7 @@ fi
 
 # Create disk image using qemu-img (no sudo required)
 log_info "Creating disk image..."
-IMAGE_SIZE="2G"  # Default size, could be made configurable
+IMAGE_SIZE="8G"  # Increased size for enhanced simple-cli with Bazzite features
 
 # Create a proper disk image with partitions for bootloader installation
 log_info "Creating partitioned disk image for bootloader installation..."
@@ -363,22 +360,40 @@ if [[ -x "$GRUB_INSTALL" ]]; then
     # Generate GRUB configuration manually since grub-mkconfig needs host environment
     log_info "Generating GRUB configuration manually..."
     
+    # Find the actual kernel and initrd files in the container
+    KERNEL_FILE=$(find "$MOUNT_POINT/boot" -name "vmlinuz-*" | head -1)
+    INITRD_FILE=$(find "$MOUNT_POINT/boot" -name "initrd.img-*" | head -1)
+    
+    if [[ -z "$KERNEL_FILE" ]] || [[ -z "$INITRD_FILE" ]]; then
+        log_error "Kernel or initrd not found in container"
+        log_error "Available files in /boot:"
+        ls -la "$MOUNT_POINT/boot/" || true
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    
+    # Extract just the filename without the full path
+    KERNEL_NAME=$(basename "$KERNEL_FILE")
+    INITRD_NAME=$(basename "$INITRD_FILE")
+    
+    log_info "Found kernel: $KERNEL_NAME"
+    log_info "Found initrd: $INITRD_NAME"
+    
     # Create a basic GRUB configuration for the container
-    cat > "$MOUNT_POINT/boot/grub/grub.cfg" << 'EOF'
+    cat > "$MOUNT_POINT/boot/grub/grub.cfg" << EOF
 # GRUB configuration for simple-cli container
-set timeout=5
+set timeout=1
 set default=0
 
 menuentry "Simple CLI" {
     set root=(hd0,msdos1)
-    linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.12.38+deb13-amd64 root=/dev/sda1 rw console=ttyS0
-    initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.12.38+deb13-amd64
+    linux /boot/$KERNEL_NAME root=/dev/sda1 rw console=ttyS0 quiet splash fastboot
+    initrd /boot/$INITRD_NAME
 }
 
 menuentry "Simple CLI (Recovery)" {
     set root=(hd0,msdos1)
-    linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.12.38+deb13-amd64 root=/dev/sda1 rw single console=ttyS0
-    initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.12.38+deb13-amd64
+    linux /boot/$KERNEL_NAME root=/dev/sda1 rw single console=ttyS0
+    initrd /boot/$INITRD_NAME
 }
 EOF
     
diff --git a/test-boot-performance.sh b/test-boot-performance.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..cb5a5a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-boot-performance.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Test Boot Performance Script
+# Tests the boot performance of our optimized simple-cli image
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+IMAGE_PATH="/tmp/simple-cli-output/simple-cli_latest.qcow2"
+OUTPUT_LOG="/tmp/boot-performance-test.log"
+
+echo "🚀 Testing Boot Performance of Optimized Simple-CLI Image"
+echo "========================================================"
+echo "Image: $IMAGE_PATH"
+echo "Output log: $OUTPUT_LOG"
+echo ""
+
+# Check if image exists
+if [ ! -f "$IMAGE_PATH" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: Image not found at $IMAGE_PATH"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "✅ Image found, starting boot performance test..."
+echo ""
+
+# Function to clean up QEMU processes
+cleanup() {
+    echo "🧹 Cleaning up QEMU processes..."
+    pkill -f "qemu-system-x86_64.*simple-cli" 2>/dev/null || true
+    sleep 2
+}
+
+# Set up cleanup on exit
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+echo "⏱️  Starting QEMU with optimized image..."
+echo "📝 Boot output will be logged to: $OUTPUT_LOG"
+echo ""
+
+# Start QEMU and capture output
+echo "Starting boot test at $(date)" > "$OUTPUT_LOG"
+echo "=========================================" >> "$OUTPUT_LOG"
+
+# Run QEMU with timeout and capture output
+timeout 60 qemu-system-x86_64 \
+    -m 2G \
+    -smp 2 \
+    -drive file="$IMAGE_PATH",format=qcow2 \
+    -nographic \
+    -serial mon:stdio \
+    -display none \
+    2>&1 | tee -a "$OUTPUT_LOG" &
+
+QEMU_PID=$!
+echo "QEMU started with PID: $QEMU_PID"
+
+# Wait for QEMU to start booting
+sleep 5
+
+# Monitor the boot process
+echo "🔍 Monitoring boot process..."
+BOOT_START=$(date +%s)
+BOOT_COMPLETE=false
+
+while [ $(( $(date +%s) - BOOT_START )) -lt 60 ]; do
+    if ! kill -0 $QEMU_PID 2>/dev/null; then
+        echo "✅ QEMU process completed"
+        BOOT_COMPLETE=true
+        break
+    fi
+    
+    # Check if we've reached a login prompt or similar
+    if grep -q "login\|Login\|simple@" "$OUTPUT_LOG" 2>/dev/null; then
+        echo "✅ Boot completed - login prompt detected"
+        BOOT_COMPLETE=true
+        break
+    fi
+    
+    sleep 1
+done
+
+# Calculate boot time
+BOOT_END=$(date +%s)
+BOOT_TIME=$((BOOT_END - BOOT_START))
+
+echo ""
+echo "📊 Boot Performance Results"
+echo "=========================="
+echo "Boot time: ${BOOT_TIME} seconds"
+echo "Status: $([ "$BOOT_COMPLETE" = true ] && echo "✅ SUCCESS" || echo "❌ TIMEOUT")"
+echo ""
+
+# Show boot log summary
+echo "📋 Boot Log Summary"
+echo "==================="
+if [ -f "$OUTPUT_LOG" ]; then
+    echo "Last 20 lines of boot output:"
+    tail -20 "$OUTPUT_LOG" | sed 's/^/  /'
+else
+    echo "No boot log found"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "🎯 Boot Performance Analysis Complete!"
+echo "Check $OUTPUT_LOG for full boot details"