diff --git a/config/grub.cfg.in b/config/grub.cfg.in
index 9c16822..9c439f5 100644
--- a/config/grub.cfg.in
+++ b/config/grub.cfg.in
@@ -26,14 +26,17 @@ echo "SparkOS Boot Menu - Starting in $timeout seconds..."
 menuentry "SparkOS" {
     echo "Loading SparkOS kernel..."
     linux /boot/vmlinuz root=LABEL=@ROOT_LABEL@ ro init=/sbin/init console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8
+    initrd /boot/initrd.img
 }
 
 menuentry "SparkOS (Verbose Mode)" {
     echo "Loading SparkOS kernel in verbose mode..."
     linux /boot/vmlinuz root=LABEL=@ROOT_LABEL@ ro init=/sbin/init console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8 debug loglevel=7
+    initrd /boot/initrd.img
 }
 
 menuentry "SparkOS (Recovery Mode)" {
     echo "Loading SparkOS kernel in recovery mode..."
     linux /boot/vmlinuz root=LABEL=@ROOT_LABEL@ rw init=/bin/sh console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8
+    initrd /boot/initrd.img
 }
diff --git a/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi-old.sh b/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi-old.sh
index 0058a4b..87497f9 100755
--- a/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi-old.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi-old.sh
@@ -57,7 +57,15 @@ INITRD_PATH=$(find /kernel/boot -name "initrd.img-*" | head -1)
 # Copy kernel and initrd to staging
 echo "Copying kernel to staging..."
 cp $KERNEL_PATH /staging/esp/boot/vmlinuz
-if [ -f "$INITRD_PATH" ]; then cp $INITRD_PATH /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img; fi
+
+# Ensure initrd exists (required for booting)
+if [ ! -f "$INITRD_PATH" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: initrd not found. The kernel requires an initrd to boot."
+    echo "Expected to find: initrd.img-* in /kernel/boot/"
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "Copying initrd to staging..."
+cp $INITRD_PATH /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img
 
 # Create GRUB configuration
 printf '%s\n' \
@@ -66,6 +74,7 @@ printf '%s\n' \
     '' \
     'menuentry "SparkOS" {' \
     '    linux /boot/vmlinuz root=LABEL=SparkOS rw init=/sbin/init console=tty1 quiet' \
+    '    initrd /boot/initrd.img' \
     '}' \
     > /staging/esp/boot/grub/grub.cfg
 
@@ -115,12 +124,9 @@ echo "Copying bootloader files..."
 guestfish -a /output/sparkos.img -m /dev/sda1 <<EOF
 copy-in /staging/esp/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI /EFI/BOOT/
 copy-in /staging/esp/boot/vmlinuz /boot/
+copy-in /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img /boot/
 EOF
 
-if [ -f "/staging/esp/boot/initrd.img" ]; then
-    guestfish -a /output/sparkos.img -m /dev/sda1 copy-in /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img /boot/
-fi
-
 guestfish -a /output/sparkos.img -m /dev/sda1 <<EOF
 copy-in /staging/esp/boot/grub/grub.cfg /boot/grub/
 EOF
diff --git a/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi.sh b/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi.sh
index 15dddd5..a61dd5b 100755
--- a/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker-image-create-uefi.sh
@@ -40,7 +40,15 @@ INITRD_PATH=$(find /kernel/boot -name "initrd.img-*" | head -1)
 # Copy kernel and initrd to staging
 echo "Copying kernel to staging..."
 cp $KERNEL_PATH /staging/esp/boot/vmlinuz
-if [ -f "$INITRD_PATH" ]; then cp $INITRD_PATH /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img; fi
+
+# Ensure initrd exists (required for booting)
+if [ ! -f "$INITRD_PATH" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: initrd not found. The kernel requires an initrd to boot."
+    echo "Expected to find: initrd.img-* in /kernel/boot/"
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "Copying initrd to staging..."
+cp $INITRD_PATH /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img
 
 # Create GRUB configuration from template
 sed "s/@ROOT_LABEL@/$ROOT_LABEL/g" /build/config/grub.cfg.in > /staging/esp/boot/grub/grub.cfg
@@ -110,9 +118,7 @@ mmd -i /tmp/esp.img ::/boot
 mmd -i /tmp/esp.img ::/boot/grub
 mcopy -i /tmp/esp.img /staging/esp/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI ::/EFI/BOOT/
 mcopy -i /tmp/esp.img /staging/esp/boot/vmlinuz ::/boot/
-if [ -f "/staging/esp/boot/initrd.img" ]; then
-    mcopy -i /tmp/esp.img /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img ::/boot/
-fi
+mcopy -i /tmp/esp.img /staging/esp/boot/initrd.img ::/boot/
 mcopy -i /tmp/esp.img /staging/esp/boot/grub/grub.cfg ::/boot/grub/
 
 # Format root partition (ext4) with directory contents (no mount needed!)