diff --git a/.docker/docker-entrypoint.sh b/.docker/docker-entrypoint.sh
index f1f4c471..0a786b50 100755
--- a/.docker/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.docker/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -189,22 +189,42 @@ if command -v cscli >/dev/null; then
     # Initialize persistent config if key files are missing
     if [ ! -f "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/config.yaml" ]; then
         echo "Initializing persistent CrowdSec configuration..."
+
+        # Check if .dist has content
         if [ -d "/etc/crowdsec.dist" ] && [ -n "$(ls -A /etc/crowdsec.dist 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
-            cp -r /etc/crowdsec.dist/* "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/" || {
+            echo "Copying config from /etc/crowdsec.dist..."
+            if ! cp -r /etc/crowdsec.dist/* "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/"; then
                 echo "ERROR: Failed to copy config from /etc/crowdsec.dist"
+                echo "DEBUG: Contents of /etc/crowdsec.dist:"
+                ls -la /etc/crowdsec.dist/
                 exit 1
-            }
-            echo "Successfully initialized config from .dist directory"
+            fi
+
+            # Verify critical files were copied
+            if [ ! -f "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/config.yaml" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: config.yaml was not copied to $CS_CONFIG_DIR"
+                echo "DEBUG: Contents of $CS_CONFIG_DIR after copy:"
+                ls -la "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/"
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            echo "✓ Successfully initialized config from .dist directory"
         elif [ -d "/etc/crowdsec" ] && [ ! -L "/etc/crowdsec" ] && [ -n "$(ls -A /etc/crowdsec 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
-            cp -r /etc/crowdsec/* "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/" || {
-                echo "ERROR: Failed to copy config from /etc/crowdsec"
+            echo "Copying config from /etc/crowdsec (fallback)..."
+            if ! cp -r /etc/crowdsec/* "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/"; then
+                echo "ERROR: Failed to copy config from /etc/crowdsec (fallback)"
                 exit 1
-            }
-            echo "Successfully initialized config from /etc/crowdsec"
+            fi
+            echo "✓ Successfully initialized config from /etc/crowdsec"
         else
-            echo "ERROR: No config source found (neither .dist nor /etc/crowdsec available)"
+            echo "ERROR: No config source found!"
+            echo "DEBUG: /etc/crowdsec.dist contents:"
+            ls -la /etc/crowdsec.dist/ 2>/dev/null || echo "  (directory not found or empty)"
+            echo "DEBUG: /etc/crowdsec contents:"
+            ls -la /etc/crowdsec 2>/dev/null || echo "  (directory not found or empty)"
             exit 1
         fi
+    else
+        echo "✓ Persistent config already exists: $CS_CONFIG_DIR/config.yaml"
     fi
 
     # Verify symlink exists (created at build time)
@@ -212,10 +232,24 @@ if command -v cscli >/dev/null; then
     # Non-root users cannot create symlinks in /etc, so this must be done at build time
     if [ -L "/etc/crowdsec" ]; then
         echo "CrowdSec config symlink verified: /etc/crowdsec -> $CS_CONFIG_DIR"
+
+        # Verify the symlink target is accessible and has config.yaml
+        if [ ! -f "/etc/crowdsec/config.yaml" ]; then
+            echo "ERROR: /etc/crowdsec/config.yaml is not accessible via symlink"
+            echo "DEBUG: Symlink target verification:"
+            ls -la /etc/crowdsec 2>/dev/null || echo "  (symlink broken or missing)"
+            echo "DEBUG: Directory contents:"
+            ls -la "$CS_CONFIG_DIR/" 2>/dev/null | head -10 || echo "  (directory not found)"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "✓ /etc/crowdsec/config.yaml is accessible via symlink"
     else
-        echo "WARNING: /etc/crowdsec symlink not found. This may indicate a build issue."
+        echo "ERROR: /etc/crowdsec symlink not found"
         echo "Expected: /etc/crowdsec -> /app/data/crowdsec/config"
-        # Try to continue anyway - config may still work if CrowdSec uses CFG env var
+        echo "This indicates a critical build-time issue. Symlink must be created at build time as root."
+        echo "DEBUG: Directory check:"
+        ls -la /etc/ | grep crowdsec || echo "  (no crowdsec entry found)"
+        exit 1
     fi
 
     # Create/update acquisition config for Caddy logs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml
index 977ee907..285c1838 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml
@@ -863,7 +863,30 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Check container logs
         if: always()
-        run: docker logs test-container
+        run: |
+          echo "=== Charon Container Logs ==="
+          docker logs test-container || echo "ERROR: Could not retrieve container logs"
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "=== Docker Container Status ==="
+          docker inspect test-container --format='Status: {{.State.Status}}, Exit Code: {{.State.ExitCode}}' || echo "Container not found"
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "=== CrowdSec Configuration Verification ==="
+          echo "Checking if /etc/crowdsec/config.yaml is accessible in container:"
+          docker exec test-container test -f /etc/crowdsec/config.yaml && echo "✓ config.yaml found" || echo "✗ config.yaml NOT found"
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "Checking CrowdSec symlink:"
+          docker exec test-container ls -la /etc/ | grep crowdsec || echo "No crowdsec entry in /etc"
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "Checking /app/data/crowdsec/config/ contents:"
+          docker exec test-container ls -la /app/data/crowdsec/config/ 2>/dev/null | head -20 || echo "Directory not found or empty"
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "Checking /etc/crowdsec.dist/ contents:"
+          docker exec test-container ls -la /etc/crowdsec.dist/ 2>/dev/null | head -20 || echo "Directory not found or empty"
 
       - name: Stop container
         if: always()
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index d7628c43..bfb3d641 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -420,13 +420,25 @@ RUN setcap 'cap_net_bind_service=+ep' /usr/bin/caddy
 # This ensures we don't have stdlib vulnerabilities from older Go versions
 COPY --from=crowdsec-builder /crowdsec-out/crowdsec /usr/local/bin/crowdsec
 COPY --from=crowdsec-builder /crowdsec-out/cscli /usr/local/bin/cscli
+# Copy CrowdSec configuration files to .dist directory (will be used at runtime)
 COPY --from=crowdsec-builder /crowdsec-out/config /etc/crowdsec.dist
+# Verify config files were copied successfully
+RUN if [ ! -f /etc/crowdsec.dist/config.yaml ]; then \
+        echo "WARNING: config.yaml not found in /etc/crowdsec.dist"; \
+        echo "Available files in /etc/crowdsec.dist:"; \
+        ls -la /etc/crowdsec.dist/ 2>/dev/null || echo "Directory empty or missing"; \
+    else \
+        echo "✓ config.yaml found in /etc/crowdsec.dist"; \
+    fi
 
-# Verify CrowdSec binaries
+# Verify CrowdSec binaries and configuration
 RUN chmod +x /usr/local/bin/crowdsec /usr/local/bin/cscli 2>/dev/null || true; \
     if [ -x /usr/local/bin/cscli ]; then \
         echo "CrowdSec installed (built from source with Go 1.25):"; \
         cscli version || echo "CrowdSec version check failed"; \
+        echo ""; \
+        echo "Configuration source: /etc/crowdsec.dist"; \
+        ls -la /etc/crowdsec.dist/ | head -10 || echo "ERROR: /etc/crowdsec.dist directory not found"; \
     else \
         echo "CrowdSec not available for this architecture"; \
     fi
@@ -438,11 +450,14 @@ RUN mkdir -p /var/lib/crowdsec/data /var/log/crowdsec /var/log/caddy \
     chown -R charon:charon /var/lib/crowdsec /var/log/crowdsec \
                            /app/data/crowdsec
 
-# Generate CrowdSec default configs to .dist directory
-RUN if command -v cscli >/dev/null; then \
-        mkdir -p /etc/crowdsec.dist && \
-        cscli config restore /etc/crowdsec.dist/ || \
-        cp -r /etc/crowdsec/* /etc/crowdsec.dist/ 2>/dev/null || true; \
+# Ensure config.yaml exists in .dist (required for runtime)
+# Skip cscli config restore at build time (no valid /etc/crowdsec at this stage)
+# The runtime entrypoint will handle config initialization from .dist
+RUN if [ ! -f /etc/crowdsec.dist/config.yaml ]; then \
+        echo "⚠️  WARNING: config.yaml not in /etc/crowdsec.dist after builder COPY"; \
+        echo "   This file is critical for CrowdSec initialization at runtime"; \
+    else \
+        echo "✓ /etc/crowdsec.dist/config.yaml verified"; \
     fi
 
 # Copy CrowdSec configuration templates from source