diff --git a/docker/init-config.sh b/docker/init-config.sh
index 7e77104..b989e38 100644
--- a/docker/init-config.sh
+++ b/docker/init-config.sh
@@ -12,17 +12,41 @@ echo "==================================="
 # Determine the actual HOME directory for the socktop user
 SOCKTOP_HOME=$(eval echo ~socktop)
 echo "Socktop HOME: ${SOCKTOP_HOME}"
+echo "Current user: $(whoami) (UID: $(id -u))"
 
 # Check if we're running as root
 if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "Running as root, will set permissions"
-    # Create necessary directories in the actual HOME
+    echo "Running as root, will create directories and set permissions"
+
+    # Ensure socktop user's home directory exists and has correct ownership
+    if [ ! -d "${SOCKTOP_HOME}" ]; then
+        echo "Creating ${SOCKTOP_HOME}..."
+        mkdir -p "${SOCKTOP_HOME}"
+        chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}"
+    fi
+
+    # Ensure the directory is writable by socktop user
+    chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}"
+
+    # Create necessary directories as root, then fix ownership
+    echo "Creating config directories..."
     mkdir -p "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs"
     mkdir -p "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty"
+    chown -R socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config"
+
+    echo "  ✓ Created directories with correct ownership"
 else
-    echo "Running as non-root user ($(id -u)), creating directories without root"
+    echo "Running as non-root user ($(id -u)), creating directories"
     # Try to create directories - will work if HOME is writable
-    mkdir -p "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs" 2>/dev/null || echo "  ⚠ Could not create directories (may already exist)"
+    mkdir -p "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs" 2>/dev/null || {
+        echo "  ⚠ Could not create directories - checking if they already exist..."
+        if [ -d "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs" ]; then
+            echo "  ✓ Directories already exist"
+        else
+            echo "  ✗ Failed to create directories and they don't exist"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    }
     mkdir -p "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty" 2>/dev/null || true
 fi
 
@@ -31,7 +55,14 @@ echo "Copying configuration files..."
 
 # Copy profiles.json
 if [ -f "/home/socktop/.config/socktop/profiles.json" ]; then
-    cp /home/socktop/.config/socktop/profiles.json "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
+        # Copy as root, then fix ownership
+        cp -f /home/socktop/.config/socktop/profiles.json "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+        chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+        chmod 644 "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+    else
+        cp -f /home/socktop/.config/socktop/profiles.json "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+    fi
     echo "  ✓ Copied profiles.json"
 else
     echo "  ⚠ profiles.json not found at mount point"
@@ -39,7 +70,13 @@ fi
 
 # Copy alacritty.toml
 if [ -f "/home/socktop/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml" ]; then
-    cp /home/socktop/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml"
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
+        cp -f /home/socktop/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml"
+        chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml"
+        chmod 644 "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml"
+    else
+        cp -f /home/socktop/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml"
+    fi
     echo "  ✓ Copied alacritty.toml"
 else
     echo "  ⚠ alacritty.toml not found at mount point"
@@ -47,7 +84,13 @@ fi
 
 # Copy catppuccin-frappe.toml
 if [ -f "/home/socktop/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml" ]; then
-    cp /home/socktop/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml"
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
+        cp -f /home/socktop/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml"
+        chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml"
+        chmod 644 "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml"
+    else
+        cp -f /home/socktop/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/alacritty/catppuccin-frappe.toml"
+    fi
     echo "  ✓ Copied catppuccin-frappe.toml"
 else
     echo "  ⚠ catppuccin-frappe.toml not found at mount point"
@@ -55,9 +98,16 @@ fi
 
 # Copy certificates if they exist
 if [ -d "/home/socktop/.config/socktop/certs" ]; then
+    echo "Copying certificates..."
     for cert in /home/socktop/.config/socktop/certs/*.pem; do
         if [ -f "$cert" ]; then
-            cp "$cert" "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs/"
+            if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
+                cp -f "$cert" "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs/"
+                chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs/$(basename "$cert")"
+                chmod 644 "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs/$(basename "$cert")"
+            else
+                cp -f "$cert" "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs/"
+            fi
             echo "  ✓ Copied $(basename "$cert")"
         fi
     done
@@ -65,26 +115,28 @@ else
     echo "  ℹ No certificates directory found (optional)"
 fi
 
-# Set proper ownership (only if running as root)
-if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
-    chown -R socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config"
-    echo "  ✓ Set ownership to socktop:socktop"
-fi
-
 # Fix paths in profiles.json if it exists
 if [ -f "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json" ]; then
     echo "Rewriting paths in profiles.json..."
     # Replace /home/socktop with actual HOME directory and ensure certs/ subdirectory
     sed -i "s|/home/socktop/.config/socktop/rpi-|${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/certs/rpi-|g" "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
+        chown socktop:socktop "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/socktop/profiles.json"
+    fi
     echo "  ✓ Updated certificate paths"
 fi
 
+# Verify final permissions
+echo "Verifying permissions..."
+ls -la "${SOCKTOP_HOME}/.config/" 2>&1 || echo "  ⚠ Could not list config directory"
+
 echo "==================================="
 echo "Configuration initialization complete"
 echo "==================================="
+
 # Switch to socktop user only if running as root
 if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "Switching to socktop user..."
+    echo "Switching to socktop user and executing: $@"
     exec runuser -u socktop -- "$@"
 else
     echo "Already running as non-root user ($(whoami)), continuing..."