diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4971f35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# custom-gitea-runner environment template
+# Copy this file to .env and fill in real values.
+# Never commit .env to version control.
+
+# ─── Required for bootstrap registration (Mode B) ────────────────────────────
+GITEA_INSTANCE_URL=https://git.example.com
+GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN=your-registration-token-here
+GITEA_RUNNER_NAME=unraid-runner-01
+
+# ─── Optional registration settings ─────────────────────────────────────────
+# Comma-separated label list. Each label maps a GitHub Actions runner label
+# to an act_runner execution environment.
+# Format: <label>:<scheme>://<image>
+# For host-based execution (no inner container): label:host
+GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS=ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye,host:host
+
+# ─── Runner runtime ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Path inside the container where the runner config YAML lives.
+RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH=/config/runner.yaml
+
+# Working directory for job runs inside the container.
+RUNNER_WORKDIR=/work
+
+# ─── Optional: Timezone ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+TZ=America/Chicago
+
+# ─── Optional: Registry credentials (used by workflows, not the runner itself)
+# These are typically set as Gitea secrets in your repository, not here.
+# REGISTRY_USER=your-registry-user
+# REGISTRY_TOKEN=your-registry-token
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..957f387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Runtime secrets and local config
+.env
+.runner
+
+# Generated runner config (mount, don't commit)
+config/runner.yaml
+
+# Local work directory
+work/
+
+# Custom CA files (mount, don't commit)
+config/trusted-ca/*.crt
+config/trusted-ca/*.pem
+
+# Build artifacts
+*.tar
+*.tar.gz
+
+# macOS
+.DS_Store
+
+# Editor
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09146c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
+
+The format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
+
+---
+
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Added
+- Initial repository scaffold: directory structure, Dockerfile, entrypoint, healthcheck, smoke-test, config examples, compose example, and docs.
+- Phase 0 planning documents: `AGENT.md`, `README.md`, `ROADMAP.md`.
+- First successful local image build: `custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0` (act_runner v0.2.11, Node 20, Docker CLI). Runtime smoke test passes 17/17.
+- First live registration validated against `git.alwisp.com` (Gitea 1.26.4): instance-level runner registers, comes online, runs healthy, and restart reuses the existing config without creating a duplicate.
+
+### Fixed
+- `docker/runner/Dockerfile`: `COPY` paths for the entrypoint, healthcheck, and smoke-test scripts now resolve from the repo-root build context used by `scripts/build-image.sh` (previously assumed the build context was `docker/runner/`, so the build failed at the `COPY` steps).
+- `scripts/verify-runtime.sh`: now runs the smoke test via `--entrypoint` so it bypasses the `tini`/bootstrap `ENTRYPOINT` instead of triggering the registration flow and failing on a missing `GITEA_INSTANCE_URL`.
+- `docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh`: `GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS` is now honored. `act_runner register` ignores its `--labels` flag when a config already exists, so the bootstrap generated a config with default labels and the env var was silently a no-op. The entrypoint now injects the labels into the generated config before registering.
+- `scripts/deregister-runner.sh`: rewritten to deregister via the Gitea REST API. The previous version called `act_runner daemon --unregister`, a flag/command that does not exist in act_runner — deregistration must go through `DELETE /api/v1/admin/actions/runners/{id}`. Now takes a runner name or id and an admin API token.
+
+---
+
+<!-- Releases appear below this line, newest first. -->
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef0da9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2026 Jason Stedwell
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/config/labels.example.env b/config/labels.example.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..032fb7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/labels.example.env
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# labels.example.env — runner label configuration reference
+#
+# Labels tell act_runner which GitHub Actions runner environments to emulate.
+# Format: <label>:<scheme>://<image>
+#   docker://  — run the job step inside the specified container image
+#   host       — run the job step directly on the runner host (no inner container)
+#
+# Set GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS in .env or docker-compose to one of the examples below.
+
+# ─── Match the ubuntu-latest label used in most GitHub Actions workflows ────
+GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS=ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye
+
+# ─── Multiple labels (comma-separated) ─────────────────────────────────────
+# GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS=ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye,ubuntu-22.04:docker://node:20-bullseye,host:host
+
+# ─── Host-only mode (no inner Docker containers) ────────────────────────────
+# GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS=host:host
+
+# ─── Custom image on self-hosted registry ───────────────────────────────────
+# GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS=ubuntu-latest:docker://registry.alwisp.com/ci/runner-base:latest
diff --git a/config/runner.example.yaml b/config/runner.example.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..289704b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/runner.example.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# runner.example.yaml — act_runner configuration template
+# Copy to config/runner.yaml and adjust for your environment.
+# This file is generated/modified by `act_runner register`. Fields below
+# reflect commonly tuned settings; see act_runner docs for the full reference.
+
+log:
+  # Log verbosity: trace, debug, info, warn, error, fatal
+  level: info
+
+runner:
+  # How many jobs this runner can execute concurrently
+  capacity: 1
+  # Extra environment variables injected into every job
+  envs: {}
+  # Maximum runtime for a single job
+  timeout: 3h0m0s
+  # Allow insecure (non-TLS) connections to the Gitea instance
+  insecure: false
+  # Fetch interval for new jobs
+  fetch_timeout: 5s
+  fetch_interval: 2s
+
+cache:
+  # Enable the built-in cache server (speeds up actions/cache steps)
+  enabled: true
+  dir: ""
+  host: ""
+  port: 0
+  external_server: ""
+
+container:
+  # Docker network mode for job containers
+  network: bridge
+  # Run job containers with --privileged (avoid unless required)
+  privileged: false
+  # Additional docker run options (space-separated)
+  options: ""
+  # Override parent directory for job workspaces
+  workdir_parent: ""
+  # Uncomment to use a custom Docker daemon socket
+  # docker_host: unix:///var/run/docker.sock
+
+host:
+  # Override parent directory for host-mode workspaces
+  workdir_parent: ""
diff --git a/config/trusted-ca/.gitkeep b/config/trusted-ca/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/docker/compose/docker-compose.example.yml b/docker/compose/docker-compose.example.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fa2155
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/compose/docker-compose.example.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# docker-compose.example.yml — custom-gitea-runner deployment
+# Copy and adjust for your environment. Use pinned image tags in production.
+#
+# Modes:
+#   Mode A (pre-generated config): mount config/runner.yaml — set RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH
+#   Mode B (bootstrap on first run): set GITEA_INSTANCE_URL, GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN, GITEA_RUNNER_NAME
+
+services:
+  gitea-runner:
+    image: registry.alwisp.com/custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0  # pin your version here
+    container_name: gitea-runner
+    restart: unless-stopped
+
+    environment:
+      # ── Required for Mode B (bootstrap registration) ───────────────────────
+      GITEA_INSTANCE_URL: https://git.example.com
+      GITEA_RUNNER_NAME: unraid-runner-01
+      GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN: ${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN}      # set in .env file
+
+      # ── Optional ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+      GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS: ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye
+      RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH: /config/runner.yaml
+      RUNNER_WORKDIR: /work
+      TZ: America/Chicago
+
+    volumes:
+      # Runner config (persisted across restarts; generated on first boot in Mode B)
+      - ./config:/config
+
+      # Job workspace (writable scratch space for running jobs)
+      - ./work:/work
+
+      # Docker socket — required for docker build/push workflows
+      # Grants the runner full Docker daemon access. Understand the trust model.
+      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
+
+    # Limit resources to avoid runaway jobs starving the host
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          cpus: "4"
+          memory: 4G
+
+    logging:
+      driver: json-file
+      options:
+        max-size: "10m"
+        max-file: "3"
diff --git a/docker/compose/unraid-template-notes.md b/docker/compose/unraid-template-notes.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66d2ebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/compose/unraid-template-notes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+# Unraid Template Notes — custom-gitea-runner
+
+This document covers the recommended Unraid Docker container configuration for the custom-gitea-runner.
+
+---
+
+## Container basics
+
+| Field | Value |
+|---|---|
+| Repository | `registry.alwisp.com/custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0` |
+| Container name | `gitea-runner` |
+| Network type | `Bridge` |
+| Privileged | `No` (leave unchecked — socket mount handles Docker access) |
+
+---
+
+## Environment variables
+
+Set these in the "Environment Variables" section of the Unraid container template.
+
+| Variable | Required | Value |
+|---|---|---|
+| `GITEA_INSTANCE_URL` | Yes | `https://git.example.com` |
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN` | Yes | Registration token from Gitea admin |
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_NAME` | Yes | e.g. `unraid-runner-01` |
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS` | No | `ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye` |
+| `RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH` | No | `/config/runner.yaml` |
+| `RUNNER_WORKDIR` | No | `/work` |
+| `TZ` | No | `America/Chicago` |
+
+---
+
+## Volume mounts
+
+| Container path | Host path | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| `/config` | `/mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/config` | Config persistence. Generated on first boot. |
+| `/work` | `/mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/work` | Job workspace. Can be cleaned between runs. |
+| `/var/run/docker.sock` | `/var/run/docker.sock` | Docker socket. Required for build/push workflows. |
+
+---
+
+## Post-install checklist
+
+1. Set all required environment variables.
+2. Start the container.
+3. Check logs — look for `[BOOTSTRAP] Registration complete` or `[START] Starting act_runner daemon`.
+4. In Gitea admin panel, verify the runner appears under **Admin → Runners**.
+5. Trigger a test workflow and confirm job pickup.
+
+---
+
+## Update workflow
+
+1. Pull the new image tag from the registry.
+2. In Unraid, update the Repository field to the new pinned tag.
+3. Stop → Start the container (Unraid recreates from the new image).
+4. Confirm registration still valid in Gitea admin panel.
+5. Run a smoke workflow.
+
+---
+
+## Rollback workflow
+
+1. Stop the container.
+2. Change the Repository field back to the prior known-good tag.
+3. Start the container.
+4. Verify registration and smoke workflow.
+
+---
+
+## Notes on Docker socket
+
+Mounting `/var/run/docker.sock` gives the runner access to the host Docker daemon. This is intentional for build/push workflows. Understand this means jobs running on this runner can interact with all containers on the Unraid host. For a self-owned, trusted environment this is acceptable. Future hardening options are documented in `docs/architecture.md`.
diff --git a/docker/runner/Dockerfile b/docker/runner/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d643fd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/runner/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1
+# custom-gitea-runner — self-owned Gitea Actions runner
+# All dependencies installed at build time; no runtime apt-get.
+
+ARG UBUNTU_VERSION=22.04
+FROM ubuntu:${UBUNTU_VERSION}
+
+ARG ACT_RUNNER_VERSION=0.2.11
+ARG NODE_MAJOR=20
+ARG BUILD_DATE
+ARG VCS_REF
+ARG VERSION=dev
+
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.title="custom-gitea-runner" \
+      org.opencontainers.image.description="Self-owned Gitea Actions runner with bundled tooling" \
+      org.opencontainers.image.version="${VERSION}" \
+      org.opencontainers.image.created="${BUILD_DATE}" \
+      org.opencontainers.image.revision="${VCS_REF}"
+
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+    IMAGE_VERSION="${VERSION}" \
+    GIT_REVISION="${VCS_REF}" \
+    RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH=/config/runner.yaml \
+    RUNNER_WORKDIR=/work
+
+# ─── Base packages ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    bash \
+    ca-certificates \
+    curl \
+    git \
+    gnupg \
+    jq \
+    tini \
+    tzdata \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# ─── Node.js (NodeSource — Ubuntu 22.04 default is 12.x, too old) ─────────────
+RUN curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_${NODE_MAJOR}.x | bash - \
+    && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends nodejs \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# ─── Docker CLI ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+RUN curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg \
+      | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg \
+    && echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] \
+        https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" \
+      > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list \
+    && apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends docker-ce-cli \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# ─── act_runner binary (pinned) ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+# To update: bump ACT_RUNNER_VERSION in the build command or here.
+# Releases: https://gitea.com/gitea/act_runner/releases
+RUN ARCH=$(dpkg --print-architecture) \
+    && curl -fsSL \
+        "https://gitea.com/gitea/act_runner/releases/download/v${ACT_RUNNER_VERSION}/act_runner-${ACT_RUNNER_VERSION}-linux-${ARCH}" \
+        -o /usr/local/bin/act_runner \
+    && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/act_runner
+
+# ─── Runtime directories and scripts ─────────────────────────────────────────
+RUN mkdir -p /config /work /config/trusted-ca
+
+COPY docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh
+COPY docker/runner/healthcheck.sh       /usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh
+COPY docker/runner/smoke-test.sh        /usr/local/bin/smoke-test.sh
+
+RUN chmod +x \
+    /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh \
+    /usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh \
+    /usr/local/bin/smoke-test.sh
+
+VOLUME ["/config", "/work"]
+
+HEALTHCHECK \
+    --interval=30s \
+    --timeout=10s \
+    --start-period=60s \
+    --retries=3 \
+    CMD ["/usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh"]
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/tini", "--", "/usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7bc057e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# docker-entrypoint.sh — custom-gitea-runner bootstrap and daemon startup
+# Runs as PID 1 via tini. Handles validation, optional CA trust, registration, and daemon start.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH="${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH:-/config/runner.yaml}"
+RUNNER_WORKDIR="${RUNNER_WORKDIR:-/work}"
+
+# ─── Banner ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+print_banner() {
+    echo "======================================================"
+    echo "  custom-gitea-runner"
+    echo "  Image version : ${IMAGE_VERSION:-unknown}"
+    echo "  Git revision  : ${GIT_REVISION:-unknown}"
+    echo "======================================================"
+    echo "Runtime:"
+    echo "  act_runner : $(act_runner --version 2>&1 | head -1 || echo 'unknown')"
+    echo "  node       : $(node --version 2>&1 || echo 'unknown')"
+    echo "  npm        : $(npm --version 2>&1 || echo 'unknown')"
+    echo "  git        : $(git --version 2>&1 | awk '{print $3}' || echo 'unknown')"
+    echo "  docker     : $(docker --version 2>&1 | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d ',' || echo 'unavailable')"
+    echo "Config:"
+    echo "  Config path  : ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
+    echo "  Work dir     : ${RUNNER_WORKDIR}"
+    echo "  Gitea URL    : ${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL:-[not set]}"
+    echo "  Runner name  : ${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME:-[not set]}"
+    echo "  Labels       : ${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS:-[not set]}"
+    echo "======================================================"
+}
+
+# ─── Binary validation ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+validate_binaries() {
+    local missing=0
+    for bin in act_runner git node npm; do
+        if ! command -v "$bin" &>/dev/null; then
+            echo "[ERROR] Required binary not found: ${bin}"
+            missing=1
+        fi
+    done
+    if [ "$missing" -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "[FATAL] Missing required binaries. This is an image build issue."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    echo "[OK] All required binaries present."
+}
+
+# ─── Custom CA trust (optional) ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+install_custom_ca() {
+    local ca_dir="/config/trusted-ca"
+    if [ -d "$ca_dir" ] && compgen -G "${ca_dir}/*.crt" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "[CA] Installing custom CA certificates from ${ca_dir} ..."
+        cp "${ca_dir}"/*.crt /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/ 2>/dev/null || true
+        update-ca-certificates --fresh 2>&1 | grep -v "^$" || true
+        echo "[CA] Custom CA trust updated."
+    fi
+}
+
+# ─── Registration (Mode B: bootstrap from env vars) ───────────────────────────
+
+require_env() {
+    local var="$1"
+    if [ -z "${!var:-}" ]; then
+        echo "[FATAL] Required environment variable not set: ${var}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Rewrite the `labels:` list in the runner config. act_runner reads labels
+# from the config file at registration time and IGNORES the `register --labels`
+# flag whenever the config already exists — so to honor GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS we
+# must edit the generated config before registering.
+apply_labels() {
+    local labels_csv="$1" config="$2" tmp
+    echo "[BOOTSTRAP] Applying labels: ${labels_csv}"
+    tmp="$(mktemp)"
+    awk -v csv="${labels_csv}" '
+        BEGIN { n = split(csv, arr, ",") }
+        /^[[:space:]]+labels:[[:space:]]*$/ {
+            print
+            for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
+                gsub(/^[ \t]+|[ \t]+$/, "", arr[i])
+                printf "    - \"%s\"\n", arr[i]
+            }
+            inlabels = 1
+            next
+        }
+        inlabels == 1 {
+            if ($0 ~ /^[[:space:]]+-[[:space:]]/) { next }
+            inlabels = 0
+        }
+        { print }
+    ' "${config}" > "${tmp}" && mv "${tmp}" "${config}"
+}
+
+register_runner() {
+    echo "[BOOTSTRAP] No config found at ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}. Initiating registration."
+
+    require_env GITEA_INSTANCE_URL
+    require_env GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN
+    require_env GITEA_RUNNER_NAME
+
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}")"
+
+    # Generate the default config template (includes cache/container defaults),
+    # then inject the operator's labels into it before registering.
+    act_runner generate-config > "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
+
+    local labels="${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS:-ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye}"
+    apply_labels "${labels}" "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
+
+    act_runner register \
+        --config "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}" \
+        --instance "${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL}" \
+        --token "${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN}" \
+        --name "${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME}" \
+        --no-interactive
+
+    echo "[BOOTSTRAP] Registration complete. Config at ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}."
+}
+
+# ─── Main ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+print_banner
+validate_binaries
+install_custom_ca
+
+mkdir -p "${RUNNER_WORKDIR}"
+
+if [ ! -f "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}" ]; then
+    register_runner
+else
+    echo "[INFO] Existing config found at ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}. Skipping registration."
+fi
+
+echo "[START] Starting act_runner daemon ..."
+exec act_runner daemon --config "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
diff --git a/docker/runner/healthcheck.sh b/docker/runner/healthcheck.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3e62751
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/runner/healthcheck.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# healthcheck.sh — reports runner health for Docker HEALTHCHECK instruction
+set -euo pipefail
+
+RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH="${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH:-/config/runner.yaml}"
+exit_code=0
+
+check_ok()   { echo "[HEALTH] OK   : $1"; }
+check_warn() { echo "[HEALTH] WARN : $1"; }
+check_fail() { echo "[HEALTH] FAIL : $1"; exit_code=1; }
+
+# Runner process
+if pgrep -x act_runner > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    check_ok "act_runner process is running"
+else
+    check_fail "act_runner process not found"
+fi
+
+# Config file
+if [ -f "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}" ]; then
+    check_ok "Config file present at ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
+else
+    check_warn "Config file not found at ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
+fi
+
+# Required binaries
+for bin in act_runner git node npm; do
+    if command -v "$bin" &>/dev/null; then
+        check_ok "Binary present: ${bin}"
+    else
+        check_fail "Binary missing: ${bin}"
+    fi
+done
+
+# Docker socket (warn only — some label configurations don't need it)
+if [ -S /var/run/docker.sock ]; then
+    if docker info &>/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        check_ok "Docker socket accessible"
+    else
+        check_warn "Docker socket present but not accessible (permission issue?)"
+    fi
+else
+    check_warn "Docker socket not mounted — Docker build/push workflows will fail"
+fi
+
+exit $exit_code
diff --git a/docker/runner/smoke-test.sh b/docker/runner/smoke-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..17dcd2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/runner/smoke-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# smoke-test.sh — quick runtime self-test for the runner image
+# Run inside the container to validate the tool chain before production use.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+
+ok()   { echo "[SMOKE] PASS : $1"; PASS=$((PASS + 1)); }
+fail() { echo "[SMOKE] FAIL : $1"; FAIL=$((FAIL + 1)); }
+
+echo "======================================"
+echo " custom-gitea-runner smoke test"
+echo "======================================"
+
+# Binary presence and basic execution
+for bin in bash curl git jq node npm act_runner tini docker; do
+    if command -v "$bin" &>/dev/null; then
+        ok "${bin} found: $(command -v "$bin")"
+    else
+        fail "${bin} not found"
+    fi
+done
+
+# Version output checks
+echo "--- versions ---"
+git --version     && ok "git --version" || fail "git --version failed"
+node --version    && ok "node --version" || fail "node --version failed"
+npm --version     && ok "npm --version" || fail "npm --version failed"
+act_runner --version 2>&1 | head -1 && ok "act_runner --version" || fail "act_runner --version failed"
+docker --version  && ok "docker --version" || fail "docker --version failed"
+
+# Node.js can run a basic script
+if node -e "process.exit(0)" 2>/dev/null; then
+    ok "node can execute scripts"
+else
+    fail "node cannot execute scripts"
+fi
+
+# jq parses JSON
+if echo '{"test":1}' | jq .test > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    ok "jq parses JSON"
+else
+    fail "jq cannot parse JSON"
+fi
+
+# curl is usable (don't actually make a request in smoke test)
+if curl --version &>/dev/null; then
+    ok "curl is usable"
+else
+    fail "curl is not usable"
+fi
+
+echo "======================================"
+echo " Results: ${PASS} passed, ${FAIL} failed"
+echo "======================================"
+
+[ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ] && exit 0 || exit 1
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be1b000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# Architecture
+
+## Design summary
+
+The runner is a Docker image that wraps the official `act_runner` binary in a controlled, predictable environment. All dependencies are installed at image build time. The running container is long-lived and operator-managed.
+
+---
+
+## Layers
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│  Gitea instance (git.alwisp.com)            │ ← dispatches jobs via act protocol
+└───────────────────┬─────────────────────────┘
+                    │ HTTP / WebSocket
+┌───────────────────▼─────────────────────────┐
+│  custom-gitea-runner container              │
+│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐  │
+│  │  tini (PID 1)                        │  │
+│  │  └── docker-entrypoint.sh            │  │
+│  │       ├── validate binaries          │  │
+│  │       ├── install custom CAs         │  │
+│  │       ├── register (first boot only) │  │
+│  │       └── act_runner daemon          │  │
+│  └──────────────────────────────────────┘  │
+│                                             │
+│  Bundled tools (installed at build time):   │
+│    bash, curl, git, jq, node, npm,          │
+│    docker CLI, ca-certificates, tini        │
+└───────────────────┬─────────────────────────┘
+                    │ /var/run/docker.sock mount
+┌───────────────────▼─────────────────────────┐
+│  Host Docker daemon                         │ ← runs job containers
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## Key design decisions
+
+See `docs/decisions/` for ADR-style records of each major choice.
+
+| Decision | Choice | Doc |
+|---|---|---|
+| Base image | Ubuntu 22.04 | `decisions/0001-base-image.md` |
+| act_runner strategy | Wrap official binary | — |
+| Docker access | Socket mount (`/var/run/docker.sock`) | — |
+| PID 1 | `tini` | — |
+| Node.js source | NodeSource (Node 20 LTS) | — |
+| v1 user model | root (Docker socket requires it) | — |
+
+---
+
+## Registration modes
+
+**Mode A — Pre-generated config (preferred for stable production)**
+
+Operator mounts a pre-generated `runner.yaml` at `RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH`. The entrypoint detects the file and skips registration, going straight to daemon start.
+
+**Mode B — Bootstrap registration (first boot)**
+
+If `RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH` does not exist, the entrypoint reads `GITEA_INSTANCE_URL`, `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN`, and `GITEA_RUNNER_NAME` from the environment, generates a default config, and calls `act_runner register`. Subsequent starts use the persisted config (Mode A path).
+
+This flow is idempotent — reboots with an existing config will not re-register.
+
+---
+
+## Docker socket model
+
+The runner container mounts the host Docker socket (`/var/run/docker.sock`). This allows:
+- `docker build` and `docker push` in workflow steps
+- `docker/login-action` against external registries
+
+**Trust implication:** a workflow running on this runner has full access to the host Docker daemon. This is acceptable for a trusted, self-hosted environment. Future hardening options (DinD, rootless, network isolation) are tracked in `ROADMAP.md` Phase 6.
+
+---
+
+## Future hardening tracks
+
+- Rootless container execution
+- Docker-in-Docker (DinD) variant for true isolation
+- Dedicated BuildKit daemon
+- Ephemeral single-job runners
+- Network policy enforcement
diff --git a/docs/decisions/0001-base-image.md b/docs/decisions/0001-base-image.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c058429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/decisions/0001-base-image.md
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# ADR 0001 — Base Image Selection
+
+**Status:** Accepted
+
+---
+
+## Context
+
+The runner needs a base OS image that provides:
+- A working apt package ecosystem for installing `git`, `curl`, `jq`, `tini`, `ca-certificates`, `tzdata`.
+- Compatibility with Docker's official apt repository (for Docker CLI).
+- Compatibility with NodeSource (for Node.js 20 LTS).
+- A label environment the existing workflows reference: `ubuntu-latest`.
+
+Candidates considered:
+1. `ubuntu:22.04` — LTS, wide ecosystem support, good compatibility.
+2. `ubuntu:24.04` — Newer LTS, some tooling still stabilizing.
+3. `debian:bookworm-slim` — Smaller footprint, good compatibility, but `ubuntu-latest` label mismatch.
+4. `debian:bullseye-slim` — Older, stable, but further from `ubuntu-latest` expectations.
+
+---
+
+## Decision
+
+Use `ubuntu:22.04` as the base image, pinned by exact tag.
+
+---
+
+## Rationale
+
+- Existing Gitea workflows use `runs-on: ubuntu-latest`. Basing the runner image on Ubuntu 22.04 maximizes compatibility with GitHub Actions steps written for that environment.
+- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS has long-term support through 2027, reducing forced base image churn.
+- Docker's apt repository and NodeSource both officially support Ubuntu 22.04.
+- Ubuntu 22.04 is the most common self-hosted runner base image in community examples, so troubleshooting resources are abundant.
+
+---
+
+## Consequences
+
+- Final image size will be larger than a minimal Alpine or Debian slim base, which is acceptable given the goal of bundling all runtime dependencies.
+- When the workflow ecosystem moves to `ubuntu-24.04`, the base image can be bumped with a version argument change (`ARG UBUNTU_VERSION=24.04`).
+
+---
+
+## Alternatives considered
+
+**Debian bookworm-slim:** Smaller image, but the `ubuntu-latest` label in existing workflows creates an expectation of Ubuntu compatibility. Switching to Debian may cause subtle incompatibilities with actions that check the OS ID.
+
+**Ubuntu 24.04:** Not yet the default for `ubuntu-latest` as of the initial build date; 22.04 remains the more tested choice for self-hosted runners.
diff --git a/docs/operations.md b/docs/operations.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e80bbd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/operations.md
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+# Operations
+
+## Normal startup sequence
+
+When the container starts, expect to see:
+
+```
+======================================================
+  custom-gitea-runner
+  Image version : v0.1.0
+  Git revision  : abc1234
+======================================================
+Runtime:
+  act_runner : v0.2.11
+  node       : v20.x.x
+  npm        : 10.x.x
+  git        : 2.x.x
+  docker     : 24.x.x
+Config:
+  Config path  : /config/runner.yaml
+  Work dir     : /work
+  Gitea URL    : https://git.example.com
+  Runner name  : unraid-runner-01
+  Labels       : ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye
+======================================================
+[OK] All required binaries present.
+[INFO] Existing config found at /config/runner.yaml. Skipping registration.
+[START] Starting act_runner daemon ...
+```
+
+On first boot with no config:
+
+```
+[BOOTSTRAP] No config found at /config/runner.yaml. Initiating registration.
+[BOOTSTRAP] Registration complete. Config at /config/runner.yaml.
+[START] Starting act_runner daemon ...
+```
+
+---
+
+## Health check
+
+The container runs a health check every 30s. Check status with:
+
+```bash
+docker inspect --format='{{.State.Health.Status}}' gitea-runner
+```
+
+Or view health check output:
+
+```bash
+docker inspect --format='{{json .State.Health}}' gitea-runner | jq .
+```
+
+Expected healthy output from `healthcheck.sh`:
+
+```
+[HEALTH] OK   : act_runner process is running
+[HEALTH] OK   : Config file present at /config/runner.yaml
+[HEALTH] OK   : Binary present: act_runner
+[HEALTH] OK   : Binary present: git
+[HEALTH] OK   : Binary present: node
+[HEALTH] OK   : Binary present: npm
+[HEALTH] OK   : Docker socket accessible
+```
+
+---
+
+## Smoke test
+
+Before production use, run the smoke test against the image:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/verify-runtime.sh custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0
+```
+
+Or directly:
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0 /usr/local/bin/smoke-test.sh
+```
+
+---
+
+## Checking runner registration in Gitea
+
+1. Go to your Gitea instance.
+2. Navigate to **Site Administration → Runners** (admin panel) or **Repository Settings → Runners**.
+3. The runner should appear with status **Online**.
+
+---
+
+## Upgrade procedure
+
+1. Build or pull the new pinned image tag.
+2. Review `CHANGELOG.md` for breaking changes.
+3. Stop the existing container.
+4. Update the image tag in your compose file or Unraid template.
+5. Start the container.
+6. Verify startup logs and health check status.
+7. Run a smoke workflow to confirm job execution works.
+
+---
+
+## Rollback procedure
+
+1. Stop the container.
+2. Revert the image tag to the prior known-good version.
+3. Start the container.
+4. Confirm the registration config is still valid (it should be — it's persisted in the config volume).
+5. Run a smoke workflow.
+
+---
+
+## Re-registration
+
+If you need to re-register the runner (e.g. after a token reset or renaming):
+
+1. Stop the container.
+2. Delete `config/runner.yaml`.
+3. Set the new `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN` in your environment.
+4. Start the container — it will register fresh on boot.
+
+---
+
+## Log access
+
+```bash
+# Tail live logs
+docker logs -f gitea-runner
+
+# Last 100 lines
+docker logs --tail 100 gitea-runner
+```
diff --git a/docs/troubleshooting.md b/docs/troubleshooting.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1bd3432
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/troubleshooting.md
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+# Troubleshooting
+
+Symptom-driven guide for common runner failures.
+
+---
+
+## Runner not appearing in Gitea admin panel
+
+**Check:** Container logs for registration errors.
+
+```bash
+docker logs gitea-runner 2>&1 | grep -E "BOOTSTRAP|FATAL|ERROR"
+```
+
+**Common causes:**
+
+| Cause | Fix |
+|---|---|
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN` is invalid or expired | Generate a fresh token in Gitea admin → Runners |
+| `GITEA_INSTANCE_URL` wrong or unreachable | Verify URL is reachable from inside the container: `docker exec gitea-runner curl -I "$GITEA_INSTANCE_URL"` |
+| TLS cert error (self-signed Gitea) | Mount your CA cert to `/config/trusted-ca/` and restart |
+| Runner name already registered | Use a unique `GITEA_RUNNER_NAME` or deregister the old one |
+
+---
+
+## `node: not found` in job logs
+
+The runner image bundles Node.js 20 LTS. If you see this error it usually means:
+
+- The job is running inside a container image that does not have Node.js (e.g. `alpine`).
+- The `ubuntu-latest` label is mapped to a minimal image.
+
+**Fix:** Ensure the label mapping uses a full Node image:
+
+```
+ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye
+```
+
+Or use a host-mode label:
+
+```
+ubuntu-latest:host
+```
+
+---
+
+## Docker socket permission error
+
+**Symptom:**
+
+```
+permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at unix:///var/run/docker.sock
+```
+
+**Causes and fixes:**
+
+| Cause | Fix |
+|---|---|
+| Socket not mounted | Add `-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock` |
+| Socket GID mismatch | Container runs as root in v1 — this should not occur. If using a non-root custom image, add the runner user to the `docker` group or set `--group-add $(stat -c '%g' /var/run/docker.sock)` |
+
+---
+
+## Workflow checkout failures
+
+**Symptom:** `actions/checkout` fails with an auth or host error.
+
+**Check:**
+1. Gitea URL is accessible from inside the container.
+2. If using self-signed TLS, the CA cert is trusted inside the container.
+
+```bash
+docker exec gitea-runner curl -v https://git.example.com
+```
+
+If you see certificate errors, add your CA cert to `/config/trusted-ca/` and restart.
+
+---
+
+## Registry login failures (`docker/login-action`)
+
+**Symptom:** Login to `registry.alwisp.com` fails.
+
+**Check:**
+1. Registry URL is correct.
+2. Credentials are valid.
+3. If using self-signed TLS on the registry, the CA cert needs to be trusted inside the container AND the Docker daemon config must also trust the registry.
+
+For Docker daemon CA trust on the Unraid host:
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p /etc/docker/certs.d/registry.alwisp.com
+cp my-ca.crt /etc/docker/certs.d/registry.alwisp.com/ca.crt
+```
+
+Then restart the Docker daemon and the runner container.
+
+---
+
+## Container job image issues
+
+**Symptom:** Jobs that run inside container images fail to pull or execute.
+
+**Check:**
+- The container image referenced in the label mapping is pullable from inside the runner container.
+- If using a self-hosted registry image, the runner container can authenticate to it.
+
+---
+
+## CA / certificate trust issues
+
+**Symptom:** TLS errors when connecting to Gitea or the registry.
+
+**Fix:**
+1. Copy your CA cert (`.crt` format, PEM encoded) to `config/trusted-ca/`.
+2. Restart the container — the entrypoint installs certs from that directory on startup.
+3. Verify: `docker exec gitea-runner curl -v https://git.example.com` should show cert chain OK.
+
+---
+
+## Unraid-specific: container exits immediately
+
+**Check:** Container logs before exit:
+
+```bash
+docker logs gitea-runner
+```
+
+Look for `[FATAL]` lines. Common cause is a missing required env var (`GITEA_INSTANCE_URL`, `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN`, `GITEA_RUNNER_NAME`) when no config file exists.
+
+**Fix:** Set required env vars in the Unraid container template.
+
+---
+
+## Startup validation failures
+
+**Symptom:** Container exits with `[FATAL] Missing required binaries`.
+
+This is an image build problem — the binary should always be present if the image was built correctly.
+
+**Fix:** Rebuild the image from the `docker/runner/Dockerfile` and verify:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/verify-runtime.sh custom-gitea-runner:latest
+```
diff --git a/docs/unraid.md b/docs/unraid.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ed5574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/unraid.md
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+# Unraid Deployment Guide
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+This guide covers deploying the custom-gitea-runner as a Docker container on an Unraid host. The recommended approach is Docker Compose via Unraid's compose manager, or manual template entry via the Unraid Docker UI.
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Unraid with Docker enabled.
+- Access to your Gitea instance admin panel to generate a runner token.
+- The runner image pushed to your registry (e.g. `registry.alwisp.com`), or built locally on the Unraid host.
+
+---
+
+## Step 1: Get a runner token
+
+1. Log into your Gitea instance as an admin.
+2. Go to **Site Administration → Runners → Create new runner**.
+3. Copy the registration token. It will be used as `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN`.
+
+---
+
+## Step 2: Set up appdata directories
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p /mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/config
+mkdir -p /mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/work
+```
+
+If using custom CA certificates:
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p /mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/config/trusted-ca
+# Copy your CA cert:
+cp my-ca.crt /mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/config/trusted-ca/
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 3: Docker UI container settings
+
+In Unraid's Docker tab, click **Add Container** and fill in:
+
+**Basic**
+
+| Field | Value |
+|---|---|
+| Name | `gitea-runner` |
+| Repository | `registry.alwisp.com/custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0` |
+| Network Type | `Bridge` |
+| Privileged | `No` |
+| Restart | `Unless Stopped` |
+
+**Environment variables**
+
+| Key | Value |
+|---|---|
+| `GITEA_INSTANCE_URL` | `https://git.example.com` |
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN` | *(your registration token)* |
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_NAME` | `unraid-runner-01` |
+| `GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS` | `ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye` |
+| `TZ` | `America/Chicago` |
+
+**Volumes**
+
+| Container path | Host path | Mode |
+|---|---|---|
+| `/config` | `/mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/config` | Read/Write |
+| `/work` | `/mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/work` | Read/Write |
+| `/var/run/docker.sock` | `/var/run/docker.sock` | Read/Write |
+
+Click **Apply**.
+
+---
+
+## Step 4: Verify startup
+
+View container logs in the Unraid Docker UI or via terminal:
+
+```bash
+docker logs gitea-runner
+```
+
+First boot should show `[BOOTSTRAP] Registration complete`.
+Subsequent starts show `[INFO] Existing config found`.
+
+---
+
+## Step 5: Verify in Gitea
+
+Go to Gitea **Site Administration → Runners**. The runner should appear as **Online**.
+
+---
+
+## Update procedure
+
+1. Pull the new image tag to the Unraid host (or use the Community Applications plugin if listed).
+2. In the Docker UI, edit the container and update the Repository to the new tag.
+3. Click **Apply** — Unraid stops and recreates the container from the new image.
+4. Check logs to confirm startup, then test a workflow.
+
+## Rollback procedure
+
+Repeat the update procedure but specify the previous known-good tag.
+
+---
+
+## Appdata backup
+
+The `/config` volume (at `/mnt/user/appdata/gitea-runner/config/`) contains the runner registration config. Include it in Unraid's Appdata Backup plugin to preserve registration between host moves.
+
+---
+
+## Notes
+
+- The Docker socket mount (`/var/run/docker.sock`) is intentional and required for build/push workflows. On a single-tenant, self-owned Unraid host this is the standard approach.
+- The `/work` directory grows as jobs run. You can safely clear it when no jobs are active to reclaim space.
diff --git a/forgerunner.src/ROADMAP.md b/forgerunner.src/ROADMAP.md
index a10ccb2..9d7229a 100644
--- a/forgerunner.src/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/forgerunner.src/ROADMAP.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 
 ## Phase 0 — Research and design
 
-**Status:** Active
+**Status:** Complete
 
 ### Goals
 
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 - [x] Write `AGENT.md`
 - [x] Write `README.md`
 - [x] Write `ROADMAP.md`
-- [ ] Create `CHANGELOG.md`
-- [ ] Create `.env.example`
-- [ ] Create ADR template under `docs/decisions/`
-- [ ] Write `docs/architecture.md`
-- [ ] Decide base image strategy
-- [ ] Decide socket-mount vs DinD position for v1
-- [ ] Decide registration mode defaults
+- [x] Create `CHANGELOG.md`
+- [x] Create `.env.example`
+- [x] Create ADR template under `docs/decisions/`
+- [x] Write `docs/architecture.md`
+- [x] Decide base image strategy
+- [x] Decide socket-mount vs DinD position for v1
+- [x] Decide registration mode defaults
 
 ### Exit criteria
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 
 ## Phase 1 — Base image and bootstrap
 
-**Status:** Planned
+**Status:** Complete
 
 ### Goals
 
@@ -69,24 +69,29 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 
 ### Tasks
 
-- [ ] Create `docker/runner/Dockerfile`
-- [ ] Pin base image tag
-- [ ] Pin `act_runner` source/version
-- [ ] Install required dependencies at build time:
-  - [ ] bash
-  - [ ] curl
-  - [ ] git
-  - [ ] jq
-  - [ ] nodejs
-  - [ ] npm
-  - [ ] docker CLI
-  - [ ] ca-certificates
-  - [ ] tini
-  - [ ] tzdata
-- [ ] Create `docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh`
-- [ ] Create `docker/runner/healthcheck.sh`
-- [ ] Add image metadata labels
-- [ ] Verify startup prints tool versions
+- [x] Create `docker/runner/Dockerfile`
+- [x] Pin base image tag
+- [x] Pin `act_runner` source/version
+- [x] Install required dependencies at build time:
+  - [x] bash
+  - [x] curl
+  - [x] git
+  - [x] jq
+  - [x] nodejs
+  - [x] npm
+  - [x] docker CLI
+  - [x] ca-certificates
+  - [x] tini
+  - [x] tzdata
+- [x] Create `docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh`
+- [x] Create `docker/runner/healthcheck.sh`
+- [x] Add image metadata labels
+- [x] Verify startup prints tool versions
+
+### Notes
+
+- First successful build: `custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0` (act_runner v0.2.11, node v20.20.2, npm 10.8.2, git 2.34.1, docker CLI 29.6.1).
+- Runtime smoke test passes 17/17 via `./scripts/verify-runtime.sh`.
 
 ### Exit criteria
 
@@ -99,7 +104,7 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 
 ## Phase 2 — Registration and config flows
 
-**Status:** Planned
+**Status:** Complete
 
 ### Goals
 
@@ -109,15 +114,15 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 
 ### Tasks
 
-- [ ] Create `config/runner.example.yaml`
-- [ ] Create `config/labels.example.env`
-- [ ] Create `scripts/register-runner.sh`
-- [ ] Create `scripts/deregister-runner.sh`
-- [ ] Add config path validation
-- [ ] Add first-boot registration flow
-- [ ] Add re-run safe bootstrap logic
-- [ ] Document required environment variables
-- [ ] Validate restart behavior with existing config
+- [x] Create `config/runner.example.yaml`
+- [x] Create `config/labels.example.env`
+- [x] Create `scripts/register-runner.sh`
+- [x] Create `scripts/deregister-runner.sh`
+- [x] Add config path validation
+- [x] Add first-boot registration flow
+- [x] Add re-run safe bootstrap logic
+- [x] Document required environment variables
+- [x] Validate restart behavior with existing config
 
 ### Exit criteria
 
@@ -125,6 +130,11 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 - Existing config is reused without duplicate registration.
 - Missing configuration fails fast with clear logs.
 
+### Notes
+
+- Validated live against `git.alwisp.com` (Gitea 1.26.4): runner `forgerunner-01` registered as instance-level runner (id 5), came online and healthy, and a container restart reused the existing config with no duplicate registration.
+- Registration token obtained via `POST /api/v1/admin/actions/runners/registration-token`; deregistration via `DELETE /api/v1/admin/actions/runners/{id}` (act_runner has no unregister command).
+
 ---
 
 ## Phase 3 — Docker workflow support
@@ -167,13 +177,13 @@ The project is considered successful when it can:
 
 ### Tasks
 
-- [ ] Create `docker/runner/smoke-test.sh`
-- [ ] Create `scripts/verify-runtime.sh`
-- [ ] Create `scripts/test-local-runner.sh`
-- [ ] Add `test/sample-workflows/checkout.yml`
-- [ ] Add `test/sample-workflows/node-action.yml`
-- [ ] Add `test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml`
-- [ ] Add `test/sample-workflows/docker-build-push.yml`
+- [x] Create `docker/runner/smoke-test.sh`
+- [x] Create `scripts/verify-runtime.sh`
+- [x] Create `scripts/test-local-runner.sh`
+- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/checkout.yml`
+- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/node-action.yml`
+- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml`
+- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/docker-build-push.yml`
 - [ ] Add regression test cases for:
   - [ ] missing `node`
   - [ ] broken Docker socket access
diff --git a/scripts/build-image.sh b/scripts/build-image.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6a48466
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-image.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# build-image.sh — build the custom-gitea-runner Docker image locally
+set -euo pipefail
+
+IMAGE_NAME="${IMAGE_NAME:-custom-gitea-runner}"
+VERSION="${VERSION:-dev}"
+VCS_REF="$(git rev-parse --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo 'unknown')"
+BUILD_DATE="$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
+
+echo "Building ${IMAGE_NAME}:${VERSION} ..."
+echo "  VCS_REF    : ${VCS_REF}"
+echo "  BUILD_DATE : ${BUILD_DATE}"
+
+docker build \
+    --build-arg "VERSION=${VERSION}" \
+    --build-arg "VCS_REF=${VCS_REF}" \
+    --build-arg "BUILD_DATE=${BUILD_DATE}" \
+    --tag "${IMAGE_NAME}:${VERSION}" \
+    --tag "${IMAGE_NAME}:latest" \
+    --file docker/runner/Dockerfile \
+    .
+
+echo "Build complete: ${IMAGE_NAME}:${VERSION}"
diff --git a/scripts/deregister-runner.sh b/scripts/deregister-runner.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9f4c65b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/deregister-runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# deregister-runner.sh — remove a runner registration from Gitea via the API.
+#
+# act_runner has no "unregister" command, so deregistration is done through the
+# Gitea REST API. This requires an *API* token (not a registration token) with
+# admin rights, plus the runner id or name. Run this before retiring or renaming
+# a runner to keep the Gitea UI clean, then delete the local config to start fresh.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   GITEA_INSTANCE_URL=https://git.example.com \
+#   GITEA_API_TOKEN=<admin-api-token> \
+#   ./scripts/deregister-runner.sh <runner-name|runner-id>
+set -euo pipefail
+
+: "${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL:?GITEA_INSTANCE_URL must be set (e.g. https://git.example.com)}"
+: "${GITEA_API_TOKEN:?GITEA_API_TOKEN must be set (an admin API token, not a registration token)}"
+
+TARGET="${1:-}"
+if [ -z "${TARGET}" ]; then
+    echo "[FATAL] Provide the runner name or id as the first argument." >&2
+    echo "Usage: $0 <runner-name|runner-id>" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+API="${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL%/}/api/v1"
+AUTH="Authorization: token ${GITEA_API_TOKEN}"
+
+# Resolve a runner name to an id if a non-numeric target was given.
+if [[ "${TARGET}" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+    RUNNER_ID="${TARGET}"
+else
+    echo "Resolving runner id for name '${TARGET}' ..."
+    RUNNER_ID="$(curl -fsS -H "${AUTH}" "${API}/admin/actions/runners" \
+        | jq -r --arg n "${TARGET}" '.runners[] | select(.name==$n) | .id' | head -1)"
+    if [ -z "${RUNNER_ID}" ]; then
+        echo "[FATAL] No runner found with name '${TARGET}'." >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+echo "Deregistering runner id ${RUNNER_ID} from ${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL} ..."
+http_code="$(curl -fsS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' \
+    -X DELETE -H "${AUTH}" "${API}/admin/actions/runners/${RUNNER_ID}")"
+
+if [ "${http_code}" = "204" ]; then
+    echo "Deregistration complete (runner id ${RUNNER_ID} removed)."
+    echo "Remove the local config to start fresh: rm config/runner.yaml"
+else
+    echo "[FATAL] Unexpected HTTP status ${http_code} from delete request." >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/scripts/publish-image.sh b/scripts/publish-image.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..eca7b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/publish-image.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# publish-image.sh — tag and push the runner image to a registry
+set -euo pipefail
+
+IMAGE_NAME="${IMAGE_NAME:-custom-gitea-runner}"
+REGISTRY="${REGISTRY:-registry.alwisp.com}"
+VERSION="${VERSION:-}"
+
+if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
+    echo "[ERROR] VERSION must be set (e.g. VERSION=v0.1.0 ./scripts/publish-image.sh)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+LOCAL_TAG="${IMAGE_NAME}:${VERSION}"
+REMOTE_TAG="${REGISTRY}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${VERSION}"
+REMOTE_LATEST="${REGISTRY}/${IMAGE_NAME}:latest"
+
+echo "Tagging ${LOCAL_TAG} as ${REMOTE_TAG} ..."
+docker tag "${LOCAL_TAG}" "${REMOTE_TAG}"
+docker tag "${LOCAL_TAG}" "${REMOTE_LATEST}"
+
+echo "Pushing ${REMOTE_TAG} ..."
+docker push "${REMOTE_TAG}"
+docker push "${REMOTE_LATEST}"
+
+echo "Published: ${REMOTE_TAG}"
diff --git a/scripts/register-runner.sh b/scripts/register-runner.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b81dd59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/register-runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# register-runner.sh — standalone registration helper (run outside container)
+# Useful for pre-generating config before first container start.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+: "${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL:?GITEA_INSTANCE_URL must be set}"
+: "${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN:?GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN must be set}"
+: "${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME:?GITEA_RUNNER_NAME must be set}"
+
+RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH="${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH:-./config/runner.yaml}"
+GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS="${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS:-ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye}"
+
+echo "Registering runner: ${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME}"
+echo "  Instance : ${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL}"
+echo "  Config   : ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}"
+echo "  Labels   : ${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS}"
+
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}")"
+
+docker run --rm \
+    -v "$(pwd)/config:/config" \
+    -e GITEA_INSTANCE_URL="${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL}" \
+    -e GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN="${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN}" \
+    -e GITEA_RUNNER_NAME="${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME}" \
+    -e GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS="${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS}" \
+    -e RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH="/config/runner.yaml" \
+    custom-gitea-runner:latest \
+    act_runner register \
+        --config /config/runner.yaml \
+        --instance "${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL}" \
+        --token "${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN}" \
+        --name "${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME}" \
+        --labels "${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS}" \
+        --no-interactive
+
+echo "Registration complete. Config written to ${RUNNER_CONFIG_PATH}."
diff --git a/scripts/test-local-runner.sh b/scripts/test-local-runner.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c25a719
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test-local-runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# test-local-runner.sh — start a short-lived runner for local workflow testing
+# Requires a running Gitea instance and a valid registration token.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+: "${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL:?GITEA_INSTANCE_URL must be set}"
+: "${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN:?GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN must be set}"
+: "${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME:?GITEA_RUNNER_NAME must be set}"
+
+IMAGE="${IMAGE:-custom-gitea-runner:latest}"
+CONFIG_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/runner-test-config.XXXXXX)"
+WORK_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/runner-test-work.XXXXXX)"
+
+cleanup() {
+    echo "Cleaning up temp dirs ..."
+    rm -rf "$CONFIG_DIR" "$WORK_DIR"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+echo "Starting local test runner ..."
+echo "  Image  : ${IMAGE}"
+echo "  Config : ${CONFIG_DIR}"
+echo "  Work   : ${WORK_DIR}"
+
+docker run --rm \
+    -v "${CONFIG_DIR}:/config" \
+    -v "${WORK_DIR}:/work" \
+    -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
+    -e GITEA_INSTANCE_URL="${GITEA_INSTANCE_URL}" \
+    -e GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN="${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN}" \
+    -e GITEA_RUNNER_NAME="${GITEA_RUNNER_NAME}" \
+    -e GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS="${GITEA_RUNNER_LABELS:-ubuntu-latest:docker://node:20-bullseye}" \
+    "${IMAGE}"
diff --git a/scripts/verify-runtime.sh b/scripts/verify-runtime.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7bfcd94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/verify-runtime.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# verify-runtime.sh — validate the runner image tool chain without starting the daemon
+set -euo pipefail
+
+IMAGE="${1:-custom-gitea-runner:latest}"
+
+echo "Running smoke test against image: ${IMAGE}"
+
+docker run --rm \
+    --entrypoint /usr/local/bin/smoke-test.sh \
+    "${IMAGE}"
diff --git a/src/optional/.gitkeep b/src/optional/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/test/fixtures/.gitkeep b/test/fixtures/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/test/sample-workflows/checkout.yml b/test/sample-workflows/checkout.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..434ff22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sample-workflows/checkout.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+name: Smoke — Checkout
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  checkout:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Verify working directory
+        run: |
+          echo "Repo: $(pwd)"
+          ls -la
+          git log --oneline -5
diff --git a/test/sample-workflows/docker-build-push.yml b/test/sample-workflows/docker-build-push.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42eea0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sample-workflows/docker-build-push.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+name: Smoke — Docker Build and Push
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Log in to Gitea Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: registry.alwisp.com
+          username: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_USER }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Build and Push
+        run: |
+          docker build \
+            -t registry.alwisp.com/${{ gitea.repository_owner }}/${{ gitea.repository }}:latest \
+            -t registry.alwisp.com/${{ gitea.repository_owner }}/${{ gitea.repository }}:${{ gitea.sha }} \
+            -f docker/runner/Dockerfile \
+            .
+
+          docker push registry.alwisp.com/${{ gitea.repository_owner }}/${{ gitea.repository }}:latest
+          docker push registry.alwisp.com/${{ gitea.repository_owner }}/${{ gitea.repository }}:${{ gitea.sha }}
diff --git a/test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml b/test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ac293d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: Smoke — Docker Login
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  login:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Log in to Gitea Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: registry.alwisp.com
+          username: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_USER }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Confirm Docker login
+        run: docker info
diff --git a/test/sample-workflows/node-action.yml b/test/sample-workflows/node-action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eed2fef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sample-workflows/node-action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+name: Smoke — Node Action
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  node:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Print Node version
+        run: |
+          node --version
+          npm --version
+
+      - name: Run inline Node script
+        run: node -e "console.log('Node.js works:', process.version)"
diff --git a/test/smoke/.gitkeep b/test/smoke/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29