diff --git a/plugins/code-server/plugin.yaml b/plugins/code-server/plugin.yaml
index fd7e5e3..5b8cb77 100644
--- a/plugins/code-server/plugin.yaml
+++ b/plugins/code-server/plugin.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ permissions:
     ports:
       - 8080 # code-server web UI (listens on loopback; reach via tunnel/Tailscale)
     files:
-      - /home/ec2-user/.config/code-server/config.yaml
+      - ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml # in the login user's home
 
 config:
   port:
@@ -53,31 +53,40 @@ remote:
         set -eu
         PORT={{ config.port }}
         PASSWORD={{ config.password }}
-        # code-server reads ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml of the service user.
-        install -d -o ec2-user -g ec2-user /home/ec2-user/.config/code-server
-        cat > /home/ec2-user/.config/code-server/config.yaml <<EOF
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        HOME_DIR=$(getent passwd "$LOGIN_USER" | cut -d: -f6)
+        # code-server reads ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml of the service user
+        # (the login user, via the code-server@<user> systemd template unit).
+        install -d -o "$LOGIN_USER" -g "$LOGIN_USER" "$HOME_DIR/.config/code-server"
+        cat > "$HOME_DIR/.config/code-server/config.yaml" <<EOF
         bind-addr: 127.0.0.1:$PORT
         auth: password
         password: $PASSWORD
         cert: false
         EOF
-        chown ec2-user:ec2-user /home/ec2-user/.config/code-server/config.yaml
-        chmod 600 /home/ec2-user/.config/code-server/config.yaml
+        chown "$LOGIN_USER:$LOGIN_USER" "$HOME_DIR/.config/code-server/config.yaml"
+        chmod 600 "$HOME_DIR/.config/code-server/config.yaml"
 
   start:
     - type: run
       run: |
-        systemctl enable --now code-server@ec2-user
+        set -eu
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        systemctl enable --now "code-server@$LOGIN_USER"
 
   health:
     interval: 15s
     steps:
       - type: run
-        run: systemctl is-active code-server@ec2-user
+        run: |
+          LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+          systemctl is-active "code-server@$LOGIN_USER"
 
   stop:
     - type: run
-      run: systemctl stop code-server@ec2-user
+      run: |
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        systemctl stop "code-server@$LOGIN_USER"
 
 outputs:
   url:
diff --git a/plugins/docker/plugin.yaml b/plugins/docker/plugin.yaml
index d82bcb6..21ccf79 100644
--- a/plugins/docker/plugin.yaml
+++ b/plugins/docker/plugin.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ license: Apache-2.0
 # the service, so a long-lived (non-ephemeral) instance can build/run containers.
 # (spawn's `task run --container` installs docker on demand for a single job; this
 # plugin is for an interactive/persistent box where you want docker always ready.)
-# The login user (ec2-user) is added to the docker group so it can run docker
+# The instance's login user is added to the docker group so it can run docker
 # without sudo after reconnecting.
 
 permissions:
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ remote:
     - type: run
       run: |
         set -eu
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
         # Let the login user run docker without sudo. Takes effect on the next
         # login/reconnect (group membership is read at session start).
-        usermod -aG docker ec2-user || true
+        usermod -aG docker "$LOGIN_USER" || true
 
   start:
     - type: run
diff --git a/plugins/github-actions-runner/plugin.yaml b/plugins/github-actions-runner/plugin.yaml
index 8c437ce..9e5c388 100644
--- a/plugins/github-actions-runner/plugin.yaml
+++ b/plugins/github-actions-runner/plugin.yaml
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ remote:
         rm -f runner.tar.gz
         # The runner refuses to run as root, so its files must be owned by the
         # login user that configures/runs it.
-        chown -R ec2-user:ec2-user /opt/actions-runner
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        chown -R "$LOGIN_USER:$LOGIN_USER" /opt/actions-runner
 
   configure:
     # config.sh refuses to run as root — run it as the login user.
@@ -135,12 +136,13 @@ remote:
 
   start:
     # svc.sh installs + starts a systemd service; this part runs as root but the
-    # service itself is configured to run as ec2-user by svc.sh.
+    # service itself is configured to run as the login user by svc.sh.
     - type: run
       run: |
         set -eu
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
         cd /opt/actions-runner
-        ./svc.sh install ec2-user
+        ./svc.sh install "$LOGIN_USER"
         ./svc.sh start
 
   health:
diff --git a/plugins/jupyterlab/plugin.yaml b/plugins/jupyterlab/plugin.yaml
index 22f2d6d..3d07594 100644
--- a/plugins/jupyterlab/plugin.yaml
+++ b/plugins/jupyterlab/plugin.yaml
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ config:
   notebook_dir:
     type: string
     required: false
-    default: "/home/ec2-user"
-    description: "Root directory JupyterLab opens in"
+    default: ""
+    description: "Root directory JupyterLab opens in (default: the login user's home)"
 
 conditions:
   remote:
@@ -70,10 +70,13 @@ remote:
         PORT={{ config.port }}
         TOKEN={{ config.token }}
         NBDIR={{ config.notebook_dir }}
-        # Runs as ec2-user (spawn's default AL2023 login user), bound to loopback.
-        # A non-empty token requires it in the URL; an empty token disables token
-        # auth entirely — acceptable ONLY because the server binds to 127.0.0.1 and
-        # is reached over an authenticated SSH tunnel / Tailscale, never public.
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        # Default the notebook dir to the login user's home when unset.
+        [ -n "$NBDIR" ] || NBDIR=$(getent passwd "$LOGIN_USER" | cut -d: -f6)
+        # Runs as the instance's LOGIN USER (not a hardcoded ec2-user), bound to
+        # loopback. A non-empty token requires it in the URL; an empty token
+        # disables token auth entirely — acceptable ONLY because the server binds
+        # to 127.0.0.1 and is reached over an SSH tunnel / Tailscale, never public.
         cat > /etc/systemd/system/jupyterlab.service <<EOF
         [Unit]
         Description=JupyterLab
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ remote:
 
         [Service]
         Type=simple
-        User=ec2-user
+        User=$LOGIN_USER
         WorkingDirectory=$NBDIR
         ExecStart=/opt/jupyterlab/bin/jupyter lab --no-browser --ip=127.0.0.1 --port=$PORT --ServerApp.token=$TOKEN
         Restart=on-failure
diff --git a/plugins/rclone/plugin.yaml b/plugins/rclone/plugin.yaml
index 8f50d04..83522d4 100644
--- a/plugins/rclone/plugin.yaml
+++ b/plugins/rclone/plugin.yaml
@@ -85,17 +85,21 @@ remote:
       run: |
         set -eu
         CONF={{ pushed.rclone_conf }}
-        install -d -o ec2-user -g ec2-user /home/ec2-user/.config/rclone
-        printf '%s' "$CONF" > /home/ec2-user/.config/rclone/rclone.conf
-        chown ec2-user:ec2-user /home/ec2-user/.config/rclone/rclone.conf
-        chmod 600 /home/ec2-user/.config/rclone/rclone.conf
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        HOME_DIR=$(getent passwd "$LOGIN_USER" | cut -d: -f6)
+        install -d -o "$LOGIN_USER" -g "$LOGIN_USER" "$HOME_DIR/.config/rclone"
+        printf '%s' "$CONF" > "$HOME_DIR/.config/rclone/rclone.conf"
+        chown "$LOGIN_USER:$LOGIN_USER" "$HOME_DIR/.config/rclone/rclone.conf"
+        chmod 600 "$HOME_DIR/.config/rclone/rclone.conf"
     - type: run
       run: |
         set -eu
         REMOTE={{ config.remote }}
         RPATH={{ config.path }}
         MOUNT_PATH={{ config.mount_path }}
-        install -d -o ec2-user -g ec2-user "$MOUNT_PATH"
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
+        HOME_DIR=$(getent passwd "$LOGIN_USER" | cut -d: -f6)
+        install -d -o "$LOGIN_USER" -g "$LOGIN_USER" "$MOUNT_PATH"
         # allow_other lets other users see the mount; requires user_allow_other in
         # /etc/fuse.conf, which we ensure.
         grep -q '^user_allow_other' /etc/fuse.conf 2>/dev/null || echo user_allow_other >> /etc/fuse.conf
@@ -107,8 +111,8 @@ remote:
 
         [Service]
         Type=notify
-        User=ec2-user
-        ExecStart=/usr/bin/rclone mount ${REMOTE}:${RPATH} $MOUNT_PATH --config /home/ec2-user/.config/rclone/rclone.conf --allow-other --vfs-cache-mode writes
+        User=$LOGIN_USER
+        ExecStart=/usr/bin/rclone mount ${REMOTE}:${RPATH} $MOUNT_PATH --config $HOME_DIR/.config/rclone/rclone.conf --allow-other --vfs-cache-mode writes
         ExecStop=/bin/fusermount -u $MOUNT_PATH
         Restart=on-failure
 
diff --git a/plugins/vscode-tunnel/plugin.yaml b/plugins/vscode-tunnel/plugin.yaml
index 94362e8..e9f58ba 100644
--- a/plugins/vscode-tunnel/plugin.yaml
+++ b/plugins/vscode-tunnel/plugin.yaml
@@ -61,10 +61,11 @@ remote:
       run: |
         set -eu
         NAME={{ config.name }}
+        LOGIN_USER={{ instance.login_user }}
         NAME_ARG=""
         [ -n "$NAME" ] && NAME_ARG="--name $NAME"
-        # Per-user service: runs `code tunnel` as ec2-user so the device-login
-        # token and tunnel state persist under /home/ec2-user/.vscode-cli.
+        # Per-user service: runs `code tunnel` as the login user so the
+        # device-login token + tunnel state persist under that user's ~/.vscode-cli.
         cat > /etc/systemd/system/vscode-tunnel.service <<EOF
         [Unit]
         Description=VS Code Remote Tunnel
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ remote:
 
         [Service]
         Type=simple
-        User=ec2-user
+        User=$LOGIN_USER
         ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/code tunnel --accept-server-license-terms $NAME_ARG
         Restart=on-failure