diff --git a/containers/base/Containerfile b/containers/base/Containerfile
index 1df7208..444d842 100644
--- a/containers/base/Containerfile
+++ b/containers/base/Containerfile
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ RUN echo "$DEV_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" >> /etc/sudoers \
 ENV VOLS_DIR="/vols"
 RUN mkdir -m 755 $VOLS_DIR
 
+# Create directory to hold volume initialization data
+ENV VOLS_INIT_DIR="$VOLS_DIR/.init"
+RUN mkdir -m 755 $VOLS_INIT_DIR
+
 # Make a directory for shell config
 ENV SHELL_CONFIG_DIR="$VOLS_DIR/shell"
 RUN mkdir -m 755 $SHELL_CONFIG_DIR \
diff --git a/containers/emacs/Containerfile b/containers/emacs/Containerfile
index 6350d34..95025a9 100644
--- a/containers/emacs/Containerfile
+++ b/containers/emacs/Containerfile
@@ -63,11 +63,8 @@ RUN curl -fL -o $FD_FILE "$FD_URL" \
     && dpkg -i $FD_FILE \
     && rm -f $FD_FILE
 
-# Switch to non-root user
-USER $DEV_USER
-WORKDIR $DEV_USER_HOME
 
-# Doom Emacs variables
+# Doom Emacs variables from the cache image
 ARG DE_EMACS_DIR="/vols/emacs.d"
 ARG DE_DOOM_DIR="/vols/doom.d"
 
@@ -75,21 +72,38 @@ ARG DE_DOOM_DIR="/vols/doom.d"
 # organization. Copying those symlinks will break them, unless the absolute
 # paths stay the same. That is to say, $DE_EMACS_DIR must equal
 # $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR, etc.
-ENV EMACS_CONFIG_DIR="$DE_EMACS_DIR"
-ENV DOOM_CONFIG_DIR="$DE_DOOM_DIR"
+ENV EMACS_CONFIG_DIR=$DE_EMACS_DIR
+ENV DOOM_CONFIG_DIR=$DE_DOOM_DIR
 
 # Make blank directories to ensure permissions are set correctly
-RUN sudo mkdir -m 755 $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR \
-    && sudo chown $DEV_USER:$DEV_USER $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR
+RUN mkdir -m 755 $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR \
+    && chown $DEV_USER:$DEV_USER $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR
+
+# Add Doom executables to PATH
+ENV PATH=$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR/bin:$PATH
+
+# Set environment variables used by Doom
+ENV EMACSDIR=$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR
+ENV DOOMDIR=$DOOM_CONFIG_DIR
+
+# Tarballs which will be made to initialize Emacs volumes
+ENV EMACS_CONFIG_TARBALL="$VOLS_INIT_DIR/emacs.d.tar.gz"
+ENV DOOM_CONFIG_TARBALL="$VOLS_INIT_DIR/doom.d.tar.gz"
+
+# Create tarballs for the Emacs Doom config files
+RUN --mount=type=bind,from=doom-cache,src=$DE_EMACS_DIR,dst=$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR \
+    tar -C $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR --create -z -f $EMACS_CONFIG_TARBALL .
+RUN --mount=type=bind,from=doom-cache,src=$DE_DOOM_DIR,dst=$DOOM_CONFIG_DIR \
+    tar -C $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR --create -z -f $DOOM_CONFIG_TARBALL .
+
+# Switch to non-root user
+USER $DEV_USER
+WORKDIR $DEV_USER_HOME
 
 # Add links to the home directory
 RUN ln -s $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR $DEV_USER_HOME/.emacs.d \
     && ln -s $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR $DEV_USER_HOME/.doom.d
 
-# Copy files from the build layer
-COPY --from=doom-cache --chown=$DEV_USER:$DEV_USER $DE_EMACS_DIR $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR
-COPY --from=doom-cache --chown=$DEV_USER:$DEV_USER $DE_DOOM_DIR $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR
-
 # Doom font variables
 ARG DE_NERDFONT_URL="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rainstormstudio/nerd-icons.el/main/fonts/NFM.ttf"
 ARG DE_NERDFONT_FILE="$DEV_USER_HOME/.local/share/fonts/NFM.ttf"
@@ -99,20 +113,6 @@ RUN mkdir -p $(dirname $DE_NERDFONT_FILE) \
     && curl -fL -o $DE_NERDFONT_FILE "$DE_NERDFONT_URL" \
     && fc-cache -f
 
-# Add Doom executables to PATH
-ENV PATH=$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR/bin:$PATH
-
-# Set environment variables used by Doom
-ENV EMACSDIR=$DE_EMACS_DIR
-ENV DOOMDIR=$DE_DOOM_DIR
-
-# Build the VTerm module. We must locate the exact build directory because it's
-# name depends on the Emacs version, e.g., `build-28.1`, etc.
-RUN VTERM_BUILD_DIR=$(fd -uu -p "build-[0-9.]+/vterm$" $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR) \
-    && cd $VTERM_BUILD_DIR \
-    && cmake -S . -B build \
-    && cmake --build build
-
 # Add VTerm integration to Bash config
 RUN { \
         echo; \
@@ -124,11 +124,14 @@ RUN { \
         echo "fi"; \
     } >> $DEV_USER_HOME/.bashrc
 
+# Copy entry point for config initialization
+COPY emacs_init.sh $ENTRYPOINT_DIR/80_emacs_init.sh
+
 # Persistent storage for the Emacs and Doom config directories. These
 # directories will be initialized with the Doom files from above.
 VOLUME ["$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR", "$DOOM_CONFIG_DIR"]
 
-# Copy the Emacs shim for the entry point
+# Copy the Emacs shim for the default command
 COPY emacs_shim.sh /emacs_shim.sh
 
 # Launch Emacs by default
diff --git a/containers/emacs/doom_cache/Containerfile b/containers/emacs/doom_cache/Containerfile
index 7ecade0..d797908 100644
--- a/containers/emacs/doom_cache/Containerfile
+++ b/containers/emacs/doom_cache/Containerfile
@@ -61,3 +61,18 @@ RUN mkdir -p $DE_DOOM_DIR \
     && cp $DE_EMACS_DIR/static/packages.example.el $DE_DOOM_DIR/packages.el \
     && sed -e "s/[(]\?evil/;;&/" -e "s/;;\([(]\?vterm\)/\1/" -i $DE_DOOM_DIR/init.el \
     && doom install --force --verbose --no-config --no-env --no-hooks
+
+# Install dependencies for building VTerm
+RUN apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y \
+        build-essential \
+        cmake \
+        libtool-bin \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Build the VTerm module. We must locate the exact build directory because it's
+# name depends on the Emacs version, e.g., `build-28.1`, etc.
+RUN VTERM_BUILD_DIR=$(find "$DE_EMACS_DIR" -path "*/build-[0-9.]*/vterm") \
+    && cd $VTERM_BUILD_DIR \
+    && cmake -S . -B build \
+    && cmake --build build
diff --git a/containers/emacs/emacs_init.sh b/containers/emacs/emacs_init.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6b80702
--- /dev/null
+++ b/containers/emacs/emacs_init.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright (c) 2023 Tim Perkins
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+IFS=$'\n\t'
+
+# This should never happen, but check anyway
+if [ -z "${EMACS_CONFIG_DIR:-}" -o -z "${EMACS_CONFIG_TARBALL:-}" \
+     -o -z "${DOOM_CONFIG_DIR:-}" -o -z "${DOOM_CONFIG_TARBALL:-}" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Essential Emacs variables are not defined!" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+is_empty_dir() {
+    find "$1" -maxdepth 0 -type d -empty | grep -q .
+}
+
+if is_empty_dir $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR; then
+    echo "Initializing Emacs config: $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR"
+    tar -C $EMACS_CONFIG_DIR --extract -f $EMACS_CONFIG_TARBALL
+fi
+
+if is_empty_dir $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR; then
+    echo "Initializing Doom config: $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR"
+    tar -C $DOOM_CONFIG_DIR --extract -f $DOOM_CONFIG_TARBALL
+fi
+
+exec "$@"
diff --git a/containers/run.sh b/containers/run.sh
index f90feda..3b27d71 100755
--- a/containers/run.sh
+++ b/containers/run.sh
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ DEFAULT_TARGET_TAG="main"
 
 # The names of the volumes
 SHELL_CONFIG_VOL="shell-config"
-EMACS_CONFIG_VOL="emacs-config"
-DOOM_CONFIG_VOL="doom-config"
 
 # The default projects directory
 DEFAULT_PROJECTS_DIR="$HOME/Projects"
@@ -141,7 +139,7 @@ EMACS_CONFIG_DIR=$(get_from_env "$IMAGE_ENV" "EMACS_CONFIG_DIR" || true)
 DOOM_CONFIG_DIR=$(get_from_env "$IMAGE_ENV" "DOOM_CONFIG_DIR" || true)
 
 # Check for volumes, create them if necessary
-vols=($SHELL_CONFIG_VOL $EMACS_CONFIG_VOL $DOOM_CONFIG_VOL)
+vols=($SHELL_CONFIG_VOL)
 for vol in "${vols[@]}"; do
     if ! docker volume ls -q | grep -q $vol; then
         echo "Creating volume: $vol" >&2
@@ -157,6 +155,9 @@ ensure_exists f 644 $HOME/.gitconfig
 ensure_exists d 700 $HOME/.xpra
 ensure_exists f 600 $HOME/.claude.json
 ensure_exists d 700 $HOME/.claude
+ensure_exists d 700 $HOME/.taughz
+ensure_exists d 700 $HOME/.taughz/emacs.d
+ensure_exists d 700 $HOME/.taughz/doom.d
 
 # Get the user data ready
 passwd_ent=$(getent passwd $(id -u))
@@ -214,8 +215,8 @@ SHELL_FLAGS=(
 
 emacs_flags=()
 if [ -n "$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR" -a -n "$DOOM_CONFIG_DIR" ]; then
-    emacs_flags+=(--mount "type=volume,src=$EMACS_CONFIG_VOL,dst=$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR")
-    emacs_flags+=(--mount "type=volume,src=$DOOM_CONFIG_VOL,dst=$DOOM_CONFIG_DIR")
+    emacs_flags+=(--mount "type=bind,src=$HOME/.taughz/emacs.d,dst=$EMACS_CONFIG_DIR")
+    emacs_flags+=(--mount "type=bind,src=$HOME/.taughz/doom.d,dst=$DOOM_CONFIG_DIR")
 fi
 
 projects_flags=()