diff --git a/training/ilab-wrapper/ilab b/training/ilab-wrapper/ilab
index afed6432..6cd232dd 100755
--- a/training/ilab-wrapper/ilab
+++ b/training/ilab-wrapper/ilab
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ check_insights
 
 # Template values replaced by container build
 CONTAINER_DEVICE="__REPLACE_CONTAINER_DEVICE__"
-IMAGE_NAME="__REPLACE_IMAGE_NAME__"
+SOURCE_IMAGE="__REPLACE_IMAGE_NAME__"
+IMAGE_NAME="localhost/instructlab:__REPLACE_IMAGE_TAG__"
 
 ENTRYPOINT="ilab"
 PARAMS=("$@")
@@ -144,4 +145,12 @@ PODMAN_COMMAND=("sudo" "--preserve-env=$PRESERVE_ENV" "podman" "run" "--rm" "-it
     "--env" "HF_TOKEN"
     "${IMAGE_NAME}")
 
+sudo podman image exists "$IMAGE_NAME"
+if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
+   echo "Initializing ilab container..."
+   id=$(sudo podman create "$SOURCE_IMAGE")
+   sudo podman commit "$id" "$IMAGE_NAME"
+   sudo podman rm "$id"
+fi
+
 exec "${PODMAN_COMMAND[@]}" "${PARAMS[@]}"
diff --git a/training/nvidia-bootc/Containerfile b/training/nvidia-bootc/Containerfile
index 64a18716..95174a45 100644
--- a/training/nvidia-bootc/Containerfile
+++ b/training/nvidia-bootc/Containerfile
@@ -173,10 +173,12 @@ RUN chmod +x /usr/bin/ilab
 ARG INSTRUCTLAB_IMAGE="quay.io/ai-lab/instructlab-nvidia:latest"
 ARG INSTRUCTLAB_IMAGE_PULL_SECRET="instructlab-nvidia-pull"
 
-RUN for i in /usr/bin/ilab*; do \
+RUN export INSTRUCTLAB_TAG=$(echo ${INSTRUCTLAB_IMAGE} | cut -f 2 -d ':') && \
+    for i in /usr/bin/ilab*; do \
 	sed -i 's/__REPLACE_TRAIN_DEVICE__/cuda/' $i;  \
 	sed -i 's/__REPLACE_CONTAINER_DEVICE__/nvidia.com\/gpu=all/' $i; \
 	sed -i "s%__REPLACE_IMAGE_NAME__%${INSTRUCTLAB_IMAGE}%" $i; \
+	sed -i "s%__REPLACE_IMAGE_TAG__%${INSTRUCTLAB_TAG}%" $i; \
     done
 
 # Added for running as an OCI Container to prevent Overlay on Overlay issues.
diff --git a/training/nvidia-bootc/duplicated/ilab-wrapper/ilab b/training/nvidia-bootc/duplicated/ilab-wrapper/ilab
index afed6432..6cd232dd 100755
--- a/training/nvidia-bootc/duplicated/ilab-wrapper/ilab
+++ b/training/nvidia-bootc/duplicated/ilab-wrapper/ilab
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ check_insights
 
 # Template values replaced by container build
 CONTAINER_DEVICE="__REPLACE_CONTAINER_DEVICE__"
-IMAGE_NAME="__REPLACE_IMAGE_NAME__"
+SOURCE_IMAGE="__REPLACE_IMAGE_NAME__"
+IMAGE_NAME="localhost/instructlab:__REPLACE_IMAGE_TAG__"
 
 ENTRYPOINT="ilab"
 PARAMS=("$@")
@@ -144,4 +145,12 @@ PODMAN_COMMAND=("sudo" "--preserve-env=$PRESERVE_ENV" "podman" "run" "--rm" "-it
     "--env" "HF_TOKEN"
     "${IMAGE_NAME}")
 
+sudo podman image exists "$IMAGE_NAME"
+if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
+   echo "Initializing ilab container..."
+   id=$(sudo podman create "$SOURCE_IMAGE")
+   sudo podman commit "$id" "$IMAGE_NAME"
+   sudo podman rm "$id"
+fi
+
 exec "${PODMAN_COMMAND[@]}" "${PARAMS[@]}"