diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/buildtree_runner/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/buildtree_runner/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh
index 1aabd39bbaf88fdfa724d9e22282cf3ab03dacb7..c74dcab238bbf73ba0edd1af2444c5614478379c 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/buildtree_runner/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/buildtree_runner/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,4 @@ ln -s -v -t /usr/bin \
   ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/mediachanger/cta-mediachanger-mount \
   ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/disk/xrdclfsopaquetest \
   ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/xroot-client-test/xrootHammer
-ln -s -v -t /usr/lib64 \
-  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/xroot_plugins/libXrdCtaOfs.so
-  
+find ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR} | grep '.so$' | xargs -itoto ln -s -v -t /usr/lib64 toto
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage1-rpms/Dockerfile b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage1-rpms/Dockerfile
index 4f4dbf3ed2a25393b6f23a8e10251a64e36013a4..164cb21a87d4941f0bc4f26c6881e5e48ca462ab 100644
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage1-rpms/Dockerfile
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage1-rpms/Dockerfile
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ FROM gitlab-registry.cern.ch/linuxsupport/cc7-base
 # my environment variables
 ENV ORCHESTRATIONDIR="continuousintegration/orchestration/pods" \
     LOCALORCHESTRATIONDIR="/opt/ci" \
-    BASEDIR="continuousintegration/docker/buildtree_runner/cc7" \
+    BASEDIR="continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7" \
     CTAREPODIR="/tmp/repo"
 
 # Manage repos before running yum
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage2-scripts/Dockerfile b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage2-scripts/Dockerfile
index 6a3ac9d4c9a5b0b670d0a37a8fa88a77dde09e8e..94f040db2501a499f46d95af2a5548fa4cc7e715 100644
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage2-scripts/Dockerfile
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/buildtree-stage2-scripts/Dockerfile
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ FROM buildtree-runner-stage1
 # my environment variables
 ENV ORCHESTRATIONDIR="continuousintegration/orchestration/pods" \
     LOCALORCHESTRATIONDIR="/opt/ci" \
-    BASEDIR="continuousintegration/docker/buildtree_runner/cc7" \
+    BASEDIR="continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7" \
     CTAREPODIR="/tmp/repo"
 
 # Add pod specific configuration
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/client.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/client.sh
index 504aa72daaeb77bc2cbf5e4c393bae3eb24f8f35..0c9ad38f37e6bce1456ffbfe92caacfd5aa99cd7 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/client.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/client.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable ceph
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctacli.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctacli.sh
index 12089d411afdb0e6fc5aec97d3562f44a989d62a..62d034794f3e9d420adb988219d559c0b57599c9 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctacli.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctacli.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable ceph
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctaeos-mgm.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctaeos-mgm.sh
index a9cbb5a19b27c083f024d184fa1a4ac9016d913a..118d0d15855bbee251a8e47f004a107669cb25a5 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctaeos-mgm.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctaeos-mgm.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh 
+#!/bin/bash 
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable eos-citrine-commit
@@ -84,6 +84,16 @@ echo -n '0 u:daemon g:daemon n:ctaeos+ N:6361884315374059521 c:1481241620 e:0 f:
   mkdir -p /fst
   chown daemon:daemon /fst/
 
+
+# Waiting for /CANSTART file before starting eos
+echo -n "Waiting for /CANSTART before going further"
+for ((i=0;i<600;i++)); do
+  test -f /CANSTART && break
+  sleep 1
+  echo -n .
+done
+test -f /CANSTART && echo OK || exit 1
+
 # start and setup eos for xrdcp to the ${CTA_TEST_DIR}
   #/etc/init.d/eos start
     /usr/bin/xrootd -n mq -c /etc/xrd.cf.mq -l /var/log/eos/xrdlog.mq -b -Rdaemon
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctafrontend.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctafrontend.sh
index 852b16b7a68eaed05f15cf089d38da9f4ca650e2..29a6fbc7c7aecb242557880ff51be8c6bd4b2f27 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctafrontend.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/ctafrontend.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh 
+#!/bin/bash 
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable ceph
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh
index 6a9143eae8e41df91fd1e030168d9d8d54f8e74f..c2448aba64149bb93269168604cc461f4940277c 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh 
+#!/bin/bash 
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 # enable cta repository from previously built artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
index 418e26abc2788f3efdb9d864ea6d6d6c3dcea264..f7915854c541a01a4005cf277f728fe9a6fb322a 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+# This file must be sourced from another shell script
+# . /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 LOGMOUNT=/mnt/logs
 
@@ -26,3 +27,11 @@ echo "DONE"
 #echo -n "Yum should resolve names using IPv4 DNS: "
 #echo "ip_resolve=IPv4" >> /etc/yum.conf
 #echo "DONE"
+
+# redefining yum commands if in BUILDTREE environment
+if [[ -n ${BUILDTREE_BASE} ]]; then
+  echo "Configuring BUILDTREE environment"
+  yum-config-manager() { echo "Skipping yum-config-manager $@"; }
+  yum() { echo "Skipping yum $@"; }
+  /opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh
+fi
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/kdc.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/kdc.sh
index d95482d88c964ed77b58277d6a3e0d78378d4658..711919e619db06a3f09797dea99de413f972b485 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/kdc.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/kdc.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 # Install missing RPMs (kdc)
 yum -y install heimdal-server heimdal-workstation
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2d21b1d61d53cdf32714dac27f48098bed9d500f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/mkSymlinks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# make symbolic links to all CTA binaries.
+
+# Following binary list is build from (run in the build tree):
+# find -type f -executable | egrep -v "\.so$" | egrep -v "\.sh$" | grep -v RPM/BUILD | grep -v CMake | grep -v CPack
+
+echo Creating symlinks for CTA binaries and symlinks.
+ln -s -v -t /usr/bin \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/catalogue/cta-catalogue-admin-host-create \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/catalogue/cta-database-poll \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/catalogue/cta-catalogue-admin-user-create \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/catalogue/cta-catalogue-schema-create \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/catalogue/cta-catalogue-schema-drop \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/cmdline/cta \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/objectstore/dumpObject \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/objectstore/listObjectStore \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/objectstore/makeMinimalVFS \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/objectstore/cta-objectstore-dump-object \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/objectstore/cta-objectstore-list \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/objectstore/cta-objectstore-initialize \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/nameserver/makeMockNameServerBasePath \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tapeserver/castor/tape/tapeserver/drive/TapeDriveReadWriteTest \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tapeserver/castor/tape/tapeserver/daemon/cta-tapeserverd \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tapeserver/cta-taped \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tests/cta-systemTests \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tests/cta-catalogueUnitTests \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tests/cta-unitTests \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tests/cta-unitTests-multiProcess \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/tests/cta-oraUnitTests \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/xroot_plugins/cta-xrootd_plugins-fakeeos \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/mediachanger/cta-mediachanger-dismount \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/mediachanger/cta-mediachanger-mount \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/disk/xrdclfsopaquetest \
+  ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR}/xroot-client-test/xrootHammer
+find ${BUILDTREE_BASE}/${BUILDTREE_SUBDIR} | grep '.so$' | xargs -itoto ln -s -v -t /usr/lib64 toto
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/rmcd.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/rmcd.sh
index 6c95c1dfbd45e46742ce88083002de4c38f191f2..7f6fd7d68c32ccd8120b6a115ee5ce4dfb9cae7a 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/rmcd.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/rmcd.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh 
+#!/bin/bash 
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable ceph
diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/taped.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/taped.sh
index b5e2298d92f04be0e0135abcb20c6463979df9ef..309402867bd7992879a2af99ddf19bdda86f7400 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/taped.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/taped.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh 
+#!/bin/bash 
 
-/opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
+. /opt/run/bin/init_pod.sh
 
 yum-config-manager --enable cta-artifacts
 yum-config-manager --enable ceph
diff --git a/continuousintegration/orchestration/create_instance.sh b/continuousintegration/orchestration/create_instance.sh
index f6e8b10c7c16a0bdfbd991483f65f4ae18f8d3ad..e78733357fef22624a03fe04d405abb1a373c5bb 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/orchestration/create_instance.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/orchestration/create_instance.sh
@@ -240,6 +240,12 @@ kubectl --namespace=${instance} exec kdc cat /root/eos-server.keytab | kubectl -
 kubectl --namespace=${instance} exec ctacli -- kinit -kt /root/ctaadmin1.keytab ctaadmin1@TEST.CTA
 kubectl --namespace=${instance} exec client -- kinit -kt /root/user1.keytab user1@TEST.CTA
 
+
+
+# allow eos to start
+kubectl --namespace=${instance} exec ctaeos -- touch /CANSTART
+
+
 # create users on the mgm
 # this is done in ctaeos-mgm.sh as the mgm needs this to setup the ACLs