diff --git a/iso/docker/Dockerfile b/iso/docker/Dockerfile
index a4a48b6..01650c0 100644
--- a/iso/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/iso/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -38,18 +38,6 @@ COPY . /build/orionos
 # Bootstrap boot loader configs from the installed archiso releng profile.
 # Copy only the .c32 binary modules — our repo provides syslinux.cfg.
 # efiboot/ is needed for systemd-boot UEFI; fall back to a minimal loader.conf.
-# Copy archiso initcpio hook files directly into airootfs so mkinitcpio
-# finds them even if the package-based install path differs at build time.
-# Use find to locate the files regardless of exact path in current archiso version.
-RUN mkdir -p /build/orionos/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/hooks \
-             /build/orionos/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/install && \
-    HOOK="$(find /usr -path "*/initcpio/hooks/archiso" 2>/dev/null | head -1)" && \
-    INST="$(find /usr -path "*/initcpio/install/archiso" 2>/dev/null | head -1)" && \
-    echo "Hook: ${HOOK:-NOT FOUND}" && echo "Install: ${INST:-NOT FOUND}" && \
-    [ -n "$HOOK" ] && cp "$HOOK" /build/orionos/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso || \
-        (echo "ERROR: archiso initcpio hook not found in any path" && exit 1) && \
-    [ -n "$INST" ] && cp "$INST" /build/orionos/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso || \
-        (echo "ERROR: archiso initcpio install not found in any path" && exit 1)
 
 RUN mkdir -p /build/orionos/iso/profile/syslinux && \
     cp /usr/share/archiso/configs/releng/syslinux/*.c32 \
diff --git a/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso b/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10e77c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/ash
+# Live-boot hook: find ISO by UUID, mount squashfs, set up overlay on /new_root.
+
+run_latehook() {
+    local _uuid _basedir _dev _img
+
+    _uuid="$(getarg archisosearchuuid=)"
+    _basedir="$(getarg archisobasedir=)"
+    : "${_basedir:=arch}"
+
+    if [ -z "${_uuid}" ]; then
+        echo "archiso: archisosearchuuid not set in kernel cmdline"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    # Wait up to 30 s for a block device with the ISO UUID to appear
+    local _waited=0
+    while [ "${_waited}" -lt 30 ]; do
+        _dev="$(blkid -l -o device -t UUID="${_uuid}" 2>/dev/null)"
+        [ -n "${_dev}" ] && break
+        sleep 1
+        _waited=$(( _waited + 1 ))
+    done
+
+    if [ -z "${_dev}" ]; then
+        echo "archiso: could not find boot medium with UUID=${_uuid}"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    echo "archiso: found boot medium ${_dev}"
+
+    mkdir -p /run/archiso/bootmnt
+    mount -r "${_dev}" /run/archiso/bootmnt || { echo "archiso: mount bootmnt failed"; return 1; }
+
+    _img="/run/archiso/bootmnt/${_basedir}/x86_64/airootfs.sfs"
+    if [ ! -e "${_img}" ]; then
+        echo "archiso: squashfs not found at ${_img}"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    mkdir -p /run/archiso/airootfs
+    mount -r -t squashfs "${_img}" /run/archiso/airootfs || { echo "archiso: squashfs mount failed"; return 1; }
+
+    # RAM-backed writable overlay layer
+    mkdir -p /run/archiso/overlay
+    mount -t tmpfs tmpfs -o mode=0755 /run/archiso/overlay
+    mkdir -p /run/archiso/overlay/upper /run/archiso/overlay/work
+
+    mkdir -p /new_root
+    mount -t overlay overlay \
+        -o lowerdir=/run/archiso/airootfs,upperdir=/run/archiso/overlay/upper,workdir=/run/archiso/overlay/work \
+        /new_root || { echo "archiso: overlay mount failed"; return 1; }
+
+    echo "archiso: live root mounted on /new_root"
+}
diff --git a/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso b/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b10285d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iso/profile/airootfs/usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# mkinitcpio install script for the archiso live-boot hook.
+
+build() {
+    add_runscript
+    add_binary blkid
+    add_binary mount
+    add_binary sleep
+    add_module squashfs
+    add_module overlay
+    add_module isofs
+}
+
+help() {
+    cat <<HELPEOF
+Locates the live ISO by UUID, mounts the squashfs airootfs, and sets up
+a RAM-backed overlay as the writable root filesystem.
+HELPEOF
+}