diff --git a/emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/fileserver/bootstrap.sh b/emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/bootstrap.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/fileserver/bootstrap.sh
rename to emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/bootstrap.sh
diff --git a/emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/fileserver/bootstrap.sh.example b/emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/fileserver/bootstrap.sh.example
index d76ff21..962cff1 100644
--- a/emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/fileserver/bootstrap.sh.example
+++ b/emmc-provisioning/cloud-init/fileserver/bootstrap.sh.example
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # Example bootstrap script run by cloud-init at first boot.
-# Copy to bootstrap.sh, edit as needed, and place in your portal files (e.g. first-boot/)
-# so it is served at http://YOUR_SERVER:5000/files/bootstrap.sh
+# Copy to cloud-init/bootstrap.sh; sync-portal-files-to-lxc.sh deploys it to the portal root,
+# served at http://YOUR_SERVER:5000/files/bootstrap.sh (not under first-boot/).
 #
 # Cloud-init downloads this and runs it as root. Add your first-boot logic here:
 # - Install packages, apply config, run first-boot.sh from this repo, etc.
diff --git a/emmc-provisioning/scripts/sync-portal-files-to-lxc.sh b/emmc-provisioning/scripts/sync-portal-files-to-lxc.sh
index 6924aec..526cf23 100755
--- a/emmc-provisioning/scripts/sync-portal-files-to-lxc.sh
+++ b/emmc-provisioning/scripts/sync-portal-files-to-lxc.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #   ├── first-boot.sh              ← cloud-init runcmd downloads this
 #   ├── first-boot.conf            ← cloud-init runcmd downloads this (required)
 #   ├── first-boot.conf.example    ← reference
+#   ├── bootstrap.sh               ← user-data.bootstrap downloads this (main path)
 #   └── first-boot/                ← FILE_SERVER points here
 #       ├── steps/
 #       │   ├── 01-hostname.sh … 13-reboot.sh
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ REMOTE_PORTAL="/var/lib/cm4-provisioning/portal-files"
 REMOTE_FIRST_BOOT="${REMOTE_PORTAL}/first-boot"
 
 # Files we sync to the portal root (outside first-boot/)
-PORTAL_ROOT_FILES=(first-boot.sh first-boot.conf first-boot.conf.example)
+PORTAL_ROOT_FILES=(first-boot.sh first-boot.conf first-boot.conf.example bootstrap.sh)
 
 # ── Validate local files ────────────────────────────────────────────────
 if [[ ! -d "$FILESERVER_DIR" ]]; then
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ echo ""
 echo "── Checking for extra files in portal root ────────────────────"
 
 REMOTE_FILES=$(ssh "$LXC" "find $REMOTE_PORTAL -maxdepth 1 -not -path $REMOTE_PORTAL -printf '%f\n' 2>/dev/null" | sort)
-EXPECTED_FILES=$(printf '%s\n' "${PORTAL_ROOT_FILES[@]}" "first-boot" | sort)
+EXPECTED_FILES=$(printf '%s\n' "${PORTAL_ROOT_FILES[@]}" "first-boot" | sort -u)
 EXTRA_FILES=$(comm -23 <(echo "$REMOTE_FILES") <(echo "$EXPECTED_FILES"))
 
 if [[ -z "$EXTRA_FILES" ]]; then