diff --git a/xc/src/container/runner/mod.rs b/xc/src/container/runner/mod.rs
index 16e135d..71cd637 100644
--- a/xc/src/container/runner/mod.rs
+++ b/xc/src/container/runner/mod.rs
@@ -250,7 +250,13 @@ impl ProcessRunner {
             .jail(&jail);
 
         if let Some(work_dir) = &exec.work_dir {
-            cmd.jwork_dir(work_dir);
+            // god damn it Docker
+            if !work_dir.is_empty() {
+                let path = std::path::Path::new(&work_dir);
+                if path.is_absolute() {
+                    cmd.jwork_dir(work_dir);
+                }
+            }
         }
         let devnull = std::path::PathBuf::from("/dev/null");
         let spawn_info_result = match &exec.output_mode {
@@ -569,7 +575,7 @@ impl ProcessRunner {
                             self.container.main_started_notify.notify_waiters();
                         }
                     }
-                    Err(error) => error!("cannot spawn {id}: {error:#?}"),
+                    Err(error) => error!("cannot spawn {id}: {process:#?} {error:#?}"),
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/xc/src/models/jail_image.rs b/xc/src/models/jail_image.rs
index 67a92cb..58b3b60 100644
--- a/xc/src/models/jail_image.rs
+++ b/xc/src/models/jail_image.rs
@@ -308,13 +308,20 @@ impl JailConfig {
     }
 
     pub fn from_json(value: serde_json::Value) -> Option<JailImage> {
-        serde_json::from_value::<JailImage>(value.clone())
-            .ok()
-            .or_else(|| {
-                serde_json::from_value::<OciConfig>(value)
-                    .ok()
-                    .and_then(Self::from_oci)
-            })
+        let maybe_converted = serde_json::from_value::<JailImage>(value.clone()).ok()?;
+        //            .expect(&format!("unknown format: {value}"));
+        if maybe_converted
+            .clone()
+            .oci_config
+            .config
+            .and_then(|c| c.xc_extension)
+            .is_none()
+        {
+            let ociconfig = serde_json::from_value::<OciConfig>(value).ok()?;
+            Self::from_oci(ociconfig)
+        } else {
+            Some(maybe_converted)
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn from_oci(config: OciConfig) -> Option<JailImage> {
diff --git a/xcd/src/image/pull.rs b/xcd/src/image/pull.rs
index 7415bae..c88d3e0 100644
--- a/xcd/src/image/pull.rs
+++ b/xcd/src/image/pull.rs
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ pub async fn pull_image(
         });
 
         let jail_image = JailConfig::from_json(config).ok_or(PullImageError::ConfigConvertFail)?;
+
+        eprintln!("jail_image: {jail_image:#?}");
+
         _ = emitter.use_try(|state| {
             state.jail_image = Some(jail_image.clone());
             Ok(())