diff --git a/prepare_image b/prepare_image
index 7763464..edb3489 100755
--- a/prepare_image
+++ b/prepare_image
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-#XXX: use bash #!/bin/sh
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Configurations
@@ -38,32 +37,23 @@ echo "-> Preparing instalation of $DIST template..."
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Mount image and install core OS
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+export INSTALLDIR="$(readlink -m mnt)"
+
 if [ -f "$IMG" ]; then
     echo "-> Image file already exists, assuming *update*..."
-    mount -o loop "$IMG" mnt || exit 1
-    export INSTALLDIR="`pwd`/mnt/"
-    trap "umount_image ${INSTALLDIR::-1}" EXIT
-
-    # XXX: Temp; just for debugging
-    if ! [ -f "$INSTALLDIR/tmp/.prepared_debootstrap" ]; then
-        "$SCRIPTSDIR/01_install_core.sh"
-    fi
 else
     echo "-> Initializing empty image..."
     truncate -s 10G "$IMG" || exit 1
 
     echo "-> Creating filesystem..."
     mkfs.ext4 -q -F "$IMG" || exit 1
-
-    mkdir -p mnt
-    mount -o loop "$IMG" mnt || exit 1
-
-    export INSTALLDIR="`pwd`/mnt/"
-    trap "umount_image ${INSTALLDIR::-1}" EXIT
-
-    "$SCRIPTSDIR/01_install_core.sh"
 fi
 
+mkdir -p "$INSTALLDIR"
+mount -o loop "$IMG" "$INSTALLDIR" || exit 1
+trap "umount_image $(readlink -m $INSTALLDIR)" EXIT
+"$SCRIPTSDIR/01_install_core.sh"
+
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Install package groups
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -76,6 +66,6 @@ echo "-> Installing package groups..."
 trap - EXIT
 
 echo "-> Unmounting prepared_image..."
-umount_image "$INSTALLDIR" || :
+umount_image "$(readlink -m $INSTALLDIR)" || :
 
 exit $RETCODE
diff --git a/qubeize_image b/qubeize_image
index 6c5857c..08a1efa 100755
--- a/qubeize_image
+++ b/qubeize_image
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ export LC_ALL=POSIX
 . ./builder_setup >/dev/null
 . ./umount.sh >/dev/null
 
-set -e
+if [ "$VERBOSE" -ge 2 -o "$DEBUG" == "1" ]; then
+    set -x
+else
+    set -e
+fi
 
 if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
     echo "usage $0 <clean_image_file> <template_name>"
diff --git a/scripts_debian/00_prepare.sh b/scripts_debian/00_prepare.sh
index 4e895cf..c87ccff 100755
--- a/scripts_debian/00_prepare.sh
+++ b/scripts_debian/00_prepare.sh
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 . ./umount.sh >/dev/null
 
-INSTALLDIR="`pwd`/mnt/"
-umount_image "${INSTALLDIR::-1}" || :
+INSTALLDIR="$(readlink -m mnt)"
+umount_image "$INSTALLDIR" || :
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Set debug display
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ if [ -f "$IMG" ]; then
     fi
 
     # Umount image; don't fail if its already umounted
-    umount_image "${INSTALLDIR::-1}" || :
+    umount_image "$INSTALLDIR" || :
 fi
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/scripts_debian/04_install_qubes.sh b/scripts_debian/04_install_qubes.sh
index f29612f..2b84b97 100755
--- a/scripts_debian/04_install_qubes.sh
+++ b/scripts_debian/04_install_qubes.sh
@@ -131,20 +131,20 @@ EOF
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Update system; exit is not successful
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    chroot "$INSTALLDIR" apt-get update || { umount "$INSTALLDIR/tmp/qubes_repo"; exit 1; }
+    chroot "$INSTALLDIR" apt-get update || { umount_image "$INSTALLDIR"; exit 1; }
 
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Install Qubes packages
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive DEBCONF_NONINTERACTIVE_SEEN=true \
         chroot "$INSTALLDIR" apt-get -y --force-yes install `cat $SCRIPTSDIR/packages_qubes.list` || \
-        { umount "$INSTALLDIR/tmp/qubes_repo"; exit 1; }
+        { umount_image "$INSTALLDIR"; exit 1; }
 
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Remove Quebes repo from sources.list.d
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     rm -f "$INSTALLDIR"/etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes*.list
-    umount "$INSTALLDIR/tmp/qubes_repo"
+    umount_image "$INSTALLDIR/tmp/qubes_repo"
     rm -f "$INSTALLDIR/etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-builder.list"
     chroot "$INSTALLDIR" apt-get update || exit 1
 
diff --git a/umount.sh b/umount.sh
index 9fc7df6..248456a 100755
--- a/umount.sh
+++ b/umount.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ umount_image() {
         MOUNTDIR="${PWD}/${MOUNTDIR}"
     fi
 
+    # Strip any extra trailing slashes ('/') from path if they exist
+    # since we are doing an exact string match on the path
+    MOUNTDIR=$(echo "$MOUNTDIR" | sed s#//*#/#g)
+
     echo "-> Attempting to kill any processes still running in '$MOUNTDIR' before un-mounting"
     for dir in $(sudo grep "$MOUNTDIR" /proc/mounts | cut -f2 -d" " | sort -r | grep "^$MOUNTDIR")
     do