diff --git a/pkg/k8s/errors.go b/pkg/k8s/errors.go
index 7f468d4..23bc950 100644
--- a/pkg/k8s/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/k8s/errors.go
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ var (
 	ErrGettingReplicaSet             = &Error{Code: "ErrorGettingReplicaSet", Message: "failed to get ReplicaSet %s"}
 	ErrCreatingReplicaSet            = &Error{Code: "ErrorCreatingReplicaSet", Message: "failed to create ReplicaSet"}
 	ErrDeletingReplicaSet            = &Error{Code: "ErrorDeletingReplicaSet", Message: "failed to delete ReplicaSet %s"}
+	ErrCheckingReplicaSetExists      = &Error{Code: "ErrorCheckingReplicaSetExists", Message: "failed to check if ReplicaSet %s exists"}
 	ErrWaitingForReplicaSet          = &Error{Code: "ErrorWaitingForReplicaSet", Message: "error waiting for ReplicaSet to delete"}
 	ErrDeployingReplicaSet           = &Error{Code: "ErrorDeployingReplicaSet", Message: "failed to deploy ReplicaSet"}
 	ErrPreparingPodSpec              = &Error{Code: "ErrorPreparingPodSpec", Message: "failed to prepare pod spec"}
diff --git a/pkg/k8s/k8s_pod.go b/pkg/k8s/k8s_pod.go
index 39af08c..d3c9f1e 100644
--- a/pkg/k8s/k8s_pod.go
+++ b/pkg/k8s/k8s_pod.go
@@ -370,12 +370,11 @@ func buildPodVolumes(name string, volumesAmount, filesAmount int) ([]v1.Volume,
 }
 
 // buildContainerVolumes generates a volume mount configuration for a container based on the given name and volumes.
-func buildContainerVolumes(name string, volumes []*Volume, files []*File) ([]v1.VolumeMount, error) {
+func buildContainerVolumes(name string, volumes []*Volume) ([]v1.VolumeMount, error) {
 	var containerVolumes []v1.VolumeMount
-	var containerFiles []v1.VolumeMount
 
 	// return empty slice if no volumes or files are specified
-	if len(volumes) == 0 && len(files) == 0 {
+	if len(volumes) == 0 {
 		return containerVolumes, nil
 	}
 
@@ -390,6 +389,24 @@ func buildContainerVolumes(name string, volumes []*Volume, files []*File) ([]v1.
 		}
 	}
 
+	return containerVolumes, nil
+}
+
+// buildInitContainerVolumes generates a volume mount configuration for an init container based on the given name and volumes.
+func buildInitContainerVolumes(name string, volumes []*Volume, files []*File) ([]v1.VolumeMount, error) {
+	if len(volumes) == 0 && len(files) == 0 {
+		return []v1.VolumeMount{}, nil // return empty slice if no volumes are specified
+	}
+
+	var containerFiles []v1.VolumeMount
+
+	containerVolumes := []v1.VolumeMount{
+		{
+			Name:      name,
+			MountPath: knuuPath, // set the path to "/knuu" as per the requirements
+		},
+	}
+
 	if len(files) != 0 {
 		// iterate over the files map, add each file to the containerFiles
 		n := 0
@@ -406,40 +423,29 @@ func buildContainerVolumes(name string, volumes []*Volume, files []*File) ([]v1.
 	return append(containerVolumes, containerFiles...), nil
 }
 
-// buildInitContainerVolumes generates a volume mount configuration for an init container based on the given name and volumes.
-func buildInitContainerVolumes(name string, volumes []*Volume) ([]v1.VolumeMount, error) {
-	if len(volumes) == 0 {
-		return []v1.VolumeMount{}, nil // return empty slice if no volumes are specified
-	}
-
-	containerVolumes := []v1.VolumeMount{
-		{
-			Name:      name,
-			MountPath: knuuPath, // set the path to "/knuu" as per the requirements
-		},
-	}
-
-	return containerVolumes, nil
-}
-
 // buildInitContainerCommand generates a command for an init container based on the given name and volumes.
 func buildInitContainerCommand(volumes []*Volume, files []*File) ([]string, error) {
 	var commands = []string{"sh", "-c"}
 	dirsProcessed := make(map[string]bool)
-	baseCmd := fmt.Sprintf("mkdir -p %s && ", knuuPath)
-	cmds := []string{baseCmd}
+	baseCmd := "set -xe && "
+	createKnuuPath := fmt.Sprintf("mkdir -p %s && ", knuuPath)
+	cmds := []string{baseCmd, createKnuuPath}
 
+	// for each file, get the directory and create the parent directory if it doesn't exist
 	for _, file := range files {
 		// get the directory of the file
 		folder := filepath.Dir(file.Dest)
 		if _, processed := dirsProcessed[folder]; !processed {
 			knuuFolder := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", knuuPath, folder)
-			parentDirCmd := fmt.Sprintf("mkdir -p %s && chmod -R 777 %s && ", knuuFolder, knuuFolder)
+			parentDirCmd := fmt.Sprintf("mkdir -p %s && ", knuuFolder)
 			cmds = append(cmds, parentDirCmd)
 			dirsProcessed[folder] = true
 		}
+		copyFileToKnuu := fmt.Sprintf("cp %s %s && ", file.Dest, filepath.Join(knuuPath, file.Dest))
+		cmds = append(cmds, copyFileToKnuu)
 	}
 
+	// for each volume, copy the contents of the volume to the knuu volume
 	for i, volume := range volumes {
 		knuuVolumePath := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", knuuPath, volume.Path)
 		cmd := fmt.Sprintf("if [ -d %s ] && [ \"$(ls -A %s)\" ]; then cp -r %s/* %s && chown -R %d:%d %s", volume.Path, volume.Path, volume.Path, knuuVolumePath, volume.Owner, volume.Owner, knuuVolumePath)
@@ -501,7 +507,7 @@ func prepareContainer(config ContainerConfig) (v1.Container, error) {
 	podEnv := buildEnv(config.Env)
 
 	// Build container volumes from the given map
-	containerVolumes, err := buildContainerVolumes(config.Name, config.Volumes, config.Files)
+	containerVolumes, err := buildContainerVolumes(config.Name, config.Volumes)
 	if err != nil {
 		return v1.Container{}, ErrBuildingContainerVolumes.Wrap(err)
 	}
@@ -532,7 +538,7 @@ func prepareInitContainers(config ContainerConfig, init bool) ([]v1.Container, e
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	initContainerVolumes, err := buildInitContainerVolumes(config.Name, config.Volumes)
+	initContainerVolumes, err := buildInitContainerVolumes(config.Name, config.Volumes, config.Files)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, ErrBuildingInitContainerVolumes.Wrap(err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/k8s/k8s_replicaset.go b/pkg/k8s/k8s_replicaset.go
index f52c230..76373d6 100644
--- a/pkg/k8s/k8s_replicaset.go
+++ b/pkg/k8s/k8s_replicaset.go
@@ -55,12 +55,13 @@ func (c *Client) ReplaceReplicaSetWithGracePeriod(ctx context.Context, ReplicaSe
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return nil, ctx.Err()
 		case <-ticker.C:
-			_, err := c.getReplicaSet(ctx, ReplicaSetConfig.Name)
-			if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			exists, err := c.ReplicaSetExists(ctx, ReplicaSetConfig.Name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, ErrCheckingReplicaSetExists.WithParams(ReplicaSetConfig.Name).Wrap(err)
+			}
+			if !exists {
 				// ReplicaSet has been deleted
 				deleted = true
-			} else if err != nil {
-				return nil, ErrWaitingForReplicaSet.Wrap(err)
 			}
 			// If ReplicaSet still exists, wait for the next tick
 		}
@@ -91,9 +92,11 @@ func (c *Client) IsReplicaSetRunning(ctx context.Context, name string) (bool, er
 }
 
 func (c *Client) DeleteReplicaSetWithGracePeriod(ctx context.Context, name string, gracePeriodSeconds *int64) error {
-	_, err := c.getReplicaSet(ctx, name)
+	exists, err := c.ReplicaSetExists(ctx, name)
 	if err != nil {
-		// If the ReplicaSet does not exist, skip and return without error
+		return ErrCheckingReplicaSetExists.WithParams(name).Wrap(err)
+	}
+	if !exists {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -169,3 +172,16 @@ func prepareReplicaSet(rsConf ReplicaSetConfig, init bool) (*appv1.ReplicaSet, e
 	logrus.Debugf("Prepared ReplicaSet %s in namespace %s", rsConf.Name, rsConf.Namespace)
 	return rs, nil
 }
+
+// ReplicaSetExists checks if a ReplicaSet exists in the namespace that k8s is initialized with.
+func (c *Client) ReplicaSetExists(ctx context.Context, name string) (bool, error) {
+	_, err := c.getReplicaSet(ctx, name)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+		return false, ErrGettingReplicaSet.WithParams(name).Wrap(err)
+	}
+
+	return true, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/knuu/errors.go b/pkg/knuu/errors.go
index eb0cc89..9e27118 100644
--- a/pkg/knuu/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/knuu/errors.go
@@ -214,4 +214,5 @@ var (
 	ErrCannotLoadEnv                             = &Error{Code: "Cannot Load Env", Message: "cannot load env"}
 	ErrMaximumVolumesExceeded                    = &Error{Code: "MaximumVolumesExceeded", Message: "maximum volumes exceeded for instance '%s'"}
 	ErrCustomResourceDefinitionDoesNotExist      = &Error{Code: "CustomResourceDefinitionDoesNotExist", Message: "custom resource definition %s does not exist"}
+	ErrFileIsNotSubFolderOfVolumes               = &Error{Code: "FileIsNotSubFolderOfVolumes", Message: "the file '%s' is not a sub folder of any added volume"}
 )
diff --git a/pkg/knuu/instance.go b/pkg/knuu/instance.go
index b124c61..e863296 100644
--- a/pkg/knuu/instance.go
+++ b/pkg/knuu/instance.go
@@ -480,6 +480,11 @@ func (i *Instance) AddFile(src string, dest string, chown string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	case Committed:
+		// check if the dest is a sub folder of added volumes and print a warning if not
+		if !i.isSubFolderOfVolumes(dest) {
+			return ErrFileIsNotSubFolderOfVolumes.WithParams(dest)
+		}
+
 		// only allow files, not folders
 		srcInfo, err := os.Stat(src)
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) || srcInfo.IsDir() {
diff --git a/pkg/knuu/instance_helper.go b/pkg/knuu/instance_helper.go
index b4ae043..7539d02 100644
--- a/pkg/knuu/instance_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/knuu/instance_helper.go
@@ -625,3 +625,13 @@ func (i *Instance) addBitTwisterSidecar() error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// isSubFolderOfVolumes checks if the given path is a subfolder of the volumes
+func (i *Instance) isSubFolderOfVolumes(path string) bool {
+	for _, volume := range i.volumes {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(path, volume.Path) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}