diff --git a/build/scripts/build-kernel.sh b/build/scripts/build-kernel.sh
index c88bdfc..541ee21 100755
--- a/build/scripts/build-kernel.sh
+++ b/build/scripts/build-kernel.sh
@@ -96,17 +96,6 @@ echo "==> Enabling required kernel configs..."
 ./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_MEMCG
 ./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_CFS_BANDWIDTH
 
-# Security: AppArmor LSM + Audit subsystem
-echo "==> Enabling AppArmor + Audit kernel configs..."
-./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_AUDIT
-./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_AUDITSYSCALL
-./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITY
-./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITYFS
-./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITY_NETWORK
-./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR
-./scripts/config --set-str CONFIG_LSM "lockdown,yama,apparmor"
-./scripts/config --set-str CONFIG_DEFAULT_SECURITY "apparmor"
-
 # --- Strip unnecessary subsystems for smallest footprint ---
 # This is a headless K8s edge appliance — no sound, GPU, wireless, etc.
 echo "==> Disabling unnecessary subsystems for minimal footprint..."
@@ -156,13 +145,29 @@ echo "==> Disabling unnecessary subsystems for minimal footprint..."
 # FPGA (not needed)
 ./scripts/config --disable FPGA
 
-# Resolve dependencies (olddefconfig accepts defaults for new options)
+# First pass: resolve base dependencies before adding security configs.
+# The stock TC config has "# CONFIG_SECURITY is not set" which causes
+# olddefconfig to strip security-related options if applied in a single pass.
 make olddefconfig
 
-# Verify CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF is set
-if grep -q 'CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF=y' .config; then
-    echo "    CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF=y confirmed in .config"
-else
+# Security: AppArmor LSM + Audit subsystem
+# Applied AFTER first olddefconfig to ensure CONFIG_SECURITY dependencies
+# (SYSFS, MULTIUSER) are resolved before enabling the security subtree.
+echo "==> Enabling AppArmor + Audit kernel configs..."
+./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_AUDIT
+./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_AUDITSYSCALL
+./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITY
+./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITYFS
+./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITY_NETWORK
+./scripts/config --enable CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR
+./scripts/config --set-str CONFIG_LSM "lockdown,yama,apparmor"
+./scripts/config --set-str CONFIG_DEFAULT_SECURITY "apparmor"
+
+# Second pass: resolve security config dependencies
+make olddefconfig
+
+# Verify critical configs are set
+if ! grep -q 'CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF=y' .config; then
     echo "ERROR: CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF not set after olddefconfig"
     grep 'CGROUP_BPF' .config || echo "    (CGROUP_BPF not found in .config)"
     echo ""
@@ -170,10 +175,25 @@ else
     grep -E 'CONFIG_BPF=|CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL=' .config || echo "    BPF not found"
     exit 1
 fi
+echo "    CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF=y confirmed"
 
-# Show what changed
-echo "    Config diff from stock:"
-diff "$KERNEL_CFG" .config | grep '^[<>]' | head -20 || echo "    (no differences beyond CGROUP_BPF)"
+if ! grep -q 'CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR=y' .config; then
+    echo "ERROR: CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR not set after olddefconfig"
+    echo "    Security-related configs:"
+    grep -E 'CONFIG_SECURITY=|CONFIG_SECURITYFS=|CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR=' .config
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "    CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR=y confirmed"
+
+if ! grep -q 'CONFIG_AUDIT=y' .config; then
+    echo "ERROR: CONFIG_AUDIT not set after olddefconfig"
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "    CONFIG_AUDIT=y confirmed"
+
+# Show what changed (security-related)
+echo "    Key config values:"
+grep -E 'CONFIG_SECURITY=|CONFIG_SECURITY_APPARMOR=|CONFIG_AUDIT=|CONFIG_LSM=|CONFIG_CGROUP_BPF=' .config | sed 's/^/    /'
 
 # --- Build kernel + modules ---
 NPROC=$(nproc 2>/dev/null || echo 4)
diff --git a/test/benchmark/bench-boot.sh b/test/benchmark/bench-boot.sh
index f6d324b..27b7157 100755
--- a/test/benchmark/bench-boot.sh
+++ b/test/benchmark/bench-boot.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ RUNS=3
 SSH_PORT=2222
 K8S_PORT=6443
 
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 shift || true
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
     case "$1" in
@@ -47,6 +49,15 @@ echo "Type:   $IMAGE_TYPE" >&2
 echo "Runs:   $RUNS" >&2
 echo "" >&2
 
+EXTRACT_DIR=""
+TEMP_DISK=""
+
+cleanup() {
+    [ -n "$TEMP_DISK" ] && rm -f "$TEMP_DISK"
+    [ -n "$EXTRACT_DIR" ] && rm -rf "$EXTRACT_DIR"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
 # Build QEMU command
 QEMU_CMD=(
     qemu-system-x86_64
@@ -55,24 +66,31 @@ QEMU_CMD=(
     -nographic
     -no-reboot
     -serial mon:stdio
-    -net nic,model=virtio
+    -net "nic,model=virtio"
     -net "user,hostfwd=tcp::${SSH_PORT}-:22,hostfwd=tcp::${K8S_PORT}-:6443"
 )
 
 # Add KVM if available
-if [ -e /dev/kvm ] && [ -r /dev/kvm ]; then
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
+if [ -n "$KVM_FLAG" ]; then
     QEMU_CMD+=(-enable-kvm -cpu host)
+    echo "KVM:    enabled" >&2
 else
     QEMU_CMD+=(-cpu max)
+    echo "KVM:    not available (TCG)" >&2
 fi
+echo "" >&2
 
 if [ "$IMAGE_TYPE" = "iso" ]; then
-    QEMU_CMD+=(-cdrom "$IMAGE")
+    # Extract kernel/initramfs for direct boot (required for -append to work)
+    EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-bench-extract-XXXXXX)"
+    extract_kernel_from_iso "$IMAGE" "$EXTRACT_DIR" >&2
+    QEMU_CMD+=(-kernel "$VMLINUZ" -initrd "$INITRAMFS")
+    QEMU_CMD+=(-append "console=ttyS0,115200n8 kubesolo.debug")
     # Add a temp disk for persistence
     TEMP_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-bench-XXXXXX.img)
     qemu-img create -f qcow2 "$TEMP_DISK" 8G >/dev/null 2>&1
     QEMU_CMD+=(-drive "file=$TEMP_DISK,format=qcow2,if=virtio")
-    trap "rm -f $TEMP_DISK" EXIT
 else
     QEMU_CMD+=(-drive "file=$IMAGE,format=raw,if=virtio")
 fi
@@ -111,7 +129,7 @@ for run in $(seq 1 "$RUNS"); do
                     echo "KERNEL_MS=$ELAPSED_MS" >> "$LOG.times"
                 fi
                 ;;
-            *"kubesolo-init"*"all stages complete"*|*"init complete"*)
+            *"KubeSolo is running"*|*"kubesolo-init"*"OK"*)
                 if [ -z "$INIT_DONE" ]; then
                     INIT_DONE="$ELAPSED_MS"
                     echo "  Init complete: ${ELAPSED_MS}ms" >&2
diff --git a/test/integration/test-deploy-workload.sh b/test/integration/test-deploy-workload.sh
index fa70023..2872c94 100755
--- a/test/integration/test-deploy-workload.sh
+++ b/test/integration/test-deploy-workload.sh
@@ -5,19 +5,26 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 ISO="${1:?Usage: $0 <path-to-iso>}"
-TIMEOUT_BOOT=120
-TIMEOUT_K8S=300
-TIMEOUT_POD=120
+TIMEOUT_K8S=${TIMEOUT_K8S:-300}
+TIMEOUT_POD=${TIMEOUT_POD:-120}
 API_PORT=6443
 SERIAL_LOG=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-workload-XXXXXX.log)
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 DATA_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-data-XXXXXX.img)
 dd if=/dev/zero of="$DATA_DISK" bs=1M count=1024 2>/dev/null
 mkfs.ext4 -q -L KSOLODATA "$DATA_DISK" 2>/dev/null
 
+QEMU_PID=""
+EXTRACT_DIR=""
+
 cleanup() {
-    kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -f "$DATA_DISK" "$SERIAL_LOG"
+    [ -n "$EXTRACT_DIR" ] && rm -rf "$EXTRACT_DIR"
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
@@ -25,14 +32,22 @@ KUBECTL="kubectl --server=https://localhost:${API_PORT} --insecure-skip-tls-veri
 
 echo "==> Workload deployment test: $ISO"
 
+# Extract kernel from ISO
+EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
+extract_kernel_from_iso "$ISO" "$EXTRACT_DIR"
+
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
+
 # Launch QEMU
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
 qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -m 2048 -smp 2 \
     -nographic \
-    -cdrom "$ISO" \
-    -boot d \
+    $KVM_FLAG \
+    -kernel "$VMLINUZ" \
+    -initrd "$INITRAMFS" \
     -drive "file=$DATA_DISK,format=raw,if=virtio" \
-    -net nic,model=virtio \
+    -net "nic,model=virtio" \
     -net "user,hostfwd=tcp::${API_PORT}-:6443" \
     -serial "file:$SERIAL_LOG" \
     -append "console=ttyS0,115200n8 kubesolo.data=/dev/vda" \
@@ -71,6 +86,7 @@ $KUBECTL run test-nginx --image=nginx:alpine --restart=Never 2>/dev/null || {
 echo "    Waiting for pod to reach Running..."
 ELAPSED=0
 POD_RUNNING=0
+STATUS=""
 while [ "$ELAPSED" -lt "$TIMEOUT_POD" ]; do
     STATUS=$($KUBECTL get pod test-nginx -o jsonpath='{.status.phase}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
     if [ "$STATUS" = "Running" ]; then
diff --git a/test/integration/test-k8s-ready.sh b/test/integration/test-k8s-ready.sh
index 28374c2..c3539a4 100755
--- a/test/integration/test-k8s-ready.sh
+++ b/test/integration/test-k8s-ready.sh
@@ -5,31 +5,47 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 ISO="${1:?Usage: $0 <path-to-iso>}"
-TIMEOUT_BOOT=120
-TIMEOUT_K8S=300
+TIMEOUT_K8S=${TIMEOUT_K8S:-300}
 API_PORT=6443
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 DATA_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-data-XXXXXX.img)
 dd if=/dev/zero of="$DATA_DISK" bs=1M count=1024 2>/dev/null
 mkfs.ext4 -q -L KSOLODATA "$DATA_DISK" 2>/dev/null
 
+QEMU_PID=""
+EXTRACT_DIR=""
+
 cleanup() {
-    kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -f "$DATA_DISK"
+    [ -n "$EXTRACT_DIR" ] && rm -rf "$EXTRACT_DIR"
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
 echo "==> K8s readiness test: $ISO"
 
+# Extract kernel from ISO
+EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
+extract_kernel_from_iso "$ISO" "$EXTRACT_DIR"
+
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
+[ -n "$KVM_FLAG" ] && echo "    KVM acceleration: enabled"
+
 # Launch QEMU with API port forwarded
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
 qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -m 2048 -smp 2 \
     -nographic \
-    -cdrom "$ISO" \
-    -boot d \
+    $KVM_FLAG \
+    -kernel "$VMLINUZ" \
+    -initrd "$INITRAMFS" \
     -drive "file=$DATA_DISK,format=raw,if=virtio" \
-    -net nic,model=virtio \
-    -net user,hostfwd=tcp::${API_PORT}-:6443 \
+    -net "nic,model=virtio" \
+    -net "user,hostfwd=tcp::${API_PORT}-:6443" \
     -append "console=ttyS0,115200n8 kubesolo.data=/dev/vda" \
     &
 QEMU_PID=$!
diff --git a/test/integration/test-local-storage.sh b/test/integration/test-local-storage.sh
index c4d6303..9229ff1 100755
--- a/test/integration/test-local-storage.sh
+++ b/test/integration/test-local-storage.sh
@@ -5,37 +5,52 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 ISO="${1:?Usage: $0 <path-to-iso>}"
-TIMEOUT_K8S=300
-TIMEOUT_PVC=120
+TIMEOUT_K8S=${TIMEOUT_K8S:-300}
+TIMEOUT_PVC=${TIMEOUT_PVC:-120}
 API_PORT=6443
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 DATA_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-data-XXXXXX.img)
 dd if=/dev/zero of="$DATA_DISK" bs=1M count=2048 2>/dev/null
 mkfs.ext4 -q -L KSOLODATA "$DATA_DISK" 2>/dev/null
 
 SERIAL_LOG=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-storage-XXXXXX.log)
 
+QEMU_PID=""
+EXTRACT_DIR=""
+KUBECTL="kubectl --server=https://localhost:${API_PORT} --insecure-skip-tls-verify"
+
 cleanup() {
     # Clean up K8s resources
     $KUBECTL delete pod test-storage --grace-period=0 --force 2>/dev/null || true
     $KUBECTL delete pvc test-pvc 2>/dev/null || true
-    kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -f "$DATA_DISK" "$SERIAL_LOG"
+    [ -n "$EXTRACT_DIR" ] && rm -rf "$EXTRACT_DIR"
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
-KUBECTL="kubectl --server=https://localhost:${API_PORT} --insecure-skip-tls-verify"
-
 echo "==> Local storage test: $ISO"
 
+# Extract kernel from ISO
+EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
+extract_kernel_from_iso "$ISO" "$EXTRACT_DIR"
+
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
+
 # Launch QEMU
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
 qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -m 2048 -smp 2 \
     -nographic \
-    -cdrom "$ISO" \
-    -boot d \
+    $KVM_FLAG \
+    -kernel "$VMLINUZ" \
+    -initrd "$INITRAMFS" \
     -drive "file=$DATA_DISK,format=raw,if=virtio" \
-    -net nic,model=virtio \
+    -net "nic,model=virtio" \
     -net "user,hostfwd=tcp::${API_PORT}-:6443" \
     -serial "file:$SERIAL_LOG" \
     -append "console=ttyS0,115200n8 kubesolo.data=/dev/vda" \
@@ -98,6 +113,7 @@ YAML
 # Wait for pod Running
 echo "    Waiting for storage pod..."
 ELAPSED=0
+STATUS=""
 while [ "$ELAPSED" -lt "$TIMEOUT_PVC" ]; do
     STATUS=$($KUBECTL get pod test-storage -o jsonpath='{.status.phase}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
     if [ "$STATUS" = "Running" ]; then
diff --git a/test/integration/test-network-policy.sh b/test/integration/test-network-policy.sh
index 23c264c..0039ab3 100755
--- a/test/integration/test-network-policy.sh
+++ b/test/integration/test-network-policy.sh
@@ -6,35 +6,50 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 ISO="${1:?Usage: $0 <path-to-iso>}"
-TIMEOUT_K8S=300
-TIMEOUT_POD=120
+TIMEOUT_K8S=${TIMEOUT_K8S:-300}
+TIMEOUT_POD=${TIMEOUT_POD:-120}
 API_PORT=6443
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 DATA_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-data-XXXXXX.img)
 dd if=/dev/zero of="$DATA_DISK" bs=1M count=1024 2>/dev/null
 mkfs.ext4 -q -L KSOLODATA "$DATA_DISK" 2>/dev/null
 
 SERIAL_LOG=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-netpol-XXXXXX.log)
 
+QEMU_PID=""
+EXTRACT_DIR=""
+KUBECTL="kubectl --server=https://localhost:${API_PORT} --insecure-skip-tls-verify"
+
 cleanup() {
     $KUBECTL delete namespace netpol-test 2>/dev/null || true
-    kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -f "$DATA_DISK" "$SERIAL_LOG"
+    [ -n "$EXTRACT_DIR" ] && rm -rf "$EXTRACT_DIR"
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
-KUBECTL="kubectl --server=https://localhost:${API_PORT} --insecure-skip-tls-verify"
-
 echo "==> Network policy test: $ISO"
 
+# Extract kernel from ISO
+EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
+extract_kernel_from_iso "$ISO" "$EXTRACT_DIR"
+
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
+
 # Launch QEMU
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
 qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -m 2048 -smp 2 \
     -nographic \
-    -cdrom "$ISO" \
-    -boot d \
+    $KVM_FLAG \
+    -kernel "$VMLINUZ" \
+    -initrd "$INITRAMFS" \
     -drive "file=$DATA_DISK,format=raw,if=virtio" \
-    -net nic,model=virtio \
+    -net "nic,model=virtio" \
     -net "user,hostfwd=tcp::${API_PORT}-:6443" \
     -serial "file:$SERIAL_LOG" \
     -append "console=ttyS0,115200n8 kubesolo.data=/dev/vda" \
@@ -81,6 +96,7 @@ YAML
 
 # Wait for pod
 ELAPSED=0
+STATUS=""
 while [ "$ELAPSED" -lt "$TIMEOUT_POD" ]; do
     STATUS=$($KUBECTL get pod -n netpol-test web -o jsonpath='{.status.phase}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
     [ "$STATUS" = "Running" ] && break
diff --git a/test/integration/test-security-hardening.sh b/test/integration/test-security-hardening.sh
index 9df7a9d..4596413 100755
--- a/test/integration/test-security-hardening.sh
+++ b/test/integration/test-security-hardening.sh
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 ISO="${1:?Usage: $0 <path-to-iso>}"
-TIMEOUT_BOOT=180    # seconds to wait for boot
+TIMEOUT_BOOT=${TIMEOUT_BOOT:-180}    # seconds to wait for boot
 SERIAL_LOG=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-security-test-XXXXXX.log)
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 # Temp data disk
 DATA_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-security-data-XXXXXX.img)
 dd if=/dev/zero of="$DATA_DISK" bs=1M count=1024 2>/dev/null
@@ -22,6 +26,7 @@ mkfs.ext4 -q -L KSOLODATA "$DATA_DISK" 2>/dev/null
 
 QEMU_PID=""
 EXTRACT_DIR=""
+
 cleanup() {
     [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -f "$DATA_DISK" "$SERIAL_LOG"
@@ -33,68 +38,12 @@ echo "==> Security Hardening Test: $ISO"
 echo "    Timeout: ${TIMEOUT_BOOT}s"
 echo "    Serial log: $SERIAL_LOG"
 
+# Extract kernel from ISO
+EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
+extract_kernel_from_iso "$ISO" "$EXTRACT_DIR"
+
 # Detect KVM
-KVM_FLAG=""
-[ -w /dev/kvm ] 2>/dev/null && KVM_FLAG="-enable-kvm"
-
-# Extract kernel + initramfs from ISO (direct kernel boot required for -append)
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
-PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
-ROOTFS_DIR="${ROOTFS_DIR:-$PROJECT_ROOT/build/rootfs-work}"
-EXTRACT_DIR=""
-
-VMLINUZ=""
-INITRAMFS=""
-
-if [ -f "$ROOTFS_DIR/vmlinuz" ] && [ -f "$ROOTFS_DIR/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
-    VMLINUZ="$ROOTFS_DIR/vmlinuz"
-    INITRAMFS="$ROOTFS_DIR/kubesolo-os.gz"
-    echo "    Using kernel/initramfs from build directory"
-else
-    EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
-    EXTRACTED=0
-
-    echo "    Extracting kernel/initramfs from ISO..."
-
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ] && command -v bsdtar >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if bsdtar -xf "$ISO" -C "$EXTRACT_DIR" boot/vmlinuz boot/kubesolo-os.gz 2>/dev/null; then
-            EXTRACTED=1
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ] && command -v isoinfo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        mkdir -p "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot"
-        isoinfo -i "$ISO" -x "/BOOT/VMLINUZ;1" > "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" 2>/dev/null || true
-        isoinfo -i "$ISO" -x "/BOOT/KUBESOLO-OS.GZ;1" > "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" 2>/dev/null || true
-        if [ -s "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" ] && [ -s "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
-            EXTRACTED=1
-        else
-            rm -f "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz"
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ] && [ "$(uname)" = "Linux" ]; then
-        ISO_MOUNT="$EXTRACT_DIR/mnt"
-        mkdir -p "$ISO_MOUNT"
-        if mount -o loop,ro "$ISO" "$ISO_MOUNT" 2>/dev/null; then
-            mkdir -p "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot"
-            cp "$ISO_MOUNT/boot/vmlinuz" "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/" 2>/dev/null || true
-            cp "$ISO_MOUNT/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/" 2>/dev/null || true
-            umount "$ISO_MOUNT" 2>/dev/null || true
-            if [ -f "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" ] && [ -f "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
-                EXTRACTED=1
-            fi
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ]; then
-        echo "ERROR: Failed to extract kernel/initramfs from ISO."
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    VMLINUZ="$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz"
-    INITRAMFS="$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz"
-fi
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
 
 # Launch QEMU in background with direct kernel boot
 # shellcheck disable=SC2086
@@ -171,7 +120,7 @@ fi
 
 echo ""
 echo "--- Test 2: AppArmor ---"
-if grep -q "AppArmor profiles loaded" "$SERIAL_LOG" 2>/dev/null; then
+if grep -q "AppArmor.*loaded.*profiles" "$SERIAL_LOG" 2>/dev/null; then
     check_pass "AppArmor profiles loaded"
 elif grep -q "AppArmor not available" "$SERIAL_LOG" 2>/dev/null; then
     check_skip "AppArmor not in kernel (expected before kernel rebuild)"
diff --git a/test/lib/qemu-helpers.sh b/test/lib/qemu-helpers.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6ed070
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/qemu-helpers.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# qemu-helpers.sh — Shared functions for QEMU-based tests
+# Source this file from test scripts: . "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
+# extract_kernel_from_iso <iso-path> <extract-dir>
+# Sets VMLINUZ and INITRAMFS variables on success
+# Falls back to build/rootfs-work/ if available
+extract_kernel_from_iso() {
+    local iso="$1"
+    local extract_dir="$2"
+    local project_root="${PROJECT_ROOT:-$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)}"
+    local rootfs_dir="${ROOTFS_DIR:-$project_root/build/rootfs-work}"
+
+    VMLINUZ=""
+    INITRAMFS=""
+
+    # Prefer build artifacts (no extraction needed)
+    if [ -f "$rootfs_dir/vmlinuz" ] && [ -f "$rootfs_dir/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
+        VMLINUZ="$rootfs_dir/vmlinuz"
+        INITRAMFS="$rootfs_dir/kubesolo-os.gz"
+        echo "    Using kernel/initramfs from build directory"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    local extracted=0
+
+    echo "    Extracting kernel/initramfs from ISO..."
+
+    # Method 1: bsdtar (ships with macOS, libarchive-tools on Linux)
+    if [ $extracted -eq 0 ] && command -v bsdtar >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if bsdtar -xf "$iso" -C "$extract_dir" boot/vmlinuz boot/kubesolo-os.gz 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "    Extracted via bsdtar"
+            extracted=1
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    # Method 2: isoinfo (genisoimage/cdrtools)
+    if [ $extracted -eq 0 ] && command -v isoinfo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        mkdir -p "$extract_dir/boot"
+        isoinfo -i "$iso" -x "/BOOT/VMLINUZ;1" > "$extract_dir/boot/vmlinuz" 2>/dev/null || true
+        isoinfo -i "$iso" -x "/BOOT/KUBESOLO-OS.GZ;1" > "$extract_dir/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" 2>/dev/null || true
+        if [ -s "$extract_dir/boot/vmlinuz" ] && [ -s "$extract_dir/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
+            echo "    Extracted via isoinfo"
+            extracted=1
+        else
+            rm -f "$extract_dir/boot/vmlinuz" "$extract_dir/boot/kubesolo-os.gz"
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    # Method 3: loop mount (Linux only, may need root)
+    if [ $extracted -eq 0 ] && [ "$(uname)" = "Linux" ]; then
+        local iso_mount="$extract_dir/mnt"
+        mkdir -p "$iso_mount"
+        if mount -o loop,ro "$iso" "$iso_mount" 2>/dev/null; then
+            mkdir -p "$extract_dir/boot"
+            cp "$iso_mount/boot/vmlinuz" "$extract_dir/boot/" 2>/dev/null || true
+            cp "$iso_mount/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" "$extract_dir/boot/" 2>/dev/null || true
+            umount "$iso_mount" 2>/dev/null || true
+            if [ -f "$extract_dir/boot/vmlinuz" ] && [ -f "$extract_dir/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
+                echo "    Extracted via loop mount"
+                extracted=1
+            fi
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if [ $extracted -eq 0 ]; then
+        echo "ERROR: Failed to extract kernel/initramfs from ISO."
+        echo "  Install one of: bsdtar (libarchive-tools), isoinfo (genisoimage), or run as root for loop mount."
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    VMLINUZ="$extract_dir/boot/vmlinuz"
+    INITRAMFS="$extract_dir/boot/kubesolo-os.gz"
+    return 0
+}
+
+# detect_kvm — prints "-enable-kvm" if KVM available, empty string otherwise
+detect_kvm() {
+    if [ -w /dev/kvm ] 2>/dev/null; then
+        echo "-enable-kvm"
+    fi
+}
diff --git a/test/qemu/test-boot.sh b/test/qemu/test-boot.sh
index 2caba2f..de260f2 100755
--- a/test/qemu/test-boot.sh
+++ b/test/qemu/test-boot.sh
@@ -8,13 +8,17 @@ ISO="${1:?Usage: $0 <path-to-iso>}"
 TIMEOUT_BOOT=${TIMEOUT_BOOT:-120}   # seconds to wait for boot success marker
 SERIAL_LOG=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-boot-test-XXXXXX.log)
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/qemu-helpers.sh"
+
 # Temp data disk
 DATA_DISK=$(mktemp /tmp/kubesolo-data-XXXXXX.img)
 dd if=/dev/zero of="$DATA_DISK" bs=1M count=512 2>/dev/null
 mkfs.ext4 -q -L KSOLODATA "$DATA_DISK" 2>/dev/null
 
-EXTRACT_DIR=""
 QEMU_PID=""
+EXTRACT_DIR=""
 
 cleanup() {
     [ -n "$QEMU_PID" ] && kill "$QEMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -27,78 +31,15 @@ echo "==> Boot test: $ISO"
 echo "    Timeout: ${TIMEOUT_BOOT}s"
 echo "    Serial log: $SERIAL_LOG"
 
-# Extract kernel + initramfs from ISO (direct kernel boot required for -append)
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
-PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
-ROOTFS_DIR="${ROOTFS_DIR:-$PROJECT_ROOT/build/rootfs-work}"
+# Extract kernel from ISO
+EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
+extract_kernel_from_iso "$ISO" "$EXTRACT_DIR"
 
-VMLINUZ=""
-INITRAMFS=""
-
-if [ -f "$ROOTFS_DIR/vmlinuz" ] && [ -f "$ROOTFS_DIR/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
-    VMLINUZ="$ROOTFS_DIR/vmlinuz"
-    INITRAMFS="$ROOTFS_DIR/kubesolo-os.gz"
-    echo "    Using kernel/initramfs from build directory"
-else
-    EXTRACT_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/kubesolo-extract-XXXXXX)"
-    EXTRACTED=0
-
-    echo "    Extracting kernel/initramfs from ISO..."
-
-    # Method 1: bsdtar
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ] && command -v bsdtar >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if bsdtar -xf "$ISO" -C "$EXTRACT_DIR" boot/vmlinuz boot/kubesolo-os.gz 2>/dev/null; then
-            echo "    Extracted via bsdtar"
-            EXTRACTED=1
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    # Method 2: isoinfo
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ] && command -v isoinfo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        mkdir -p "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot"
-        isoinfo -i "$ISO" -x "/BOOT/VMLINUZ;1" > "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" 2>/dev/null || true
-        isoinfo -i "$ISO" -x "/BOOT/KUBESOLO-OS.GZ;1" > "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" 2>/dev/null || true
-        if [ -s "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" ] && [ -s "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
-            echo "    Extracted via isoinfo"
-            EXTRACTED=1
-        else
-            rm -f "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz"
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    # Method 3: loop mount (Linux only)
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ] && [ "$(uname)" = "Linux" ]; then
-        ISO_MOUNT="$EXTRACT_DIR/mnt"
-        mkdir -p "$ISO_MOUNT"
-        if mount -o loop,ro "$ISO" "$ISO_MOUNT" 2>/dev/null; then
-            mkdir -p "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot"
-            cp "$ISO_MOUNT/boot/vmlinuz" "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/" 2>/dev/null || true
-            cp "$ISO_MOUNT/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/" 2>/dev/null || true
-            umount "$ISO_MOUNT" 2>/dev/null || true
-            if [ -f "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz" ] && [ -f "$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz" ]; then
-                echo "    Extracted via loop mount"
-                EXTRACTED=1
-            fi
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    if [ $EXTRACTED -eq 0 ]; then
-        echo "ERROR: Failed to extract kernel/initramfs from ISO."
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    VMLINUZ="$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/vmlinuz"
-    INITRAMFS="$EXTRACT_DIR/boot/kubesolo-os.gz"
-fi
-
-# Detect KVM
-KVM_FLAG=""
-if [ -w /dev/kvm ] 2>/dev/null; then
-    KVM_FLAG="-enable-kvm"
-    echo "    KVM acceleration: enabled"
-fi
+KVM_FLAG=$(detect_kvm)
+[ -n "$KVM_FLAG" ] && echo "    KVM acceleration: enabled"
 
 # Launch QEMU in background with direct kernel boot
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
 qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -m 2048 -smp 2 \
     -nographic \