diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e84cbf8..087bd7f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,24 +2,24 @@
 
 This docker container creates a VPP instance based on the latest VPP release. It starts up as per
 normal, using /etc/vpp/startup.conf (which Containerlab might replace when it starts its
-containers). Once started, it'll execute /etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp within the dataplane. There are
-three relevant files:
+containers). Once started, it'll execute `/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp` within the dataplane. There are
+two relevant files:
 
-1.   `manual-pre.vpp` -- can be supplied by the user, to run any configuration statements before
-     containerlab takes control.
-
-1.   `clab.vpp` -- generated by `files/container-init.sh`. Its purpose is to bind the `veth`
+1.   `clab.vpp` -- generated by `files/init-container.sh`. Its purpose is to bind the `veth`
      interfaces that containerlab has added to the container into the VPP dataplane (see below).
+1.   `vppcfg.vpp` -- generated by `files/init-container.sh`. Its purpose is to read the user
+     specified `vppcfg.yaml` file and convert it into VPP CLI commands. If no YAML file is
+     specified, or if it is not syntactically valid, an empty file is generated instead.
 
-1.   `manual-post.vpp` -- can be supplied by the user, to run any configuration statements after
-     containerlab is finished with its per-lab statements.
+For Containerlab users who wish to have more control over their VPP bootstrap, it's possible to
+bind-mount `/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp`.
 
 ## Building
 
 ```bash
 IMG=git.ipng.ch/ipng/vpp-containerlab
 TAG=latest
-docker build --no-cache -f Dockerfile.bookworm -t $IMG .
+docker build --no-cache -f docker/Dockerfile.bookworm -t $IMG docker/
 docker image tag $IMG $IMG:$TAG
 docker push $IMG
 docker push $IMG:$TAG
diff --git a/Dockerfile.bookworm b/docker/Dockerfile.bookworm
similarity index 100%
rename from Dockerfile.bookworm
rename to docker/Dockerfile.bookworm
diff --git a/files/etc/bird/bird-local.conf b/docker/files/etc/bird/bird-local.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from files/etc/bird/bird-local.conf
rename to docker/files/etc/bird/bird-local.conf
diff --git a/files/etc/bird/bird.conf b/docker/files/etc/bird/bird.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from files/etc/bird/bird.conf
rename to docker/files/etc/bird/bird.conf
diff --git a/docker/files/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp b/docker/files/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a403470
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/files/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+exec /etc/vpp/clab.vpp
+exec /etc/vpp/vppcfg.vpp
diff --git a/files/etc/vpp/clab.vpp b/docker/files/etc/vpp/clab.vpp
similarity index 100%
rename from files/etc/vpp/clab.vpp
rename to docker/files/etc/vpp/clab.vpp
diff --git a/files/etc/vpp/startup.conf b/docker/files/etc/vpp/startup.conf
similarity index 83%
rename from files/etc/vpp/startup.conf
rename to docker/files/etc/vpp/startup.conf
index 735f0bd..18507df 100644
--- a/files/etc/vpp/startup.conf
+++ b/docker/files/etc/vpp/startup.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# This is the vpp-containerlab default startup.conf, which is meant to be
+# overridden by Containerlab's node/fdio_vpp/vpp_startup_config.go.tpl
+
 unix {
   interactive
   log /var/log/vpp/vpp.log
diff --git a/files/init-container.sh b/docker/files/init-container.sh
similarity index 87%
rename from files/init-container.sh
rename to docker/files/init-container.sh
index 662f976..9920c26 100755
--- a/files/init-container.sh
+++ b/docker/files/init-container.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 STARTUP_CONFIG=${STARTUP_CONFIG:="/etc/vpp/startup.conf"}
 CLAB_VPP_FILE=${CLAB_VPP_FILE:=/etc/vpp/clab.vpp}
+VPPCFG_VPP_FILE=${VPPCFG_VPP_FILE:=/etc/vpp/vppcfg.vpp}
 NETNS=${NETNS:="dataplane"}
 BIRD_ENABLED=${BIRD_ENABLED:="true"}
 
@@ -40,5 +41,11 @@ set interface state $IFNAME up
 EOF
 done
 
+echo "Generating $VPPCFG_VPP_FILE"
+: > $VPPCFG_VPP_FILE
+if [ -r /etc/vpp/vppcfg.yaml ]; then
+  vppcfg plan --novpp -c /etc/vpp/vppcfg.yaml -o $VPPCFG_VPP_FILE
+fi
+
 echo "Starting VPP"
 exec /usr/bin/vpp -c $STARTUP_CONFIG
diff --git a/files/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp b/files/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 50fe9ea..0000000
--- a/files/etc/vpp/bootstrap.vpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-exec /etc/vpp/manual-pre.vpp
-exec /etc/vpp/clab.vpp
-exec /etc/vpp/manual-post.vpp
diff --git a/files/etc/vpp/manual-post.vpp b/files/etc/vpp/manual-post.vpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 801ccd1..0000000
--- a/files/etc/vpp/manual-post.vpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-comment { These commands are executed after Containerlab stuff }
diff --git a/files/etc/vpp/manual-pre.vpp b/files/etc/vpp/manual-pre.vpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 5b9e973..0000000
--- a/files/etc/vpp/manual-pre.vpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-comment { These commands are executed before Containerlab stuff }