diff --git a/Containerfile.alpine b/Containerfile.alpine
index cd3ae56..1f24fa0 100644
--- a/Containerfile.alpine
+++ b/Containerfile.alpine
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ COPY openvoxserver/prep_build_container.sh /
 RUN /prep_build_container.sh
 
 ################################################################################
-FROM base AS final
+FROM base AS app
 
 # renovate: datasource=rubygems depName=hiera-eyaml
 ARG RUBYGEM_HIERA_EYAML=5.0.1
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ ENV AUTOSIGN=true \
     OPENVOXSERVER_GRAPHITE_HOST=exporter \
     OPENVOXSERVER_GRAPHITE_PORT=9109 \
     OPENVOXSERVER_HOSTNAME="" \
-    OPENVOXSERVER_JAVA_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m" \
+    OPENVOXSERVER_JAVA_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -XX:SharedArchiveFile=/opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa" \
     OPENVOXSERVER_MAX_ACTIVE_INSTANCES=1 \
     OPENVOXSERVER_MAX_REQUESTS_PER_INSTANCE=0 \
     OPENVOXSERVER_PORT=8140 \
@@ -138,6 +138,14 @@ RUN /prep_release_container.sh
 
 USER puppet:0
 
+# Create a CDS archive in a stage for faster class loading.
+FROM app AS cds
+RUN OPENVOXSERVER_JAVA_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -XX:ArchiveClassesAtExit=/opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa -Xlog:cds=off" \
+    timeout --preserve-status 60 dumb-init /container-entrypoint.sh foreground || [ $? -eq 143 ]
+
+FROM app AS final
+COPY --from=cds /opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa /opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa
+
 # k8s uses livenessProbe, startupProbe, readinessProbe and ignores HEALTHCHECK
 HEALTHCHECK --interval=20s --timeout=15s --retries=12 --start-period=3m CMD ["/healthcheck.sh"]
 
diff --git a/Containerfile.ubuntu b/Containerfile.ubuntu
index 7a93a71..c13d361 100644
--- a/Containerfile.ubuntu
+++ b/Containerfile.ubuntu
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ COPY openvoxserver/prep_build_container.sh /
 RUN /prep_build_container.sh
 
 ################################################################################
-FROM base AS final
+FROM base AS app
 
 # renovate: datasource=rubygems depName=hiera-eyaml
 ARG RUBYGEM_HIERA_EYAML=5.0.1
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ ENV AUTOSIGN=true \
     OPENVOXSERVER_GRAPHITE_HOST=exporter \
     OPENVOXSERVER_GRAPHITE_PORT=9109 \
     OPENVOXSERVER_HOSTNAME="" \
-    OPENVOXSERVER_JAVA_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m" \
+    OPENVOXSERVER_JAVA_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -XX:SharedArchiveFile=/opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa" \
     OPENVOXSERVER_MAX_ACTIVE_INSTANCES=1 \
     OPENVOXSERVER_MAX_REQUESTS_PER_INSTANCE=0 \
     OPENVOXSERVER_PORT=8140 \
@@ -147,6 +147,14 @@ RUN /prep_release_container.sh
 
 USER puppet:0
 
+# Create a CDS archive in a stage for faster class loading.
+FROM app AS cds
+RUN OPENVOXSERVER_JAVA_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -XX:ArchiveClassesAtExit=/opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa -Xlog:cds=off" \
+    timeout --preserve-status 60 dumb-init /container-entrypoint.sh foreground || [ $? -eq 143 ]
+
+FROM app AS final
+COPY --from=cds /opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa /opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/puppetserver.jsa
+
 # k8s uses livenessProbe, startupProbe, readinessProbe and ignores HEALTHCHECK
 HEALTHCHECK --interval=20s --timeout=15s --retries=12 --start-period=3m CMD ["/healthcheck.sh"]
 
diff --git a/openvoxserver/files/container-entrypoint.sh b/openvoxserver/files/container-entrypoint.sh
index cb43f7f..aed8448 100755
--- a/openvoxserver/files/container-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/openvoxserver/files/container-entrypoint.sh
@@ -87,17 +87,20 @@ post_execution_handler() {
 
 ## Sigterm Handler
 # shellcheck disable=SC2317 # function is called when the container receives a SIGTERM signal
+# We're forwarding the sigterm to the child JVM process (/usr/bin/java) instead of the
+# wrapper script (/opt/puppetlabs/server/apps/puppetserver/cli/apps/foreground), else it
+# doesn't shut down gracefully.
 sigterm_handler() {
   echoerr "Catching SIGTERM"
   if [ $pid -ne 0 ]; then
-    echoerr "sigterm_handler for PID '${pid}' triggered"
+    echoerr "sigterm_handler triggered, shutting down service"
     # the above if statement is important because it ensures
     # that the application has already started. without it you
     # could attempt cleanup steps if the application failed to
     # start, causing errors.
     run_custom_handler sigterm-handler
-    kill -15 "$pid"
-    wait "$pid"
+    pkill -TERM -f puppet-server-release.jar
+    while pgrep -f puppet-server-release.jar > /dev/null; do sleep 1; done
     post_execution_handler
   fi
   exit 143; # 128 + 15 -- SIGTERM