diff --git a/local/recipes/core/grub/recipe.toml b/local/recipes/core/grub/recipe.toml
index 1fca80ad..41c5f36c 100644
--- a/local/recipes/core/grub/recipe.toml
+++ b/local/recipes/core/grub/recipe.toml
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ if [ -f "${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}/grub.cfg" ]; then
     cp "${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}/grub.cfg" "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/lib/boot/grub.cfg"
     echo "Installed grub.cfg"
 else
-    echo "WARNING: grub.cfg not found in ${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}" >&2
+    echo "ERROR: grub.cfg not found in ${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}" >&2
+    echo "The grub.cfg file must exist alongside recipe.toml." >&2
+    exit 1
 fi
 
 echo "GRUB recipe complete."
diff --git a/local/scripts/apply-patches.sh b/local/scripts/apply-patches.sh
index 4de7069d..b9bfef53 100755
--- a/local/scripts/apply-patches.sh
+++ b/local/scripts/apply-patches.sh
@@ -131,9 +131,13 @@ symlink "../../local/recipes/core/ext4d" "recipes/core/ext4d"
 symlink "../../local/recipes/core/grub"  "recipes/core/grub"
 
 # Resolve WIP conflict: recipes/wip/services/grub also exists,
-# so redirect its recipe.toml to our local overlay
-if [ -d "recipes/wip/services/grub" ]; then
-    symlink "../../../../local/recipes/core/grub/recipe.toml" "recipes/wip/services/grub/recipe.toml"
+# so redirect the entire directory to our local overlay to ensure
+# COOKBOOK_RECIPE resolves to a directory that contains grub.cfg
+if [ -d "recipes/wip/services/grub" ] && [ ! -L "recipes/wip/services/grub" ]; then
+    rm -rf "recipes/wip/services/grub"
+fi
+if [ ! -e "recipes/wip/services/grub" ]; then
+    symlink "../../../../local/recipes/core/grub" "recipes/wip/services/grub"
 fi
 
 # Wayland additions
diff --git a/local/scripts/install-grub.sh b/local/scripts/install-grub.sh
index c3382841..82852eb6 100755
--- a/local/scripts/install-grub.sh
+++ b/local/scripts/install-grub.sh
@@ -92,14 +92,20 @@ python3 "${FAT_TOOL}" ls "${IMAGE}" "${ESP_OFFSET}" /
 echo ""
 
 REDBEAR_EFI=""
-for f in $(find "${REPO_ROOT}/local/recipes/core/bootloader/target" -path "*/stage/usr/lib/boot/bootloader.efi" 2>/dev/null); do
-    REDBEAR_EFI="${f}"
-    break
-done
-for f in $(find "${REPO_ROOT}/repo" -path "*/bootloader/*/usr/lib/boot/bootloader.efi" 2>/dev/null); do
-    REDBEAR_EFI="${f}"
-    break
+for search_path in \
+    "${REPO_ROOT}/recipes/core/bootloader/target" \
+    "${REPO_ROOT}/local/recipes/core/bootloader/target"; do
+    for f in $(find "${search_path}" -path "*/stage/usr/lib/boot/bootloader.efi" 2>/dev/null); do
+        REDBEAR_EFI="${f}"
+        break 2
+    done
 done
+if [ -z "${REDBEAR_EFI}" ]; then
+    for f in $(find "${REPO_ROOT}/repo" -path "*/bootloader/*/usr/lib/boot/bootloader.efi" 2>/dev/null); do
+        REDBEAR_EFI="${f}"
+        break
+    done
+fi
 
 if [ -z "${REDBEAR_EFI}" ]; then
     echo "ERROR: Cannot find Redox bootloader (bootloader.efi) in cookbook output." >&2
diff --git a/recipes/wip/services/grub b/recipes/wip/services/grub
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..ec3b2ed8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes/wip/services/grub
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../../local/recipes/core/grub
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/recipes/wip/services/grub/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/services/grub/recipe.toml
deleted file mode 120000
index a7765fc6..00000000
--- a/recipes/wip/services/grub/recipe.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../local/recipes/core/grub/recipe.toml
\ No newline at end of file