diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index c213fdae..b3280bf5 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -62803,7 +62803,7 @@ const core = __webpack_require__(42186);
 const config = __webpack_require__(34570);
 
 // User data scripts are run as the root user
-function buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label) {
+function buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label, runnerVersion = "2.301.1") {
   if (config.input.runnerHomeDir) {
     // If runner home directory is specified, we expect the actions-runner software (and dependencies)
     // to be pre-installed in the AMI, so we simply cd into that directory and then start the runner
@@ -62811,42 +62811,52 @@ function buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label) {
       '#!/bin/bash',
       `cd "${config.input.runnerHomeDir}"`,
       'export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1',
-      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label}`,
+      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label} --ephemeral`,
       './run.sh',
     ];
   } else {
     return [
       '#!/bin/bash',
+      'yum update -y',
+      'yum install -y docker git htop', 
+      'systemctl enable docker',
+      'systemctl start docker',
       'mkdir actions-runner && cd actions-runner',
       'case $(uname -m) in aarch64) ARCH="arm64" ;; amd64|x86_64) ARCH="x64" ;; esac && export RUNNER_ARCH=${ARCH}',
-      'curl -O -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.299.1/actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-2.299.1.tar.gz',
-      'tar xzf ./actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-2.299.1.tar.gz',
+      `RUNNER_VERSION=${runnerVersion}`,
+      "curl -O -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v${RUNNER_VERSION}/actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-${RUNNER_VERSION}.tar.gz",
+      "tar xzf ./actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-${RUNNER_VERSION}.tar.gz",
       'export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1',
-      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label}`,
+      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label} --ephemeral`,
       './run.sh',
     ];
   }
 }
 
+async function getLatestAmazonLinuxAmi() {
+  const ssm = new AWS.SSM();
+  const result = await ssm.getParameter({ Name: "/aws/service/ami-amazon-linux-latest/amzn2-ami-hvm-x86_64-gp2" }).promise()
+  return result.Parameter.Value
+}
+
 async function startEc2Instance(label, githubRegistrationToken) {
   const ec2 = new AWS.EC2();
 
   const userData = buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label);
 
-  const params = {
-    ImageId: config.input.ec2ImageId,
-    InstanceType: config.input.ec2InstanceType,
-    MinCount: 1,
-    MaxCount: 1,
-    UserData: Buffer.from(userData.join('\n')).toString('base64'),
-    SubnetId: config.input.subnetId,
-    SecurityGroupIds: [config.input.securityGroupId],
-    IamInstanceProfile: { Name: config.input.iamRoleName },
-    TagSpecifications: config.tagSpecifications,
-  };
-
   try {
-    const result = await ec2.runInstances(params).promise();
+    const result = await ec2.runInstances({
+      ImageId: await getLatestAmazonLinuxAmi(),
+      InstanceType: config.input.ec2InstanceType,
+      MinCount: 1,
+      MaxCount: 1,
+      UserData: Buffer.from(userData.join('\n')).toString('base64'),
+      SubnetId: config.input.subnetId,
+      SecurityGroupIds: [config.input.securityGroupId],
+      BlockDeviceMappings: [ { DeviceName: "/dev/xvda", Ebs: {Encrypted: true, DeleteOnTermination: true, VolumeSize: 20, VolumeType: "gp3" }} ],
+      IamInstanceProfile: { Name: config.input.iamRoleName },
+      TagSpecifications: config.tagSpecifications,
+    }).promise();
     const ec2InstanceId = result.Instances[0].InstanceId;
     core.info(`AWS EC2 instance ${ec2InstanceId} is started`);
     return ec2InstanceId;
@@ -62985,6 +62995,7 @@ const config = __webpack_require__(34570);
 // use the unique label to find the runner
 // as we don't have the runner's id, it's not possible to get it in any other way
 async function getRunner(label) {
+  core.debug("Github Token part " + config.input.githubToken.substring(0, 10));
   const octokit = github.getOctokit(config.input.githubToken);
 
   try {
@@ -62998,14 +63009,18 @@ async function getRunner(label) {
 
 // get GitHub Registration Token for registering a self-hosted runner
 async function getRegistrationToken() {
-  const octokit = github.getOctokit(config.input.githubToken);
+  core.debug("Github Token part " + config.input.githubToken.substring(0, 10));
+  const octokit = github.getOctokit(config.input.githubToken, { log: core });
 
   try {
+    core.debug("Github context");
+    core.debug(config.githubContext);
     const response = await octokit.request('POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runners/registration-token', config.githubContext);
     core.info('GitHub Registration Token is received');
     return response.data.token;
   } catch (error) {
     core.error('GitHub Registration Token receiving error');
+    core.error(error);
     throw error;
   }
 }
@@ -63032,8 +63047,8 @@ async function removeRunner() {
 
 async function waitForRunnerRegistered(label) {
   const timeoutMinutes = 5;
-  const retryIntervalSeconds = 10;
-  const quietPeriodSeconds = 30;
+  const retryIntervalSeconds = 5;
+  const quietPeriodSeconds = 10;
   let waitSeconds = 0;
 
   core.info(`Waiting ${quietPeriodSeconds}s for the AWS EC2 instance to be registered in GitHub as a new self-hosted runner`);
diff --git a/src/aws.js b/src/aws.js
index c6bd8c9d..6b37a964 100644
--- a/src/aws.js
+++ b/src/aws.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const core = require('@actions/core');
 const config = require('./config');
 
 // User data scripts are run as the root user
-function buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label) {
+function buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label, runnerVersion = "2.301.1") {
   if (config.input.runnerHomeDir) {
     // If runner home directory is specified, we expect the actions-runner software (and dependencies)
     // to be pre-installed in the AMI, so we simply cd into that directory and then start the runner
@@ -11,42 +11,52 @@ function buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label) {
       '#!/bin/bash',
       `cd "${config.input.runnerHomeDir}"`,
       'export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1',
-      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label}`,
+      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label} --ephemeral`,
       './run.sh',
     ];
   } else {
     return [
       '#!/bin/bash',
+      'yum update -y',
+      'yum install -y docker git htop', 
+      'systemctl enable docker',
+      'systemctl start docker',
       'mkdir actions-runner && cd actions-runner',
       'case $(uname -m) in aarch64) ARCH="arm64" ;; amd64|x86_64) ARCH="x64" ;; esac && export RUNNER_ARCH=${ARCH}',
-      'curl -O -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.299.1/actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-2.299.1.tar.gz',
-      'tar xzf ./actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-2.299.1.tar.gz',
+      `RUNNER_VERSION=${runnerVersion}`,
+      "curl -O -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v${RUNNER_VERSION}/actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-${RUNNER_VERSION}.tar.gz",
+      "tar xzf ./actions-runner-linux-${RUNNER_ARCH}-${RUNNER_VERSION}.tar.gz",
       'export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1',
-      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label}`,
+      `./config.sh --url https://github.com/${config.githubContext.owner}/${config.githubContext.repo} --token ${githubRegistrationToken} --labels ${label} --ephemeral`,
       './run.sh',
     ];
   }
 }
 
+async function getLatestAmazonLinuxAmi() {
+  const ssm = new AWS.SSM();
+  const result = await ssm.getParameter({ Name: "/aws/service/ami-amazon-linux-latest/amzn2-ami-hvm-x86_64-gp2" }).promise()
+  return result.Parameter.Value
+}
+
 async function startEc2Instance(label, githubRegistrationToken) {
   const ec2 = new AWS.EC2();
 
   const userData = buildUserDataScript(githubRegistrationToken, label);
 
-  const params = {
-    ImageId: config.input.ec2ImageId,
-    InstanceType: config.input.ec2InstanceType,
-    MinCount: 1,
-    MaxCount: 1,
-    UserData: Buffer.from(userData.join('\n')).toString('base64'),
-    SubnetId: config.input.subnetId,
-    SecurityGroupIds: [config.input.securityGroupId],
-    IamInstanceProfile: { Name: config.input.iamRoleName },
-    TagSpecifications: config.tagSpecifications,
-  };
-
   try {
-    const result = await ec2.runInstances(params).promise();
+    const result = await ec2.runInstances({
+      ImageId: await getLatestAmazonLinuxAmi(),
+      InstanceType: config.input.ec2InstanceType,
+      MinCount: 1,
+      MaxCount: 1,
+      UserData: Buffer.from(userData.join('\n')).toString('base64'),
+      SubnetId: config.input.subnetId,
+      SecurityGroupIds: [config.input.securityGroupId],
+      BlockDeviceMappings: [ { DeviceName: "/dev/xvda", Ebs: {Encrypted: true, DeleteOnTermination: true, VolumeSize: 20, VolumeType: "gp3" }} ],
+      IamInstanceProfile: { Name: config.input.iamRoleName },
+      TagSpecifications: config.tagSpecifications,
+    }).promise();
     const ec2InstanceId = result.Instances[0].InstanceId;
     core.info(`AWS EC2 instance ${ec2InstanceId} is started`);
     return ec2InstanceId;
diff --git a/src/gh.js b/src/gh.js
index abf9af94..c2cef857 100644
--- a/src/gh.js
+++ b/src/gh.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const config = require('./config');
 // use the unique label to find the runner
 // as we don't have the runner's id, it's not possible to get it in any other way
 async function getRunner(label) {
+  core.debug("Github Token part " + config.input.githubToken.substring(0, 10));
   const octokit = github.getOctokit(config.input.githubToken);
 
   try {
@@ -19,14 +20,18 @@ async function getRunner(label) {
 
 // get GitHub Registration Token for registering a self-hosted runner
 async function getRegistrationToken() {
-  const octokit = github.getOctokit(config.input.githubToken);
+  core.debug("Github Token part " + config.input.githubToken.substring(0, 10));
+  const octokit = github.getOctokit(config.input.githubToken, { log: core });
 
   try {
+    core.debug("Github context");
+    core.debug(config.githubContext);
     const response = await octokit.request('POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runners/registration-token', config.githubContext);
     core.info('GitHub Registration Token is received');
     return response.data.token;
   } catch (error) {
     core.error('GitHub Registration Token receiving error');
+    core.error(error);
     throw error;
   }
 }
@@ -53,8 +58,8 @@ async function removeRunner() {
 
 async function waitForRunnerRegistered(label) {
   const timeoutMinutes = 5;
-  const retryIntervalSeconds = 10;
-  const quietPeriodSeconds = 30;
+  const retryIntervalSeconds = 5;
+  const quietPeriodSeconds = 10;
   let waitSeconds = 0;
 
   core.info(`Waiting ${quietPeriodSeconds}s for the AWS EC2 instance to be registered in GitHub as a new self-hosted runner`);