diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 93513be..cf02b1c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version: ['3.10', '3.11', '3.12']
-        os: [ubuntu-latest]
+        os: [ubuntu-22.04]
       fail-fast: false # Continue running jobs even if one fails
 
     steps:
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           pdm run --verbose pytest tests
       
+      - name: Set up apptainer
+        run: |
+          curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/apptainer/apptainer/12008da192388e6cd512b32a5dac80369a6d4047/tools/install-unprivileged.sh | bash -s - "$HOME/.local"
+      
       - name: Run integration tests
         run: |
           for test in tests/integration/*/test.sh; do
diff --git a/src/docker_unpack/apptainer_base_env.py b/src/docker_unpack/apptainer_base_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2dfa47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/docker_unpack/apptainer_base_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,341 @@
+# This file is derived from https://github.com/apptainer/singularity/blob/9dceb4240c12b4cff1da94630d422a3422b39fcf/internal/pkg/build/sources/base_environment.go#L286
+
+import os
+import stat
+import logging
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def make_dirs(root_path):
+    try:
+        (Path(root_path) / ".singularity.d/libs").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / ".singularity.d/actions").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / ".singularity.d/env").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "dev").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "proc").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "root").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "var/tmp").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "tmp").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "etc").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "sys").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (Path(root_path) / "home").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error creating directories: {e}")
+        raise
+
+
+def make_symlinks(root_path):
+    try:
+        symlinks = {
+            "singularity": ".singularity.d/runscript",
+            ".run": ".singularity.d/actions/run",
+            ".exec": ".singularity.d/actions/exec",
+            ".test": ".singularity.d/actions/test",
+            ".shell": ".singularity.d/actions/shell",
+            "environment": ".singularity.d/env/90-environment.sh",
+        }
+        for link, target in symlinks.items():
+            link_path = Path(root_path) / link
+            target_path = Path(root_path) / target
+            if not link_path.exists():
+                link_path.symlink_to(target_path)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error creating symlinks: {e}")
+        raise
+
+
+def make_file(name, content, perm):
+    try:
+        file_path = Path(name)
+        if file_path.exists():
+            file_path.chmod(perm)
+        with open(file_path, "w") as f:
+            f.write(content)
+        file_path.chmod(perm)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error creating file {name}: {e}")
+        raise
+
+
+def make_files(root_path):
+    try:
+        file_contents = {
+            "etc/hosts": "",
+            "etc/resolv.conf": "",
+            ".singularity.d/actions/exec": execFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/actions/run": runFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/actions/shell": shellFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/actions/start": startFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/actions/test": testFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/env/01-base.sh": baseShFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/env/90-environment.sh": environmentShFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/env/95-apps.sh": appsShFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/env/99-base.sh": base99ShFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/env/99-runtimevars.sh": base99runtimevarsShFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/runscript": runscriptFileContent,
+            ".singularity.d/startscript": startscriptFileContent,
+        }
+        for file, content in file_contents.items():
+            make_file(Path(root_path) / file, content, 0o755)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error creating files: {e}")
+        raise
+
+
+def make_base_env(root_path):
+    try:
+        root = Path(root_path)
+        if not os.access(root, os.W_OK):
+            root.chmod(root.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IWUSR)
+        make_dirs(root_path)
+        make_symlinks(root_path)
+        make_files(root_path)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error setting up base environment: {e}")
+        raise
+
+
+# Replace these with actual file content from the Go code
+execFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+
+for script in /.singularity.d/env/*.sh; do
+    if [ -f "$script" ]; then
+        . "$script"
+    fi
+done
+
+exec "$@"
+"""
+runFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+
+for script in /.singularity.d/env/*.sh; do
+    if [ -f "$script" ]; then
+        . "$script"
+    fi
+done
+
+if test -n "${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}"; then
+
+    if test -x "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/runscript"; then
+        exec "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/runscript" "$@"
+    else
+        echo "No Singularity runscript for contained app: ${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+elif test -x "/.singularity.d/runscript"; then
+    exec "/.singularity.d/runscript" "$@"
+else
+    echo "No Singularity runscript found, executing /bin/sh"
+    exec /bin/sh "$@"
+fi
+"""
+shellFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+
+for script in /.singularity.d/env/*.sh; do
+    if [ -f "$script" ]; then
+        . "$script"
+    fi
+done
+
+if test -n "$SINGULARITY_SHELL" -a -x "$SINGULARITY_SHELL"; then
+    exec $SINGULARITY_SHELL "$@"
+
+    echo "ERROR: Failed running shell as defined by '\$SINGULARITY_SHELL'" 1>&2
+    exit 1
+
+elif test -x /bin/bash; then
+    SHELL=/bin/bash
+    PS1="Singularity $SINGULARITY_NAME:\\w> "
+    export SHELL PS1
+    exec /bin/bash --norc "$@"
+elif test -x /bin/sh; then
+    SHELL=/bin/sh
+    export SHELL
+    exec /bin/sh "$@"
+else
+    echo "ERROR: /bin/sh does not exist in container" 1>&2
+fi
+exit 1
+"""
+startFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+
+# if we are here start notify PID 1 to continue
+# DON'T REMOVE
+kill -CONT 1
+
+for script in /.singularity.d/env/*.sh; do
+    if [ -f "$script" ]; then
+        . "$script"
+    fi
+done
+
+if test -x "/.singularity.d/startscript"; then
+    exec "/.singularity.d/startscript"
+fi
+"""
+testFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+
+for script in /.singularity.d/env/*.sh; do
+    if [ -f "$script" ]; then
+        . "$script"
+    fi
+done
+
+
+if test -n "${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}"; then
+
+    if test -x "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/test"; then
+        exec "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/test" "$@"
+    else
+        echo "No tests for contained app: ${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+elif test -x "/.singularity.d/test"; then
+    exec "/.singularity.d/test" "$@"
+else
+    echo "No test found in container, executing /bin/sh -c true"
+    exec /bin/sh -c true
+fi
+"""
+baseShFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+# 
+# Copyright (c) 2017, SingularityWare, LLC. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2015-2017, Gregory M. Kurtzer. All rights reserved.
+# 
+# Copyright (c) 2016-2017, The Regents of the University of California,
+# through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (subject to receipt of any
+# required approvals from the U.S. Dept. of Energy).  All rights reserved.
+# 
+# This software is licensed under a customized 3-clause BSD license.  Please
+# consult LICENSE.md file distributed with the sources of this project regarding
+# your rights to use or distribute this software.
+# 
+# NOTICE.  This Software was developed under funding from the U.S. Department of
+# Energy and the U.S. Government consequently retains certain rights. As such,
+# the U.S. Government has been granted for itself and others acting on its
+# behalf a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license in the Software
+# to reproduce, distribute copies to the public, prepare derivative works, and
+# perform publicly and display publicly, and to permit other to do so.
+# 
+# 
+"""
+environmentShFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+# Custom environment shell code should follow
+"""
+appsShFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2017, SingularityWare, LLC. All rights reserved.
+#
+# See the COPYRIGHT.md file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+# https://github.com/hpcng/singularity/blob/master/COPYRIGHT.md.
+#
+# This file is part of the Singularity Linux container project. It is subject to the license
+# terms in the LICENSE.md file found in the top-level directory of this distribution and
+# at https://github.com/hpcng/singularity/blob/master/LICENSE.md. No part
+# of Singularity, including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated, or distributed
+# except according to the terms contained in the LICENSE.md file.
+
+
+if test -n "${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}"; then
+
+    # The active app should be exported
+    export SINGULARITY_APPNAME
+
+    if test -d "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/"; then
+        SCIF_APPS="/scif/apps"
+        SCIF_APPROOT="/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}"
+        export SCIF_APPROOT SCIF_APPS
+        PATH="/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}:$PATH"
+
+        # Automatically add application bin to path
+        if test -d "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/bin"; then
+            PATH="/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/bin:$PATH"
+        fi
+
+        # Automatically add application lib to LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+        if test -d "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/lib"; then
+            LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+            export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+        fi
+
+        # Automatically source environment
+        if [ -f "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/env/01-base.sh" ]; then
+            . "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/env/01-base.sh"
+        fi
+        if [ -f "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/env/90-environment.sh" ]; then
+            . "/scif/apps/${SINGULARITY_APPNAME:-}/scif/env/90-environment.sh"
+        fi
+
+        export PATH
+    else
+        echo "Could not locate the container application: ${SINGULARITY_APPNAME}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+"""
+base99ShFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+# 
+# Copyright (c) 2017, SingularityWare, LLC. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2015-2017, Gregory M. Kurtzer. All rights reserved.
+# 
+# Copyright (c) 2016-2017, The Regents of the University of California,
+# through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (subject to receipt of any
+# required approvals from the U.S. Dept. of Energy).  All rights reserved.
+# 
+# This software is licensed under a customized 3-clause BSD license.  Please
+# consult LICENSE.md file distributed with the sources of this project regarding
+# your rights to use or distribute this software.
+# 
+# NOTICE.  This Software was developed under funding from the U.S. Department of
+# Energy and the U.S. Government consequently retains certain rights. As such,
+# the U.S. Government has been granted for itself and others acting on its
+# behalf a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license in the Software
+# to reproduce, distribute copies to the public, prepare derivative works, and
+# perform publicly and display publicly, and to permit other to do so.
+# 
+# 
+
+
+if [ -z "$LD_LIBRARY_PATH" ]; then
+    LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/.singularity.d/libs"
+else
+    LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/.singularity.d/libs"
+fi
+
+PS1="Singularity> "
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH PS1
+"""
+base99runtimevarsShFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+# Copyright (c) 2017-2019, Sylabs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+#
+# This software is licensed under a customized 3-clause BSD license.  Please
+# consult LICENSE.md file distributed with the sources of this project regarding
+# your rights to use or distribute this software.
+#
+#
+
+if [ -n "${SING_USER_DEFINED_PREPEND_PATH:-}" ]; then
+	PATH="${SING_USER_DEFINED_PREPEND_PATH}:${PATH}"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "${SING_USER_DEFINED_APPEND_PATH:-}" ]; then
+	PATH="${PATH}:${SING_USER_DEFINED_APPEND_PATH}"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "${SING_USER_DEFINED_PATH:-}" ]; then
+	PATH="${SING_USER_DEFINED_PATH}"
+fi
+
+unset SING_USER_DEFINED_PREPEND_PATH \
+	  SING_USER_DEFINED_APPEND_PATH \
+	  SING_USER_DEFINED_PATH
+
+export PATH
+"""
+runscriptFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+
+echo "There is no runscript defined for this container\n";
+"""
+startscriptFileContent = r"""#!/bin/sh
+"""
diff --git a/src/docker_unpack/cli.py b/src/docker_unpack/cli.py
index 7f37bf2..0b1fbc4 100644
--- a/src/docker_unpack/cli.py
+++ b/src/docker_unpack/cli.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 from ._version import __version__
 from .utils import generate_env, generate_runscript, MyTarFile, StreamProxy
+from .apptainer_base_env import make_base_env
 
 
 @app.command()
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ def unpack(input_file: typer.FileBinaryRead, output_dir: Path):
 
         logger.info(f"Done extracting layers to {extracted_root}")
 
+        make_base_env(extracted_root)
         generate_runscript(extracted_root, config["config"])
         generate_env(extracted_root, config["config"])
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/compression/Dockerfile b/tests/integration/compression/Dockerfile
index b68ee54..624f4ec 100644
--- a/tests/integration/compression/Dockerfile
+++ b/tests/integration/compression/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM alpine
+FROM alpine:3.19
 
 RUN touch /dummyfile1
 RUN echo "hello" > /dummyfile2
diff --git a/tests/integration/compression/test.sh b/tests/integration/compression/test.sh
index 7dcd3ac..20c2859 100755
--- a/tests/integration/compression/test.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/compression/test.sh
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@ set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 
 trap 'echo "Error on line $LINENO: $BASH_COMMAND"; exit 1' ERR
 
-docker pull alpine
+docker pull alpine:3.19
 
 # MARK: Compressing the whole package
 for compression in zstd gzip bzip2 xz; do
   echo "Testing package compression with $compression"
   __tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
-  docker save alpine | $compression > "$__tmpdir/image.tar"
+  docker save alpine:3.19 | $compression > "$__tmpdir/image.tar"
   APP_LOG_LEVEL=INFO pdm run docker-unpack unpack "$__tmpdir/image.tar" "$__tmpdir/unpacked"
   test -d "$__tmpdir/unpacked/etc"
   rm -rf "$__tmpdir"
diff --git a/tests/integration/environment/test.sh b/tests/integration/environment/test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4273fb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/environment/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Integration test: compression
+# This test aims to verify that the unpacker can handle compressed images
+
+set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
+
+trap 'echo "Error on line $LINENO: $BASH_COMMAND"; exit 1' ERR
+
+docker pull alpine:3.19
+
+__tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
+docker save alpine:3.19 | APP_LOG_LEVEL=INFO pdm run docker-unpack unpack - "$__tmpdir"
+
+# Test whether the environment variables are correctly set
+apptainer exec --compat --env MYTEST=someteststring "$__tmpdir" env | grep MYTEST
+
+rm -rf "$__tmpdir"
+echo "PASS"
diff --git a/tests/integration/whiteout/Dockerfile b/tests/integration/whiteout/Dockerfile
index f3193a7..caec6c8 100644
--- a/tests/integration/whiteout/Dockerfile
+++ b/tests/integration/whiteout/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM alpine
+FROM alpine:3.19
 
 RUN touch /1 /2 /3
 RUN rm /2