diff --git a/share/doc/xsd/opennebula_configuration.xsd b/share/doc/xsd/opennebula_configuration.xsd
index 5029aca650..027fcd6003 100644
--- a/share/doc/xsd/opennebula_configuration.xsd
+++ b/share/doc/xsd/opennebula_configuration.xsd
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
         </xs:element>
 
         <xs:element name="CLUSTER_ENCRYPTED_ATTR" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
+        <xs:element name="CONTEXT_RESTRICTED_DIRS" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+        <xs:element name="CONTEXT_SAFE_DIRS" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
         <xs:element name="DATASTORE_CAPACITY_CHECK" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
         <xs:element name="DATASTORE_ENCRYPTED_ATTR" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
         <xs:element name="DATASTORE_LOCATION" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
diff --git a/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/cp b/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/cp
index ddc4277eb1..7df73ad252 100755
--- a/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/cp
+++ b/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/cp
@@ -152,6 +152,13 @@ if [ -n "$BRIDGE_LIST" ]; then
         ssh_exec_and_log "$DST_HOST" "$CONVERT_CMD" \
                          "Error converting $DST in $DST_HOST"
     fi
+
+    FORMAT=$(ssh_monitor_and_log $DST_HOST "set -e -o pipefail; $QEMU_IMG info $DST | grep \"^file format:\" | awk '{print \$3}'")
+
+    # if ssh_monitor_and_log fails RC is returned
+    if [[ $FORMAT =~ '^[0-9]+$' ]]; then
+        exit -1
+    fi
 else
     mkdir -p "$BASE_PATH"
     multiline_exec_and_log "set -e -o pipefail; $COPY_COMMAND" "Error copying $SRC to $DST"
@@ -159,6 +166,14 @@ else
     if [ "x$CONVERT" = 'xyes' ] && [ -n "$DRIVER" ]; then
         multiline_exec_and_log "$CONVERT_CMD" "Error converting $DST"
     fi
+
+    FORMAT=$($QEMU_IMG info $DST | grep "^file format:" | awk '{print $3}' || :)
+
+    if [ -z $FORMAT ]; then
+        rm -rf $DST
+        log_error "Unknown image format src=$SRC"
+        exit -1
+    fi
 fi
 
 echo "$DST"
diff --git a/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/rm b/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/rm
index a49176cd82..bc6c44c5c4 100755
--- a/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/rm
+++ b/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/rm
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ BASE_PATH="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[i++]}"
 if [ -n "$BRIDGE_LIST" ]; then
     DST_HOST=`get_destination_host $ID`
 
-    ssh_exec_and_log "$DST_HOST" "[ -f $SRC ] && rm -rf $SRC $SRC.snap" \
+    ssh_exec_and_log "$DST_HOST" "[ -e $SRC ] && rm -rf $SRC $SRC.snap" \
         "Error deleting $SRC in $DST_HOST"
 else
     BASENAME_SRC=`basename "${SRC##$REMOTE_RM_CMD}"`
-    if [ -f "$SRC" -a `dirname "$SRC"` = "$BASE_PATH" -a -n "$BASENAME_SRC" ]
+    if [ -e "$SRC" -a `dirname "$SRC"` = "$BASE_PATH" -a -n "$BASENAME_SRC" ]
     then
         log "Removing $SRC from the image repository"
 
diff --git a/src/template/OpenNebulaTemplate.cc b/src/template/OpenNebulaTemplate.cc
index b011b4d252..d04d93d15e 100644
--- a/src/template/OpenNebulaTemplate.cc
+++ b/src/template/OpenNebulaTemplate.cc
@@ -384,6 +384,8 @@ void OpenNebulaTemplate::set_conf_default()
     set_conf_single("HOST_ENCRYPTED_ATTR", "NSX_PASSWORD");
     set_conf_single("HOST_ENCRYPTED_ATTR", "ONE_PASSWORD");
     set_conf_single("SHOWBACK_ONLY_RUNNING", "NO");
+    set_conf_single("CONTEXT_RESTRICTED_DIRS", "/etc");
+    set_conf_single("CONTEXT_SAFE_DIRS", "");
 
     //DB CONFIGURATION
     vvalue.insert(make_pair("BACKEND","sqlite"));
diff --git a/src/vm/VirtualMachineContext.cc b/src/vm/VirtualMachineContext.cc
index 6594c9fc9c..2edbd0442b 100644
--- a/src/vm/VirtualMachineContext.cc
+++ b/src/vm/VirtualMachineContext.cc
@@ -67,6 +67,39 @@ const std::vector<ContextVariable> NETWORK6_CONTEXT = {
     {"EXTERNAL", "EXTERNAL", "", false},
 };
 
+bool is_restricted(const string& path,
+                   const set<string>& restricted,
+                   const set<string>& safe)
+{
+    auto canonical_c = realpath(path.c_str(), nullptr);
+
+    if (canonical_c == nullptr)
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    string canonical_str(canonical_c);
+    free(canonical_c);
+
+    for (auto& s : safe)
+    {
+        if (canonical_str.find(s) == 0)
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    for (auto& r : restricted)
+    {
+        if (canonical_str.find(r) == 0)
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /*   CONTEXT - Public Interface                                               */
@@ -128,6 +161,33 @@ int VirtualMachine::generate_context(string &files, int &disk_id,
     }
 
     files    = context->vector_value("FILES");
+
+    auto& nd = Nebula::instance();
+    string restricted_dirs, safe_dirs;
+    nd.get_configuration_attribute("CONTEXT_RESTRICTED_DIRS", restricted_dirs);
+    nd.get_configuration_attribute("CONTEXT_SAFE_DIRS", safe_dirs);
+
+    set<string> restricted, safe;
+
+    one_util::split_unique(restricted_dirs, ' ', restricted);
+    one_util::split_unique(safe_dirs, ' ', safe);
+
+    set<string> files_set;
+    one_util::split_unique(files, ' ', files_set);
+    for (auto& f : files_set)
+    {
+        if (is_restricted(f, restricted, safe))
+        {
+            string error = "CONTEXT/FILES cannot use " + f
+                           + ", it's in restricted directories";
+
+            log("VM", Log::ERROR, error);
+            set_template_error_message(error);
+
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
     files_ds = context->vector_value("FILES_DS");
 
     if (!files_ds.empty())
diff --git a/src/vmm/VirtualMachineManager.cc b/src/vmm/VirtualMachineManager.cc
index 383a898fd5..e44d3a7802 100644
--- a/src/vmm/VirtualMachineManager.cc
+++ b/src/vmm/VirtualMachineManager.cc
@@ -347,6 +347,9 @@ static int do_context_command(VirtualMachine * vm, const string& password,
 
     if ( rc == -1 )
     {
+        auto vmpool = Nebula::instance().get_vmpool();
+        vmpool->update(vm);
+
         return -1;
     }
     else if ( rc == 1 )