diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b6b6a6b..2ce09ce 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -239,5 +239,9 @@ Profiles can be created using JSON and only require an `id` with optional `data`
 
 There are some features still missing that will be added later.
 
-1. Optionally build plugins directly into the main driver
-2. Protected routes that require authentication
+1. Running `makeshift` locally with profiles and plugins
+2. Plugin to add user data for one-time use without creating a profile
+3. Optionally build plugins directly into the main driver
+4. Protected routes that require authentication
+5. Configuration file for persistent runs
+6. `Dockerfile` and `docker-compose.yml` files to build containers
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/download.go b/cmd/download.go
index c19a783..6c50c3f 100644
--- a/cmd/download.go
+++ b/cmd/download.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
@@ -16,7 +15,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-var pluginKWArgs kwargs.KWArgs = kwargs.KWArgs{}
+var (
+	pluginArgs   []string
+	pluginKWArgs kwargs.KWArgs = kwargs.KWArgs{}
+)
 var downloadCmd = cobra.Command{
 	Use: "download",
 	Example: `
@@ -50,7 +52,6 @@ var downloadCmd = cobra.Command{
 			configPath, _    = cmd.Flags().GetString("config")
 			cacertPath, _    = cmd.Flags().GetString("cacert")
 			pluginNames, _   = cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("plugins")
-			pluginArgs, _    = cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("plugin-args")
 			profileIDs, _    = cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("profiles")
 			extract, _       = cmd.Flags().GetBool("extract")
 			removeArchive, _ = cmd.Flags().GetBool("remove-archive")
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ var downloadCmd = cobra.Command{
 			query += "&args=" + url.QueryEscape(strings.Join(pluginArgs, ","))
 		}
 		if len(pluginKWArgs) > 0 {
-			query += "&kwargs=" + base64.RawURLEncoding.EncodeToString(pluginKWArgs.Bytes())
+			query += "&kwargs=" + url.QueryEscape(pluginKWArgs.String())
 		}
 
 		log.Debug().
@@ -85,8 +86,6 @@ var downloadCmd = cobra.Command{
 			Str("output", outputPath).
 			Strs("profiles", profileIDs).
 			Strs("plugins", pluginNames).
-			Strs("args", pluginArgs).
-			Any("kwargs", pluginKWArgs).
 			Send()
 
 		if cacertPath != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/run.go b/cmd/run.go
index e738e26..846e560 100644
--- a/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/run.go
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			keyfile, _       = cmd.Flags().GetString("keyfile")
 			timeout, _       = cmd.Flags().GetInt("timeout")
 			pluginNames, _   = cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("plugins")
-			pluginArgs, _    = cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("plugin-args")
 			profileIDs, _    = cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("profiles")
 			extract, _       = cmd.Flags().GetBool("extract")
 			removeArchive, _ = cmd.Flags().GetBool("remove-archive")
diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index fba854b..b723a02 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -94,10 +94,8 @@ func init() {
 	serveCmd.Flags().String("host", "localhost:5050", "Set the configurator server host (can be set with MAKESHIFT_HOST)")
 	serveCmd.Flags().String("root", "./", "Set the root path to serve files (can be set with MAKESHIFT_ROOT)")
 	serveCmd.Flags().IntP("timeout", "t", 60, "Set the timeout in seconds for requests (can be set with MAKESHIFT_TIMEOUT)")
-	serveCmd.Flags().String("cacert", "", "Set the CA certificate path to load (can be set with MAKESHIFT_CACERT, only used if set with '--keyfile' flag)")
-	serveCmd.Flags().String("keyfile", "", "Set the CA key file to use (can be set with MAKESHIFT_KEYFILE, only used if set with '--cacert' flag)")
-	serveCmd.Flags().String("keyurl", "", "Set the JWKS remote host for JWT verification")
-	serveCmd.Flags().StringSlice("protect-routes", []string{}, "Set the routes to require authentication (uses default routes if not set with '--keyurl' flag)")
+	serveCmd.Flags().String("cacert", "", "Set the CA certificate path to load (can be set with MAKESHIFT_CACERT)")
+	serveCmd.Flags().String("keyfile", "", "Set the CA key file to use (can be set with MAKESHIFT_KEYFILE)")
 
 	serveCmd.MarkFlagsRequiredTogether("cacert", "keyfile")
 
diff --git a/internal/format/format.go b/internal/format/format.go
index 11cfa56..bdbfea0 100644
--- a/internal/format/format.go
+++ b/internal/format/format.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
@@ -93,11 +92,11 @@ func Unmarshal(data []byte, v any, inFormat DataFormat) error {
 // both the standard default format (JSON) and any command line
 // change to that provided by options.
 func DataFormatFromFileExt(path string, defaultFmt DataFormat) DataFormat {
-	switch strings.TrimLeft(strings.ToLower(filepath.Ext(path)), ".") {
-	case JSON.String():
+	switch filepath.Ext(path) {
+	case ".json", ".JSON":
 		// The file is a JSON file
 		return JSON
-	case YAML.String(), "yml":
+	case ".yaml", ".yml", ".YAML", ".YML":
 		// The file is a YAML file
 		return YAML
 	}
diff --git a/internal/kwargs/kwargs.go b/internal/kwargs/kwargs.go
index 0c8911f..1da80bd 100644
--- a/internal/kwargs/kwargs.go
+++ b/internal/kwargs/kwargs.go
@@ -5,28 +5,15 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/internal/format"
-	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
 const RESERVED_KEY = "kwargs"
 
 type KWArgs map[string]any
 
-func New() KWArgs {
-	return KWArgs{}
-}
-
 func (kw KWArgs) String() string {
-	return string(kw.Bytes())
-}
-
-func (kw KWArgs) Bytes() []byte {
-	b, err := json.Marshal(kw)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("failed to marshal kwargs")
-		return []byte("{}")
-	}
-	return b
+	b, _ := json.Marshal(kw)
+	return string(b)
 }
 
 func (kw *KWArgs) Set(v string /* should be JSON object*/) error {
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/jinja2/jinja2.go b/pkg/plugins/jinja2/jinja2.go
index 6282d7c..daf6b20 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/jinja2/jinja2.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/jinja2/jinja2.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 
-	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/internal/kwargs"
 	makeshift "git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg"
 	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg/storage"
 	"github.com/nikolalohinski/gonja/v2"
@@ -43,11 +42,10 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 		mappings struct {
 			Data map[string]any `json:"data"`
 		}
-		userdata *kwargs.KWArgs
 		context  *exec.Context
 		template *exec.Template
 		profiles any // makeshift.ProfileMap
-		contents any // []byte
+		input    any // []byte
 		output   bytes.Buffer
 		err      error
 	)
@@ -58,26 +56,18 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 		Int("arg_count", len(args)).
 		Msg("(jinja2) Run()")
 
-	// get profile data used as variable `{{ makeshift.profiles }}`
 	profiles, err = store.Get("profiles")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("(jinja2) failed to get profiles: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// get userdata used as variable `{{ makeshift.userdata }}`
-	userdata, err = store.GetKWArgs()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("(jinja2) failed to get key-word arguments: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// get file contents used for templating
-	contents, err = store.Get("file")
+	input, err = store.Get("file")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("(jinja2) failed to get input data: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	// get the templates provided as args to the plugin
-	template, err = gonja.FromBytes(contents.([]byte))
+	template, err = gonja.FromBytes(input.([]byte))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("(jinja2) failed to get template from args: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -93,7 +83,6 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// get mappings from provided profiles `{{ makeshift.plugin.*}}`
 	var ps = make(map[string]any)
 	for profileID, profile := range profiles.(makeshift.ProfileMap) {
 		ps[profileID] = map[string]any{
@@ -107,7 +96,6 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 	mappings.Data = map[string]any{
 		"makeshift": map[string]any{
 			"profiles": ps,
-			"userdata": userdata,
 			"plugin": map[string]any{
 				"name":        p.Name(),
 				"version":     p.Version(),
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/mapper/mapper.go b/pkg/plugins/mapper/mapper.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66b4a5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/plugins/mapper/mapper.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	makeshift "git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg"
+	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg/storage"
+)
+
+type Mapper struct{}
+
+func (p *Mapper) Name() string        { return "mapper" }
+func (p *Mapper) Version() string     { return "v0.0.1-alpha" }
+func (p *Mapper) Description() string { return "Directly maps data to store" }
+func (p *Mapper) Metadata() makeshift.Metadata {
+	return makeshift.Metadata{
+		"author": map[string]any{
+			"name":  "David J. Allen",
+			"email": "davidallendj@gmail.com",
+			"links": []string{
+				"https://github.com/davidallendj",
+				"https://git.towk2.me/towk",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *Mapper) Init() error {
+	// nothing to initialize
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Mapper) Run(data storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Mapper) Clean() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+var Makeshift Mapper
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/pyjinja2/pyjinja2.go b/pkg/plugins/pyjinja2/pyjinja2.go
index f625c26..673f1a1 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/pyjinja2/pyjinja2.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/pyjinja2/pyjinja2.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 
-	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/internal/kwargs"
 	makeshift "git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg"
 	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg/storage"
 	jinja2 "github.com/kluctl/kluctl/lib/go-jinja2"
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 		mappings struct {
 			Data map[string]any `json:"data"`
 		}
-		userdata *kwargs.KWArgs
 		profiles any // makeshift.ProfileMap
 		input    any // []byte
 		output   string
@@ -56,19 +54,11 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 		Int("arg_count", len(args)).
 		Msg("(pyjinja2) Run()")
 
-	// get profile data used as variable `{{ makeshift.profiles }}`
 	profiles, err = store.Get("profiles")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("(pyjinja2) failed to get profiles: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// get userdata used as variable `{{ makeshift.userdata }}`
-	userdata, err = store.GetKWArgs()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("(pyjinja2) failed to get key-word arguments: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// get file contents used for templating
 	input, err = store.Get("file")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("(pyjinja2) failed to get input data: %v", err)
@@ -85,7 +75,7 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// get mappings from provided profiles `{{ makeshift.plugin.*}}`
+	// get mappings from provided profiles
 	var ps = make(map[string]any)
 	for profileID, profile := range profiles.(makeshift.ProfileMap) {
 		ps[profileID] = map[string]any{
@@ -99,7 +89,6 @@ func (p *Jinja2) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
 	mappings.Data = map[string]any{
 		"makeshift": map[string]any{
 			"profiles": ps,
-			"userdata": userdata,
 			"plugin": map[string]any{
 				"name":        p.Name(),
 				"version":     p.Version(),
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/user/user.go b/pkg/plugins/user/user.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff59640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/plugins/user/user.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	makeshift "git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg"
+	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg/storage"
+)
+
+type User struct{}
+
+func (p *User) Name() string        { return "user" }
+func (p *User) Version() string     { return "v0.0.1-alpha" }
+func (p *User) Description() string { return "Get user information" }
+func (p *User) Metadata() makeshift.Metadata {
+	return makeshift.Metadata{
+		"author": map[string]any{
+			"name":  "David J. Allen",
+			"email": "davidallendj@gmail.com",
+			"links": []string{
+				"https://github.com/davidallendj",
+				"https://git.towk2.me/towk",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *User) Init() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *User) Run(store storage.KVStore, args []string) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *User) Cleanup() error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/service/routes.go b/pkg/service/routes.go
index faa0236..e4fdb04 100644
--- a/pkg/service/routes.go
+++ b/pkg/service/routes.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package service
 
 import (
-	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -17,63 +16,44 @@ import (
 	makeshift "git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg"
 	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg/storage"
 	"git.towk2.me/towk/makeshift/pkg/util"
+	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
 func (s *Service) Download() http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		var (
-			path        = s.PathForData() + strings.TrimPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/download")
-			pluginArgs  = strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("args"), ",")
-			pluginNames = strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("plugins"), ",")
-			profileIDs  = strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("profiles"), ",")
+			path         = s.PathForData() + strings.TrimPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/download")
+			pluginKWArgs = chi.URLParam(r, "kwargs")
+			pluginArgs   = strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("args"), ",")
+			pluginNames  = strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("plugins"), ",")
+			profileIDs   = strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("profiles"), ",")
 
-			kw       *kwargs.KWArgs = new(kwargs.KWArgs)
+			kw       *kwargs.KWArgs
 			fileInfo os.FileInfo
 			out      *os.File
 			store    *storage.MemoryStorage = new(storage.MemoryStorage)
 			hooks    []makeshift.Hook
 			contents []byte
-			decoded  []byte
 			errs     []error
 			err      error
 		)
 
 		// parse the KWArgs from request
-		decoded, err = base64.RawURLEncoding.DecodeString(r.URL.Query().Get("kwargs"))
-		if err != nil {
-			s.writeErrorResponse(w, err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
-			return
-		}
+		kw.Set(pluginKWArgs)
+
+		// initialize storage
+		store.Init()
+		store.SetKWArgs(kw)
 
 		log.Debug().
 			Str("path", path).
 			Str("client_host", r.Host).
 			Strs("plugins", pluginNames).
 			Strs("profiles", profileIDs).
-			Strs("args", pluginArgs).
-			Str("kwargs", string(decoded)).
 			Any("query", r.URL.Query()).
 			Msg("Service.Download()")
 
-		err = kw.Set(string(decoded))
-		if err != nil {
-			s.writeErrorResponse(w, err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
-			return
-		}
-
-		// initialize storage
-		err = store.Init()
-		if err != nil {
-			s.writeErrorResponse(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
-			return
-		}
-		err = store.SetKWArgs(kw)
-		if err != nil {
-			s.writeErrorResponse(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
-			return
-		}
-
 		// prepare profiles
 		errs = s.LoadProfiles(profileIDs, store, errs)
 		if len(errs) > 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/storage/memory.go b/pkg/storage/memory.go
index 76874c1..a3b1abb 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/memory.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/memory.go
@@ -20,15 +20,11 @@ func (ms *MemoryStorage) Cleanup() error {
 }
 
 func (ms *MemoryStorage) SetKWArgs(kw *kwargs.KWArgs) error {
-	ms.Data[kwargs.RESERVED_KEY] = kw
-	return nil
+	return ms.Set(kwargs.RESERVED_KEY, kw)
 }
 
 func (ms *MemoryStorage) GetKWArgs() (*kwargs.KWArgs, error) {
 	kw, err := ms.Get(kwargs.RESERVED_KEY)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 	return kw.(*kwargs.KWArgs), err
 }
 
@@ -41,7 +37,7 @@ func (ms *MemoryStorage) Get(k string) (any, error) {
 }
 
 func (ms *MemoryStorage) Set(k string, v any) error {
-	if k == kwargs.RESERVED_KEY {
+	if k == "kwargs" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot set reserved key '%s' (use SetKWArgs() instead)", k)
 	}
 	ms.Data[k] = v
diff --git a/pkg/storage/memory_test.go b/pkg/storage/memory_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 82be054..0000000
--- a/pkg/storage/memory_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-package storage