diff --git a/base-notebook/Dockerfile b/base-notebook/Dockerfile
index 2e4b9419..69414117 100644
--- a/base-notebook/Dockerfile
+++ b/base-notebook/Dockerfile
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ RUN apt-get update --yes && \
     wget \
     ca-certificates \
     sudo \
-    rsync \
     locales \
     fonts-liberation \
     run-one && \
diff --git a/base-notebook/start.sh b/base-notebook/start.sh
index c7b8837e..4fb0354c 100755
--- a/base-notebook/start.sh
+++ b/base-notebook/start.sh
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ if [ "$(id -u)" == 0 ] ; then
         if [[ ! -e "/home/${NB_USER}" ]]; then
             echo "Relocating home dir to /home/${NB_USER}"
             mkdir "/home/${NB_USER}"
-            rsync -avx /home/jovyan "/home/${NB_USER}" || ln -s /home/jovyan "/home/${NB_USER}"
+            cp -R /home/jovyan "/home/${NB_USER}" || ln -s /home/jovyan "/home/${NB_USER}"
         fi
         # if workdir is in /home/jovyan, cd to /home/${NB_USER}
         if [[ "${PWD}/" == "/home/jovyan/"* ]]; then
diff --git a/base-notebook/test/test_container_options.py b/base-notebook/test/test_container_options.py
index c0830161..93a79719 100644
--- a/base-notebook/test/test_container_options.py
+++ b/base-notebook/test/test_container_options.py
@@ -209,8 +209,6 @@ def test_container_not_delete_bind_mount(container, tmp_path):
         volumes={d: {"bind": "/home/jovyan/data", "mode": "rw"}},
         command=["start.sh", "jupyter", "lab"],
     )
-
-    time.sleep(10)
-
+    time.sleep(2)
     assert p.read_text() == "some-content"
     assert len(list(tmp_path.iterdir())) == 1