diff --git a/cleanup_image b/cleanup_image
index 224c04a..911b238 100755
--- a/cleanup_image
+++ b/cleanup_image
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 export INSTALLDIR=$1
+export TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE=1
 
 . ./builder_setup
 
@@ -20,5 +21,8 @@ fi
 echo "--> Cleaning up image file..."
 $SCRIPTSDIR/09_cleanup.sh
 
-echo "--> Compacting image file..."
-/sbin/fstrim -v "$INSTALLDIR"
+# fstrim not supported in userspace
+if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -ne 1 ]; then
+	echo "--> Compacting image file..."
+	/sbin/fstrim -v "$INSTALLDIR"
+fi
diff --git a/prepare_image b/prepare_image
index 6334879..de1a2af 100755
--- a/prepare_image
+++ b/prepare_image
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ RETCODE=0
 . ./builder_setup >/dev/null
 . ./umount_kill.sh >/dev/null
 
+export TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE=1
+
 if ! [ $# -eq 1 ]; then
     echo "usage ${0} <img_file_name>"
     exit
@@ -55,11 +57,20 @@ echo "-> Preparing instalation of ${DIST} template..."
 if [ -f "${IMG}" ]; then
     echo "-> Image file already exists, assuming *update*..."
     if [ "0$TEMPLATE_ROOT_WITH_PARTITIONS" -eq 1 ]; then
-        IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -P -f --show "$IMG")
-        IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}p3
+		if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+			echo "Fuse mode not implemented when TEMPLATE_ROOT_WITH_PARTITIONS is true"
+			exit
+		else
+    	    IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -P -f --show "$IMG")
+        	IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}p3
+		fi
     else
-        IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -f --show "$IMG")
-        IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}
+		if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+			IMG_DEV=$IMG
+		else
+	        IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -f --show "$IMG")
+    	    IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}
+		fi
     fi
     udevadm settle --exit-if-exists="$IMG_DEV"
 else
@@ -78,11 +89,20 @@ size=2MiB, type=21686148-6449-6E6F-744E-656564454649, uuid=1e6c9db4-1e91-46c4-84
 type=0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4, uuid=693244e6-3e07-47bf-ad79-acade4293fe7, name="Root filesystem"
 EOF
 
-        IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -P -f --show "$IMG")
-        IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}p3
+		if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+			echo "Fuse mode not implemented when TEMPLATE_ROOT_WITH_PARTITIONS is true"
+			exit
+		else
+        	IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -P -f --show "$IMG")
+        	IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}p3
+		fi
     else
-        IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -f --show "$IMG")
-        IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}
+		if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+			IMG_DEV=$IMG
+		else
+        	IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -f --show "$IMG")
+        	IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}
+		fi
     fi
     udevadm settle --exit-if-exists="$IMG_DEV"
 
@@ -90,7 +110,9 @@ EOF
     /sbin/mkfs.ext4 -q -F "${IMG_DEV}" || exit 1
 fi
 
-mount "${IMG_DEV}" "${INSTALLDIR}" || exit 1
+if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+	fuse2fs "${IMG_DEV}" "${INSTALLDIR}" || exit 1
+fi
 trap "umount_kill $(readlink -m ${INSTALLDIR})" EXIT
 "${SCRIPTSDIR}/01_install_core.sh"
 
@@ -107,6 +129,8 @@ trap - EXIT
 
 echo "-> Unmounting prepared_image..."
 umount_kill "$(readlink -m ${INSTALLDIR})" || true
-/sbin/losetup -d ${IMG_LOOP}
+if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -ne 1 ]; then
+	/sbin/losetup -d ${IMG_LOOP}
+fi
 
 exit ${RETCODE}
diff --git a/qubeize_image b/qubeize_image
index 19c37cb..9e5179d 100755
--- a/qubeize_image
+++ b/qubeize_image
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ export CLEANIMG="$1"
 export NAME="$2"
 export LC_ALL=POSIX
 
+export TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE=1
+
 . ./builder_setup >/dev/null
 . ./umount_kill.sh >/dev/null
 
@@ -50,7 +52,9 @@ function cleanup() {
     trap - ERR
     trap
     umount_kill "$PWD/mnt" || true
-    /sbin/losetup -d ${IMG_LOOP}
+	if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -ne 1 ]; then
+	    /sbin/losetup -d ${IMG_LOOP}
+	fi
     exit $errval
 }
 trap cleanup ERR
@@ -72,14 +76,27 @@ fi
 echo "--> Mounting $IMG"
 mkdir -p mnt
 if [ "0$TEMPLATE_ROOT_WITH_PARTITIONS" -eq 1 ]; then
-    IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -P -f --show "$IMG")
-    IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}p3
+	if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo "Fuse mode not implemented when TEMPLATE_ROOT_WITH_PARTITIONS is true"
+		exit
+	else
+ 		IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -P -f --show "$IMG")
+    	IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}p3
+	fi
 else
-    IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -f --show "$IMG")
-    IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}
+	if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+		IMG_DEV=$IMG
+	else
+    	IMG_LOOP=$(/sbin/losetup -f --show "$IMG")
+    	IMG_DEV=${IMG_LOOP}
+	fi
 fi
 udevadm settle --exit-if-exists="$IMG_DEV"
-mount "$IMG_DEV" mnt || exit 1
+if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -eq 1 ]; then
+	fuse2fs "$IMG_DEV" mnt
+else
+	mount "$IMG_DEV" mnt || exit 1
+fi
 export INSTALLDIR=mnt
 
 # prepare for template.conf, so the qubeize script may generate it dynamically
@@ -159,7 +176,9 @@ ls -als $IMG
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 echo "--> Unmounting $IMG"
 umount_kill "$PWD/mnt" || true
-/sbin/losetup -d ${IMG_LOOP}
+if [ "$TEMPLATE_USE_FUSE" -ne 1 ]; then
+	/sbin/losetup -d ${IMG_LOOP}
+fi
 
 echo "Qubeized image stored at: $IMG"
 
diff --git a/templates.spec b/templates.spec
index e1a82e9..210ef57 100644
--- a/templates.spec
+++ b/templates.spec
@@ -193,3 +193,4 @@ rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
 %attr (664,root,qubes) %{dest_dir}/vm-whitelisted-appmenus.list
 %attr (664,root,qubes) %{dest_dir}/netvm-whitelisted-appmenus.list
 %attr (664,root,qubes) %{dest_dir}/template.conf
+%define _arch x86_64