diff --git a/src/roswire/app/app.py b/src/roswire/app/app.py
index d1b4191b..378209a5 100644
--- a/src/roswire/app/app.py
+++ b/src/roswire/app/app.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 __all__ = ("App",)
 
-import os
-import tempfile
 import typing
 from typing import Any, Mapping, Optional, Sequence
 
@@ -144,11 +142,6 @@ def launch(
         environment = dict(environment) if environment else {}
         volumes = dict(volumes) if volumes else {}
 
-        # generate a temporary shared directory
-        dir_containers = os.path.join(self._roswire.workspace, "containers")
-        os.makedirs(dir_containers, exist_ok=True)
-        host_workspace = tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=dir_containers)
-
         container = dockerblade.provision(
             image=self.image,
             command="/bin/sh",
@@ -156,17 +149,13 @@ def launch(
             name=name,
             entrypoint="/bin/sh -c",
             environment=environment,
-            volumes={
-                host_workspace: {"bind": "/.roswire", "mode": "rw"},
-                **volumes,
-            },
+            volumes=volumes,
             ports=ports,
         )
 
         instance = AppInstance(
             app=self,
             dockerblade=container,
-            host_workspace=host_workspace,
         )
         return instance
 
@@ -202,6 +191,5 @@ def attach(
         instance = AppInstance(
             app=self,
             dockerblade=container,
-            host_workspace=None
         )
         return instance
diff --git a/src/roswire/app/instance.py b/src/roswire/app/instance.py
index b251d87f..a05fe22e 100644
--- a/src/roswire/app/instance.py
+++ b/src/roswire/app/instance.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 __all__ = ("AppInstance",)
 
-import os
-import shutil
 import typing
 from types import TracebackType
 from typing import Optional, Type
@@ -10,7 +8,6 @@
 import attr
 import dockerblade
 from docker.models.images import Image as DockerImage
-from loguru import logger
 
 from ..common import TypeDatabase
 from ..common.catkin import CatkinInterface, CatkinMake, CatkinTools
@@ -38,9 +35,6 @@ class AppInstance:
         Provides access to a bash shell for this container.
     files: dockerblade.files.FileSystem
         Provides access to the filesystem for this container.
-    _host_workspace: str, optional
-        The absolute path to the shared directory, if any, for this container's
-        workspace on the host machine.
     _dockerblade: dockerblade.container.Container
         Provides access to the underlying Docker container.
     """
@@ -51,7 +45,6 @@ class AppInstance:
     files: dockerblade.files.FileSystem = attr.ib(
         repr=False, init=False, eq=False
     )
-    _host_workspace: Optional[str] = attr.ib(repr=False, default=None)
 
     def __attrs_post_init__(self) -> None:
         dockerblade = self._dockerblade
@@ -145,12 +138,6 @@ def close(self) -> None:
         """Closes this application instance and destroys all resources."""
         self._dockerblade.remove()
 
-        workspace = self._host_workspace
-        if workspace and os.path.exists(workspace):
-            logger.debug(f"destroying app instance directory: {workspace}")
-            shutil.rmtree(workspace)
-            logger.debug(f"destroyed app instance directory: {workspace}")
-
     def persist(
         self,
         repo: Optional[str] = None,
diff --git a/src/roswire/ros1/launch/reader.py b/src/roswire/ros1/launch/reader.py
index 67503e9f..8052de1d 100644
--- a/src/roswire/ros1/launch/reader.py
+++ b/src/roswire/ros1/launch/reader.py
@@ -233,7 +233,10 @@ def _load_param_tag(
         if val is not None:
             value = convert_str_to_type(val, typ)
         if textfile is not None:
-            value = self._files.read(textfile)
+            try:
+                value = self._files.read(textfile)
+            except dockerblade.exceptions.ContainerFileNotFound:
+                value = '' #TODO: FIX ME
         if binfile is not None:
             value = self._files.read(binfile, binary=True)
         if command is not None:
diff --git a/src/roswire/ros1/ros1.py b/src/roswire/ros1/ros1.py
index 42d4c1f2..f37cc0a6 100644
--- a/src/roswire/ros1/ros1.py
+++ b/src/roswire/ros1/ros1.py
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@ class ROS1:
 
     @classmethod
     def for_app_instance(cls, instance: "AppInstance", port: int = 11311) -> "ROS1":
-        return ROS1(description=instance.app.description,
-                    shell=instance.shell,
-                    files=instance.files,
-                    ws_host=instance._host_workspace,
-                    ip_address=instance.ip_address,
-                    instance=instance,
-                    port=port,
-                    )
+        return ROS1(
+            description=instance.app.description,
+            shell=instance.shell,
+            files=instance.files,
+            ip_address=instance.ip_address,
+            instance=instance,
+            port=port,
+        )
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ def __init__(
         description: "AppDescription",
         shell: dockerblade.Shell,
         files: dockerblade.FileSystem,
-        ws_host: Optional[str],
         ip_address: str,
         port: int = 11311,
     ) -> None:
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.__description = description
         self.__shell = shell
         self.__files = files
-        self.__ws_host = ws_host
+        self.__ws_host = None
         assert port > 1023
         self.__port = port
         self.__ip_address = ip_address