diff --git a/docs/supported-container-runtimes.md b/docs/supported-container-runtimes.md
index ffc477a46..7305dd28b 100644
--- a/docs/supported-container-runtimes.md
+++ b/docs/supported-container-runtimes.md
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ Works out of the box.
 
 ### Usage
 
-MacOS:
+#### MacOS:
+
 ```bash
 {% raw %}
 export DOCKER_HOST=unix://$(podman machine inspect --format '{{.ConnectionInfo.PodmanSocket.Path}}')
@@ -16,10 +17,29 @@ export TESTCONTAINERS_DOCKER_SOCKET_OVERRIDE=/var/run/docker.sock
 {% endraw %}
 ```
 
-Linux:
-```bash
-export DOCKER_HOST=unix://${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}/podman/podman.sock
-```
+#### Linux:
+
+1. Ensure the Podman socket is exposed:
+
+    Rootless:
+ 
+    ```bash
+    systemctl --user status podman.socket
+    ```
+ 
+    Rootful:
+ 
+    ```bash
+    sudo systemctl enable --now podman.socket
+    ```
+
+2. Export the `DOCKER_HOST`:
+
+    ```bash
+    {% raw %}
+    export DOCKER_HOST="unix://$(podman info --format '{{.Host.RemoteSocket.Path}}')"
+    {% endraw %}
+    ```
 
 ### Known issues
 
@@ -71,10 +91,7 @@ You can use a composite wait strategy to additionally wait for a port to be boun
 const { GenericContainer, Wait } = require("testcontainers");
 
 const container = await new GenericContainer("redis")
-  .withWaitStrategy(Wait.forAll([
-    Wait.forListeningPorts(),
-    Wait.forLogMessage("Ready to accept connections")
-  ]))
+  .withWaitStrategy(Wait.forAll([Wait.forListeningPorts(), Wait.forLogMessage("Ready to accept connections")]))
   .start();
 ```
 
diff --git a/packages/testcontainers/src/port-forwarder/port-forwarder.ts b/packages/testcontainers/src/port-forwarder/port-forwarder.ts
index 93d03c09c..cdd0a834e 100644
--- a/packages/testcontainers/src/port-forwarder/port-forwarder.ts
+++ b/packages/testcontainers/src/port-forwarder/port-forwarder.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,13 @@ export class PortForwarderInstance {
     }
 
     log.debug(`Connecting to Port Forwarder on "${host}:${port}"...`);
-    const connection = await createSshConnection({ host, port, username: "root", password: "root" });
+    const connection = await createSshConnection({
+      host,
+      port,
+      username: "root",
+      password: "root",
+      readyTimeout: 100_000,
+    });
     log.debug(`Connected to Port Forwarder on "${host}:${port}"`);
     connection.unref();
 
diff --git a/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.test.ts b/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.test.ts
index e6e06b47a..357ace7c6 100644
--- a/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.test.ts
+++ b/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { ContainerRuntimeClient, getContainerRuntimeClient } from "../container-runtime";
+import { RandomUniquePortGenerator } from "../utils/port-generator";
 
 describe("Reaper", { timeout: 120_000 }, () => {
   let client: ContainerRuntimeClient;
@@ -7,9 +8,64 @@ describe("Reaper", { timeout: 120_000 }, () => {
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
     vi.resetModules();
+    vi.stubEnv("TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_TEST_LABEL", "true");
     client = await getContainerRuntimeClient();
   });
 
+  it("should create disabled reaper when TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_DISABLED=true", async () => {
+    vi.stubEnv("TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_DISABLED", "true");
+    vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([]);
+
+    const reaper = await getReaper();
+
+    expect(() => reaper.addSession("test-session")).not.toThrow();
+    expect(() => reaper.addComposeProject("test-project")).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("should return cached reaper instance", async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([]);
+
+    const reaper = await getReaper();
+    const reaper2 = await getReaper();
+
+    expect(reaper2.containerId).toBe(reaper.containerId);
+  });
+
+  it("should create new reaper container if one is not running", async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([]);
+    const reaper = await getReaper();
+    vi.resetModules();
+
+    const reaper2 = await getReaper();
+
+    expect(reaper2.containerId).not.toBe(reaper.containerId);
+  });
+
+  it("should reuse existing reaper container if one is already running", async () => {
+    const reaper = await getReaper();
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const reaperContainerInfo = (await client.container.list()).filter((c) => c.Id === reaper.containerId)[0];
+    reaperContainerInfo.Labels["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_TEST_LABEL"] = "false";
+    vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([reaperContainerInfo]);
+
+    const reaper2 = await getReaper();
+
+    expect(reaper2.containerId).toBe(reaper.containerId);
+  });
+
+  it("should use custom port when TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_PORT is set", async () => {
+    const customPort = (await new RandomUniquePortGenerator().generatePort()).toString();
+    vi.stubEnv("TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_PORT", customPort);
+    vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([]);
+
+    const reaper = await getReaper();
+
+    const reaperContainer = client.container.getById(reaper.containerId);
+    const ports = (await reaperContainer.inspect()).HostConfig.PortBindings;
+    const port = ports["8080"] || ports["8080/tcp"];
+    expect(port[0].HostPort).toBe(customPort);
+  });
+
   it("should create Reaper container without RYUK_VERBOSE env var by default", async () => {
     vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([]);
     const reaper = await getReaper();
@@ -22,8 +78,8 @@ describe("Reaper", { timeout: 120_000 }, () => {
 
   it("should propagate TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_VERBOSE into Reaper container", async () => {
     vi.stubEnv("TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_VERBOSE", "true");
-
     vi.spyOn(client.container, "list").mockResolvedValue([]);
+
     const reaper = await getReaper();
 
     const reaperContainer = client.container.getById(reaper.containerId);
diff --git a/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.ts b/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.ts
index a2af584bc..1158838c6 100644
--- a/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.ts
+++ b/packages/testcontainers/src/reaper/reaper.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ export async function getReaper(client: ContainerRuntimeClient): Promise<Reaper>
 async function findReaperContainer(client: ContainerRuntimeClient): Promise<ContainerInfo | undefined> {
   const containers = await client.container.list();
   return containers.find(
-    (container) => container.State === "running" && container.Labels[LABEL_TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK] === "true"
+    (container) =>
+      container.State === "running" &&
+      container.Labels[LABEL_TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK] === "true" &&
+      container.Labels["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_TEST_LABEL"] !== "true"
   );
 }
 
@@ -78,12 +81,15 @@ async function createNewReaper(sessionId: string, remoteSocketPath: string): Pro
     .withBindMounts([{ source: remoteSocketPath, target: "/var/run/docker.sock" }])
     .withLabels({ [LABEL_TESTCONTAINERS_SESSION_ID]: sessionId })
     .withWaitStrategy(Wait.forLogMessage(/.*Started.*/));
-  if (process.env["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_VERBOSE"])
+  if (process.env["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_VERBOSE"]) {
     container.withEnvironment({ RYUK_VERBOSE: process.env["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_VERBOSE"] });
-
-  if (process.env.TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_PRIVILEGED === "true") {
+  }
+  if (process.env["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_PRIVILEGED"] === "true") {
     container.withPrivilegedMode();
   }
+  if (process.env["TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_TEST_LABEL"] === "true") {
+    container.withLabels({ TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_TEST_LABEL: "true" });
+  }
 
   const startedContainer = await container.start();