diff --git a/installer/install-arch b/installer/install-arch
index c961310..3d59cec 100755
--- a/installer/install-arch
+++ b/installer/install-arch
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ fi
 ### Install and configure the basic system ###
 
 echo "Installing packages into /mnt"
+pacman -Sy
 pacstrap /mnt mkessler-desktop
 
 echo "Configuring mkessler-arch repo in installed system"
@@ -153,12 +154,19 @@ arch-chroot /mnt chsh -s /usr/bin/zsh
 echo "${user}:${user_password}" | chpasswd --root /mnt
 echo "root:${user_password}" | chpasswd --root /mnt
 
+echo "Installing grub bootloader"
+# install grub (but not main configuration file)
+arch-chroot /mnt grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB
+
+echo 'Configuring HOOKS in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf and regenerating initramfs'
+sed -i 's/HOOKS=(base udev autodetect consolefont modconf block keyboard fsck)/HOOKS=(base udev autodetect keyboard keymap consolefont modconf block enrcypt lvm2 resume fsck)/' /mnt/etc/mkinitcpio.conf
+arch-chroot /mnt mkinitcpio -P
+
 
 cat <<EOF
 ---------------------
 Installed basic packages and setup in /mnt
 Manual configuration is still needed for the following
-- edit /etc/mkinitcpio.conf and generate initcpio
-- install grub, configure grub parameters, generate main grub.cfg
+- configure grub parameters, generate main grub.cfg
 ---------------------
 EOF