diff --git a/src/vm.ts b/src/vm.ts
index 4737c2c..d3dc568 100644
--- a/src/vm.ts
+++ b/src/vm.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { $ } from "bun"
+import { existsSync } from "fs"
 import { homedir } from "os"
 import { dirname, join } from "path"
 import { getApiKey } from "./env.ts"
@@ -47,17 +48,16 @@ async function run(cmd: ReturnType<typeof $>, step: string): Promise<void> {
 // ── create() helpers (internal) ──────────────────────────────────────
 
 /** Check which host source directories exist. */
-async function hostMounts(home: string): Promise<{ dev: boolean; code: boolean }> {
-  const [dev, code] = await Promise.all([
-    Bun.file(`${home}/dev`).exists().catch(() => false),
-    Bun.file(`${home}/code`).exists().catch(() => false),
-  ])
-  return { dev, code }
+function hostMounts(home: string): { dev: boolean; code: boolean } {
+  return {
+    dev: existsSync(`${home}/dev`),
+    code: existsSync(`${home}/code`),
+  }
 }
 
 /** Pull the image and start the container in detached mode. */
 async function createContainer(home: string): Promise<void> {
-  const mounts = await hostMounts(home)
+  const mounts = hostMounts(home)
   const args = ["container", "run", "-d", "--name", CONTAINER_NAME, "-m", "4G"]
   if (mounts.dev) args.push("--mount", `type=bind,source=${home}/dev,target=/host/dev,readonly`)
   if (mounts.code) args.push("--mount", `type=bind,source=${home}/code,target=/host/code,readonly`)
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ async function installPackages(cached: boolean): Promise<void> {
 
 /** Create symlinks so git worktree absolute paths from the host resolve inside the container. */
 async function createHostSymlinks(home: string): Promise<void> {
-  const mounts = await hostMounts(home)
+  const mounts = hostMounts(home)
   const cmds = [`mkdir -p '${home}'`, `ln -s /sandlot '${home}/.sandlot'`]
   if (mounts.dev) cmds.push(`ln -s /host/dev '${home}/dev'`)
   if (mounts.code) cmds.push(`ln -s /host/code '${home}/code'`)
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ export async function status(): Promise<"running" | "stopped" | "missing"> {
 /** Launch claude in the container at the given workdir. */
 export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?: string; continue?: boolean }): Promise<{ exitCode: number; output?: string }> {
   const cwd = containerPath(workdir)
-  const mounts = await hostMounts(homedir())
+  const mounts = hostMounts(homedir())
   const systemPromptLines = [
     "You are running inside a sandlot container (Apple Container, ubuntu:24.04).",
     `Your working directory is ${cwd}, a git worktree managed by sandlot.`,