During February 2026, dholmesm focused on enhancing EFI handling and boot robustness in the u-root/u-root repository by implementing EFI variable processing and device-tree population within the Universal Boot Payload. Using Go and system programming techniques, dholmesm enabled efivar@ nodes to carry EFI variables into the payload, improving cross-architecture compatibility. The work included adding mock EFI variable support and deterministic tests, which addressed variability in device tree sizes and eliminated host-dependent test failures. By aligning with upstream EFI variable changes and validating integration on Intel server platforms, dholmesm delivered a robust feature that improved system reliability in diverse hardware and firmware environments.