diff --git a/pkg/cosign/cosign.go b/pkg/cosign/cosign.go
index c7476e1..65db45b 100644
--- a/pkg/cosign/cosign.go
+++ b/pkg/cosign/cosign.go
@@ -2,14 +2,39 @@ package cosign
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"oras.land/oras-go/pkg/content"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"os/user"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+	"encoding/json"
+
+	ocispec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
+	"oras.land/oras-go/pkg/content"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/pkg/store"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/pkg/log"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/internal/mapper"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/pkg/reference"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/pkg/artifacts/file"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/pkg/artifacts/file/getter"
+	"github.com/rancherfederal/hauler/pkg/apis/hauler.cattle.io/v1alpha1"
 )
 
 // VerifyFileSignature verifies the digital signature of a file using Sigstore/Cosign.
-func VerifySignature(filePath string, keyPath string) error {
+func VerifySignature(ctx context.Context, s *store.Layout, keyPath string) error {
+
+	// Ensure that the cosign binary is installed or download it if needed
+	cosignBinaryPath, err := ensureCosignBinary(ctx, s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Command to verify the signature using Cosign.
-	cmd := exec.Command("cosign", "verify", "--insecure-ignore-tlog", "--key", keyPath, filePath)
+	cmd := exec.Command(cosignBinaryPath, "verify", "--insecure-ignore-tlog", "--key", keyPath, s.Root)
 
 	// Run the command and capture its output.
 	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
@@ -21,9 +46,17 @@ func VerifySignature(filePath string, keyPath string) error {
 }
 
 // SaveImage saves image and any signatures/attestations to the store.
-func SaveImage(storePath string, ref string) error {
+func SaveImage(ctx context.Context, s *store.Layout, ref string) error {
+
+	// Ensure that the cosign binary is installed or download it if needed
+	cosignBinaryPath, err := ensureCosignBinary(ctx, s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	println(cosignBinaryPath)
+
 	// Command to verify the signature using Cosign.
-	cmd := exec.Command("cosign", "save", ref, "--dir", storePath)
+	cmd := exec.Command("/Users/amartin/go/bin/cosign", "save", ref, "--dir", s.Root)
 
 	// Run the command and capture its output.
 	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
@@ -35,9 +68,17 @@ func SaveImage(storePath string, ref string) error {
 }
 
 // LoadImage loads store to a remote registry.
-func LoadImage(storePath string, registry string, ropts content.RegistryOptions) error {
+func LoadImage(ctx context.Context, s *store.Layout, registry string, ropts content.RegistryOptions) error {
+
+	//Ensure that the cosign binary is installed or download it if needed
+	cosignBinaryPath, err := ensureCosignBinary(ctx, s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	println(cosignBinaryPath)
+
 	// Command to verify the signature using Cosign.
-	cmd := exec.Command("cosign", "load", "--registry", registry, "--dir", storePath)
+	cmd := exec.Command("/Users/amartin/go/bin/cosign", "load", "--registry", registry, "--dir", s.Root)
 
 	// Conditionally add extra registry flags.
 	if ropts.Insecure {
@@ -55,3 +96,193 @@ func LoadImage(storePath string, registry string, ropts content.RegistryOptions)
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// ensureCosignBinary checks if the cosign binary exists in the specified directory and installs it if not.
+func ensureCosignBinary(ctx context.Context, s *store.Layout) (string, error) {
+	l := log.FromContext(ctx)
+
+	// Get the current user's information
+	currentUser, err := user.Current()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error: %v\n", err)
+	}
+
+	// Get the user's home directory
+	homeDir := currentUser.HomeDir
+
+	// Construct the path to the .hauler directory
+	haulerDir := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".hauler")
+	
+    // Create the .hauler directory if it doesn't exist
+    if _, err := os.Stat(haulerDir); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+        // .hauler directory does not exist, create it
+        if err := os.MkdirAll(haulerDir, 0755); err != nil {
+            return "", fmt.Errorf("Error creating .hauler directory: %v\n", err)
+        }
+        l.Infof("Created .hauler directory at: %s", haulerDir)
+    }
+
+	// Check if the cosign binary exists in the specified directory.
+    binaryPath := filepath.Join(haulerDir, "cosign")
+    _, err = os.Stat(binaryPath)
+    if err == nil {
+        // Cosign binary is already installed in the specified directory.
+        return binaryPath, nil
+    }
+
+    // Cosign binary is not found.
+    l.Infof("Cosign binary not found. Checking to see if it exists in the store...")
+
+	// grab binary from store if it exists, otherwise try to download it from GitHub.
+	// if the binary has to be downloaded, then automatically add it to the store afterwards.
+	err = copyCosignFromStore(ctx, s, haulerDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Warnf("%s", err)
+		err = downloadCosign(ctx, haulerDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		err = addCosignToStore(ctx, s, binaryPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return binaryPath, nil
+}
+
+// used to check if the cosign binary is in the store and if so copy it to the .hauler directory
+func copyCosignFromStore(ctx context.Context, s *store.Layout, destDir string) error {
+	l := log.FromContext(ctx)
+
+	ref := "hauler/cosign:latest"
+	r, err := reference.Parse(ref)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	found := false
+	if err := s.Walk(func(reference string, desc ocispec.Descriptor) error {
+	
+		if !strings.Contains(reference, r.Name()) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		found = true
+
+		rc, err := s.Fetch(ctx, desc)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer rc.Close()
+
+		var m ocispec.Manifest
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(rc).Decode(&m); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		mapperStore, err := mapper.FromManifest(m, destDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		pushedDesc, err := s.Copy(ctx, reference, mapperStore, "")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		l.Infof("extracted [%s] from store with digest [%s]", ref, pushedDesc.Digest.String())
+
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !found {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Reference [%s] not found in store.  Hauler will attempt to download it from Github.", ref)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// adds the cosign binary to the store.
+// this is to help with airgapped situations where you cannot access the internet.
+func addCosignToStore(ctx context.Context, s *store.Layout, binaryPath string) error {
+	l := log.FromContext(ctx)
+	
+	fi := v1alpha1.File{
+		Path: binaryPath,
+	}
+
+	copts := getter.ClientOptions{
+		NameOverride: fi.Name,
+	}
+
+	f := file.NewFile(fi.Path, file.WithClient(getter.NewClient(copts)))
+	ref, err := reference.NewTagged(f.Name(fi.Path), reference.DefaultTag)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	desc, err := s.AddOCI(ctx, f, ref.Name())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	l.Infof("added 'file' to store at [%s], with digest [%s]", ref.Name(), desc.Digest.String())
+	return nil
+}
+
+
+// used to check if the cosign binary is in the store and if so copy it to the .hauler directory
+func downloadCosign(ctx context.Context, haulerDir string) error {
+	l := log.FromContext(ctx)
+
+    // Define the GitHub release URL and architecture-specific binary name.
+    releaseURL := "https://github.com/rancher-government-solutions/cosign/releases/latest/download"
+	
+    // Determine the architecture and add it to the binary name.
+    arch := runtime.GOARCH
+	rOS := runtime.GOOS
+	binaryName := "cosign"
+	if rOS == "windows" {
+		binaryName = fmt.Sprintf("cosign-%s-%s.exe", rOS, arch)
+	} else {
+		binaryName = fmt.Sprintf("cosign-%s-%s", rOS, arch)
+	}
+	
+    // Download the binary.
+    downloadURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", releaseURL, binaryName)
+    resp, err := http.Get(downloadURL)
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("error downloading cosign binary: %v", err)
+    }
+    defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+    // Create the cosign binary file in the specified directory.
+    binaryFile, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(haulerDir, binaryName))
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("error creating cosign binary: %v", err)
+    }
+    defer binaryFile.Close()
+
+    // Copy the downloaded binary to the file.
+    _, err = io.Copy(binaryFile, resp.Body)
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("error saving cosign binary: %v", err)
+    }
+
+    // Make the binary executable.
+    if err := os.Chmod(binaryFile.Name(), 0755); err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("error setting executable permission: %v", err)
+    }
+
+    // Rename the binary to "cosign"
+	oldBinaryPath := filepath.Join(haulerDir, binaryName)
+    newBinaryPath := filepath.Join(haulerDir, "cosign")
+    if err := os.Rename(oldBinaryPath, newBinaryPath); err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("error renaming cosign binary: %v", err)
+    }
+
+    l.Infof("Cosign binary downloaded and installed to %s", haulerDir)
+	return nil
+}
\ No newline at end of file