diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index e2cae74..891b071 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -79,10 +79,9 @@ make_pacman_conf() {
     sed -r "s|^#?\\s*CacheDir.+|CacheDir = $(echo -n ${_cache_dirs[@]})|g; s|^Architecture\s*=.*$|Architecture = ${arch}|" ${script_path}/pacman.conf > ${work_dir}/pacman.conf
 }
 
-# Base installation, plus needed packages (airootfs)
+# Base installation: base metapackage + syslinux (airootfs)
 make_basefs() {
     setarch ${arch} mkarchiso ${verbose} -w "${work_dir}/${arch}" -C "${work_dir}/pacman.conf" -D "${install_dir}" init
-    setarch ${arch} mkarchiso ${verbose} -w "${work_dir}/${arch}" -C "${work_dir}/pacman.conf" -D "${install_dir}" -p "haveged intel-ucode amd-ucode memtest86+ mkinitcpio-nfs-utils nbd zsh efitools" install
 }
 
 # Additional packages (airootfs)
diff --git a/packages b/packages
index c2f3c66..4979ae3 100644
--- a/packages
+++ b/packages
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
 alsa-utils
+amd-ucode
 arch-install-scripts
 atop
 b43-fwcutter
-bash
 bash-completion
 borg
 btrfs-progs
 busybox
-bzip2
 cabextract
 chntpw
 cifs-utils
 clonezilla
-coreutils
 cpio
 crda
 darkhttpd
@@ -27,40 +25,32 @@ dnsutils
 dosfstools
 dstat
 dvd+rw-tools
+efitools
 elinks
 ethtool
 exfat-utils
 f2fs-tools
 featherpad
-file
-filesystem
-findutils
 firefox-esr-bin
 flashrom
 fsarchiver
-gawk
-gcc-libs
 geany
-gettext
 git
-glibc
 gnu-netcat
 gparted
 gpm
 gptfdisk
-grep
 grml-zsh-config
 growpart
 grsync
 grub
-gzip
+haveged
 hdparm
 htop
 iftop
+intel-ucode
 iotop
 iperf3
-iproute2
-iputils
 ipw2100-fw
 ipw2200-fw
 irssi
@@ -68,7 +58,6 @@ jfsutils
 joe
 keepassxc
 lftp
-licenses
 linux-atm
 linux-firmware
 linux-lts
@@ -82,12 +71,15 @@ man-db
 man-pages
 mc
 mdadm
+memtest86+
 memtester
 mkinitcpio
+mkinitcpio-nfs-utils
 mlocate
 ms-sys
 mtools
 nano
+nbd
 ncdu
 ndisc6
 netctl
@@ -105,17 +97,13 @@ openconnect
 openssh
 openvpn
 p7zip
-pacman
 par2cmdline
 partclone
 parted
 partimage
 pavucontrol
-pciutils
 ppp
 pptpclient
-procps-ng
-psmisc
 pulseaudio-alsa
 pv
 rdesktop
@@ -127,18 +115,13 @@ rsync
 ruby
 screen
 sdparm
-sed
 sg3_utils
-shadow
 smartmontools
 squashfs-tools
 strace
 stress
 sudo
 sysstat
-systemd
-systemd-sysvcompat
-tar
 tcpdump
 testdisk
 tigervnc
@@ -150,7 +133,6 @@ udpcast
 unzip
 usb_modeswitch
 usbutils
-util-linux
 vi
 vim-minimal
 vpnc
@@ -178,9 +160,9 @@ xorg-apps
 xorg-drivers
 xorg-server
 xorg-xinit
-xz
 yubikey-manager
 yubikey-personalization-gui
 zerofree
 zile
 zip
+zsh