diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 1d51365ecb..ff3947b3b2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # THIS FILE WAS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED, PLEASE DO NOT EDIT.
 #
-# Generated on 2024-12-18T13:55:17Z by kres b9507d6.
+# Generated on 2024-12-24T15:00:58Z by kres fcff05e.
 
 name: default
 concurrency:
@@ -2190,6 +2190,16 @@ jobs:
           VIA_MAINTENANCE_MODE: "true"
         run: |
           sudo -E make e2e-qemu
+      - name: e2e-min-requirements
+        env:
+          GITHUB_STEP_NAME: ${{ github.job}}-e2e-min-requirements
+          IMAGE_REGISTRY: registry.dev.siderolabs.io
+          QEMU_MEMORY_CONTROLPLANES: "2048"
+          QEMU_MEMORY_WORKERS: "1024"
+          QEMU_SYSTEM_DISK_SIZE: "10240"
+          SHORT_INTEGRATION_TEST: "yes"
+        run: |
+          sudo -E make e2e-qemu
       - name: save artifacts
         if: always()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration-misc-1-cron.yaml b/.github/workflows/integration-misc-1-cron.yaml
index d77789ef16..96b578831f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration-misc-1-cron.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration-misc-1-cron.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # THIS FILE WAS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED, PLEASE DO NOT EDIT.
 #
-# Generated on 2024-11-28T13:53:18Z by kres 232fe63.
+# Generated on 2024-12-24T15:00:58Z by kres fcff05e.
 
 name: integration-misc-1-cron
 concurrency:
@@ -104,6 +104,16 @@ jobs:
           VIA_MAINTENANCE_MODE: "true"
         run: |
           sudo -E make e2e-qemu
+      - name: e2e-min-requirements
+        env:
+          GITHUB_STEP_NAME: ${{ github.job}}-e2e-min-requirements
+          IMAGE_REGISTRY: registry.dev.siderolabs.io
+          QEMU_MEMORY_CONTROLPLANES: "2048"
+          QEMU_MEMORY_WORKERS: "1024"
+          QEMU_SYSTEM_DISK_SIZE: "10240"
+          SHORT_INTEGRATION_TEST: "yes"
+        run: |
+          sudo -E make e2e-qemu
       - name: save artifacts
         if: always()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
diff --git a/.kres.yaml b/.kres.yaml
index af4bd3aad2..6456d9bb2b 100644
--- a/.kres.yaml
+++ b/.kres.yaml
@@ -755,6 +755,16 @@ spec:
             VIA_MAINTENANCE_MODE: true
             DISABLE_DHCP_HOSTNAME: true
             IMAGE_REGISTRY: registry.dev.siderolabs.io
+        - name: e2e-min-requirements
+          command: e2e-qemu
+          withSudo: true
+          environment:
+            GITHUB_STEP_NAME: ${{ github.job}}-e2e-min-requirements
+            SHORT_INTEGRATION_TEST: yes
+            QEMU_MEMORY_WORKERS: 1024
+            QEMU_MEMORY_CONTROLPLANES: 2048
+            QEMU_SYSTEM_DISK_SIZE: 10240
+            IMAGE_REGISTRY: registry.dev.siderolabs.io
         - name: save-talos-logs
           conditions:
             - always
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index b2ca2a6314..ead6ab01e2 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -942,25 +942,9 @@ FROM install-artifacts-${INSTALLER_ARCH} AS install-artifacts
 FROM alpine:3.20.3 AS installer-image
 ARG SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH
 ENV SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH=${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}
+ARG INSTALLER_PKGS
 RUN apk add --no-cache --update --no-scripts \
-    bash \
-    binutils-aarch64 \
-    binutils-x86_64 \
-    cpio \
-    dosfstools \
-    e2fsprogs \
-    efibootmgr \
-    kmod \
-    mtools \
-    pigz \
-    qemu-img \
-    squashfs-tools \
-    tar \
-    util-linux \
-    xfsprogs \
-    xorriso \
-    xz \
-    zstd
+    ${INSTALLER_PKGS}
 ARG TARGETARCH
 ENV TARGETARCH=${TARGETARCH}
 COPY --from=installer-build /installer /bin/installer
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a1b1ed4c0b..3c761e1254 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -125,8 +125,32 @@ TESTPKGS ?= github.com/siderolabs/talos/...
 RELEASES ?= v1.8.4 v1.9.0
 SHORT_INTEGRATION_TEST ?=
 CUSTOM_CNI_URL ?=
+
 INSTALLER_ARCH ?= all
+INSTALLER_ONLY_PKGS ?= \
+    bash \
+    cpio \
+    efibootmgr \
+    kmod \
+    squashfs-tools \
+    xfsprogs \
+    xz \
+    zstd
+
+IMAGER_EXTRA_PKGS ?= \
+    binutils-aarch64 \
+    binutils-x86_64 \
+    dosfstools \
+    e2fsprogs \
+    mtools \
+    pigz \
+    qemu-img \
+    tar \
+    xorriso
+
+INSTALLER_PKGS ?= $(INSTALLER_ONLY_PKGS) $(IMAGER_EXTRA_PKGS)
 IMAGER_ARGS ?=
+
 MORE_IMAGES ?=
 
 CGO_ENABLED ?= 0
@@ -195,6 +219,7 @@ COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH=$(SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH)
 COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=ARTIFACTS=$(ARTIFACTS)
 COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=TESTPKGS=$(TESTPKGS)
 COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=INSTALLER_ARCH=$(INSTALLER_ARCH)
+COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=INSTALLER_PKGS="$(INSTALLER_PKGS)"
 COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=CGO_ENABLED=$(CGO_ENABLED)
 COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=GO_BUILDFLAGS="$(GO_BUILDFLAGS)"
 COMMON_ARGS += --build-arg=GO_BUILDFLAGS_TALOSCTL="$(GO_BUILDFLAGS_TALOSCTL)"
@@ -369,7 +394,7 @@ sd-stub: ## Outputs the systemd-stub to the artifact directory.
 
 .PHONY: installer
 installer: ## Builds the container image for the installer and outputs it to the registry.
-	@INSTALLER_ARCH=targetarch  \
+	@INSTALLER_ARCH=targetarch INSTALLER_PKGS="$(INSTALLER_ONLY_PKGS)" \
 		$(MAKE) registry-$@
 
 .PHONY: imager
diff --git a/hack/test/e2e-qemu.sh b/hack/test/e2e-qemu.sh
index aee5060c2c..44c80b80ae 100755
--- a/hack/test/e2e-qemu.sh
+++ b/hack/test/e2e-qemu.sh
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ function create_cluster {
     --kubernetes-version="${KUBERNETES_VERSION}" \
     --controlplanes=3 \
     --workers="${QEMU_WORKERS:-2}" \
-    --disk=15360 \
+    --disk="${QEMU_SYSTEM_DISK_SIZE:-15360}" \
     --extra-disks="${QEMU_EXTRA_DISKS:-0}" \
     --extra-disks-size="${QEMU_EXTRA_DISKS_SIZE:-5120}" \
     --extra-disks-drivers="${QEMU_EXTRA_DISKS_DRIVERS:-}" \
     --mtu=1430 \
-    --memory=2048 \
+    --memory="${QEMU_MEMORY_CONTROLPLANES:-2048}" \
     --memory-workers="${QEMU_MEMORY_WORKERS:-2048}" \
     --cpus="${QEMU_CPUS:-2}" \
     --cpus-workers="${QEMU_CPUS_WORKERS:-2}" \