diff --git a/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-cleanup.tmpl b/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-cleanup.tmpl
index 9e0c4e8e..a91b1b31 100644
--- a/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-cleanup.tmpl
+++ b/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-cleanup.tmpl
@@ -11,11 +11,7 @@ remove usr/share/i18n
     removepkg perl*
 %endif
 ## no sound support, thanks
-## ...except alsa-libs, which are needed by spice-vdagent
-removepkg alsa-*firmware* flac gstreamer-tools libsndfile pulseaudio* sound-theme-freedesktop
-removepkg midisport-firmware
-## no fancy video, either
-removepkg libcrystalhd crystalhd-firmware ivtv-firmware cx18-firmware
+removepkg flac gstreamer-tools libsndfile pulseaudio* sound-theme-freedesktop
 ## we don't create new initramfs/bootloader conf inside anaconda
 ## (that happens inside the target system after we install dracut/grubby)
 removepkg dracut-network grubby anaconda-dracut
@@ -48,8 +44,6 @@ removepkg usermode usermode-gtk passwd
 removefrom chkconfig --allbut /etc/init.d
 ## Miscellanous unnecessary gpg program
 removepkg pinentry
-## no printer/scanner support in anaconda
-removepkg cups-libs iscan-firmware
 ## no storage device monitoring
 removepkg device-mapper-event dmraid-events sgpio
 ## no notifications in anaconda
diff --git a/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-install.tmpl b/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-install.tmpl
index 6592584a..93080c17 100644
--- a/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-install.tmpl
+++ b/share/templates.d/99-generic/runtime-install.tmpl
@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@ installpkg pigz
 installpkg kernel kernel-modules kernel-modules-extra
 installpkg grubby
 %if basearch != "s390x":
-    installpkg *-firmware
+    ## skip the firmware for sound, video, and scanners, none of which will
+    ## do much good for the installer. Also skip uhd-firmware which is not
+    ## even a kernel firmware package.
+    installpkg *-firmware --except alsa* --except midisport-firmware \
+                          --except crystalhd-firmware --except ivtv-firmware \
+                          --except cx18-firmware --except iscan-firmware \
+                          --except uhd-firmware
     installpkg b43-openfwwf
 %endif