diff --git a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.build b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.build
index d31eb338c6..eb95d15201 100755
--- a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.build
+++ b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.build
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ if [ ! -f "$BUILDDIR"/build.ninja ]; then
         rootprefix=/${rootprefix#/}
     fi
 
+    . /etc/os-release
+    if [ "$ID" = "centos" ] && [ "$VERSION" = "8" ]; then
+        UKIFY=false
+    else
+        UKIFY=true
+    fi
+
     CONFIGURE_OPTS=(
         -D sysvinit-path="$sysvinit_path"
         -D rootprefix="$rootprefix"
@@ -133,7 +140,7 @@ if [ ! -f "$BUILDDIR"/build.ninja ]; then
         -D kernel-install=true
         -D analyze=true
         -D bpf-framework=true
-        -D ukify=true
+        -D ukify="$UKIFY"
         -D seccomp=true
         -D selinux=auto
         -D apparmor=auto
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf
index 283369ff10..4dec24cc20 100644
--- a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf
+++ b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ BuildPackages=
         bpftool
         docbook-xsl
         findutils
+        libgcrypt-devel # CentOS Stream 8 libgcrypt-devel doesn't ship a pkg-config file.
         libxslt
         pam-devel
         pkgconfig(audit)
@@ -65,4 +66,10 @@ BuildPackages=
         pkgconfig(tss2-tcti-device)
         pkgconfig(valgrind)
         pkgconfig(xkbcommon)
+        python3
+        python3dist(jinja2)
+        python3dist(lxml)
+        python3dist(pefile)
+        python3dist(pyelftools)
+        python3dist(pytest)
         rpm
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf
index eba6f040da..9c4c12423c 100644
--- a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf
+++ b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf
@@ -8,11 +8,4 @@ Packages=
         python3dist(pytest-flakes)
 
 BuildPackages=
-        pkgconfig(libgcrypt)
         pkgconfig(xencontrol)
-        python3
-        python3dist(jinja2)
-        python3dist(lxml)
-        python3dist(pefile)
-        python3dist(pyelftools)
-        python3dist(pytest)
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-8.conf b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-8.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index ef001c92c9..0000000000
--- a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-8.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
-
-[Match]
-Distribution=centos
-Release=8
-
-[Content]
-BuildPackages=
-        libgcrypt-devel # CentOS Stream 8 libgcrypt-devel doesn't ship a pkg-config file.
-        platform-python
-        python3.9dist(jinja2)
-        python3.9dist(lxml)
-        python3.9dist(pefile)
-        python3.9dist(pyelftools)
-        python3.9dist(pytest)
-        python39
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-9.conf b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-9.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index 61c1d27f44..0000000000
--- a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-9.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
-
-[Match]
-Distribution=centos
-Release=9
-
-[Content]
-BuildPackages=
-        pkgconfig(libgcrypt)
-        platform-python
-        python3dist(jinja2)
-        python3dist(lxml)
-        python3dist(pefile)
-        python3dist(pyelftools)
-        python3dist(pytest)
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.prepare b/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.prepare
deleted file mode 100755
index c056d4fc59..0000000000
--- a/mkosi.presets/00-base/mkosi.prepare
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
-set -e
-
-if [ "$1" = "build" ]; then
-    . /etc/os-release
-
-    if [ "$ID" = "centos" ] && [ "$VERSION" = "8" ]; then
-        alternatives --install /usr/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.9 1
-        alternatives --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.9
-    fi
-fi
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf b/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf
index cb68c8dd1a..ad77a2b8d4 100644
--- a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf
+++ b/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-centos-fedora.conf
@@ -23,5 +23,10 @@ Packages=
         passwd
         polkit
         procps-ng
+        python3
+        python3dist(pefile)
+        python3dist(pluggy) # python3-pluggy is a pytest dependency that's not installed for some reason.
+        python3dist(psutil)
+        python3dist(pytest)
         quota
         vim-common
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf b/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf
index 5ae623e47d..42d0093a89 100644
--- a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf
+++ b/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/10-fedora.conf
@@ -8,7 +8,3 @@ Packages=
         btrfs-progs
         compsize
         f2fs-tools
-        python3
-        python3dist(pefile)
-        python3dist(psutil)
-        python3dist(pytest)
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-8.conf b/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-8.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index 2fa476454d..0000000000
--- a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-8.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
-
-[Match]
-Distribution=centos
-Release=8
-
-[Content]
-Packages=
-        platform-python
-        python3.9dist(pefile)
-        python3.9dist(pluggy) # python39-pluggy is a pytest dependency that's not installed for some reason.
-        python3.9dist(psutil)
-        python3.9dist(pytest)
-        python39
diff --git a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-9.conf b/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-9.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index d6ab3ee1c3..0000000000
--- a/mkosi.presets/20-final/mkosi.conf.d/11-centos-9.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
-
-[Match]
-Distribution=centos
-Release=9
-
-[Content]
-Packages=
-        platform-python
-        python3dist(pefile)
-        python3dist(pluggy) # python39-pluggy is a pytest dependency that's not installed for some reason.
-        python3dist(psutil)
-        python3dist(pytest)