diff --git a/image/base/mkosi.conf b/image/base/mkosi.conf
index cb707df5458..9201a05ff10 100644
--- a/image/base/mkosi.conf
+++ b/image/base/mkosi.conf
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ Packages=containerd
 # Network
 Packages=iproute
          dbus
-         openssh-clients
          openssh-server
          systemd-networkd
          systemd-resolved
diff --git a/image/base/mkosi.skeleton/usr/lib/systemd/system/create-host-ssh-key.service b/image/base/mkosi.skeleton/usr/lib/systemd/system/create-host-ssh-key.service
index 4a23aba460a..b34d802db67 100644
--- a/image/base/mkosi.skeleton/usr/lib/systemd/system/create-host-ssh-key.service
+++ b/image/base/mkosi.skeleton/usr/lib/systemd/system/create-host-ssh-key.service
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=Create a host SSH key
-Before=network-pre.target
+Before=sshd.service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
 ExecStart=/bin/bash -c "ssh-keygen -t ecdsa -q -N '' -f /run/ssh_host_ecdsa_key"
 
 [Install]
-WantedBy=network-pre.target
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/image/mirror/SHA256SUMS b/image/mirror/SHA256SUMS
index 679d4ec4e41..e11f2b8eee9 100644
--- a/image/mirror/SHA256SUMS
+++ b/image/mirror/SHA256SUMS
@@ -245,7 +245,6 @@ a18edf32e89aefd453998d5d0ec3aa1ea193dac43f80b99db195abd7e8cf1a04  ncurses-libs-6
 f814bc09b50daaab468715088ec056373dbc209a5075306e4ce76f5c55eb2b42  nvme-cli-2.8-1.fc40.x86_64.rpm
 b09089231ec94ee1b2dc26e34d8d7f19586d411bc40df7d0e495e559ac2d871a  openldap-2.6.7-1.fc40.x86_64.rpm
 7cc7617d495bdb6b5c06bef538068a53e7cec8209c674918fd30ac82fba95b11  openssh-9.6p1-1.fc40.4.x86_64.rpm
-80e63c09c3bc9bb11bfd11914f0e94d547c622b86bdbb9383feed46f684b05a7  openssh-clients-9.6p1-1.fc40.4.x86_64.rpm
 a1142e22df88c6200a7378f20f6d92ec62908ac67aa3fbc223dba874bdf162ba  openssh-server-9.6p1-1.fc40.4.x86_64.rpm
 5df04d37e492e5f107cc21e547240f9f98b0b7613320467bc0b08f6aa1b0fb88  openssl-libs-3.2.2-3.fc40.i686.rpm
 e9fca52d76eb6277b9fec3238226faafc0938806318fad1143a527fdd28a16cf  openssl-libs-3.2.2-3.fc40.x86_64.rpm
diff --git a/image/mirror/packages.txt b/image/mirror/packages.txt
index 3fee41e2ebc..9d6240a2e4e 100644
--- a/image/mirror/packages.txt
+++ b/image/mirror/packages.txt
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ mokutil
 nano
 nano-default-editor
 nvme-cli
-openssh-clients
 openssh-server
 passt-selinux
 passwd