diff --git a/quattor/aii/ks/variants/el9.pan b/quattor/aii/ks/variants/el9.pan
index 6d862cd6d..c343709b3 100644
--- a/quattor/aii/ks/variants/el9.pan
+++ b/quattor/aii/ks/variants/el9.pan
@@ -7,13 +7,21 @@ prefix "/system/aii/osinstall/ks";
 "mouse" = null;
 "langsupport" = null;
 "packages_args" = list("--ignoremissing");
-
+# Required by perl-CDB_File
+"packages" = append("perl-English");
+# Required by some Quattor components and must be installed before
+# /etc/init.d is created by something else (e.g. a Quattor package)
+"packages" = append("chkconfig");
+"packages" = append("initscripts");
+
+"end_script" = "%end";  # TODO: remove - no longer used
 "part_label" = true;
 "volgroup_required" = false;
 "lvmforce" = true;
 
 # el9
 "version" = "34.25";
+"bootproto" = "static";
 "enable_sshd" = true;
 "cmdline" = true;
 
@@ -22,8 +30,8 @@ prefix "/system/aii/osinstall/ks";
 
 # rhel
 "eula" = true;
-
-"packagesinpost" = true;
+# deal with optional repository
+"packagesinpost" ?= true;
 
 prefix "/system/aii/nbp/pxelinux";
 "setifnames" = true;