diff --git a/common/tasks/packages.py b/common/tasks/packages.py
index abccdf5..cdc9497 100644
--- a/common/tasks/packages.py
+++ b/common/tasks/packages.py
@@ -7,8 +7,12 @@ class HostPackages(Task):
 	phase = phases.preparation
 
 	def run(self, info):
-		packages = set(['debootstrap'])
-		info.host_packages = packages
+		info.host_packages = set()
+		info.host_packages.add('debootstrap')
+
+		from base.fs.partitionmaps.none import NoPartitions
+		if not isinstance(info.volume.partition_map, NoPartitions):
+			info.host_packages.update(['parted', 'kpartx'])
 
 
 class ImagePackages(Task):
@@ -16,9 +20,7 @@ class ImagePackages(Task):
 	phase = phases.preparation
 
 	def run(self, info):
-		# Add some basic packages we are going to need
+		info.img_packages = set(), set()
+		include, exclude = info.img_packages
 		# We could bootstrap without locales, but things just suck without them, error messages etc.
-		include = set(['locales'])
-		exclude = set()
-
-		info.img_packages = include, exclude
+		include.add('locales')
diff --git a/providers/virtualbox/tasks/packages.py b/providers/virtualbox/tasks/packages.py
index 871152a..228ad59 100644
--- a/providers/virtualbox/tasks/packages.py
+++ b/providers/virtualbox/tasks/packages.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class HostPackages(Task):
 	after = [packages.HostPackages]
 
 	def run(self, info):
-		info.host_packages.update(['qemu-utils', 'parted', 'kpartx'])
+		info.host_packages.add('qemu-utils')
 		if 'xfs' in (p.filesystem for p in info.volume.partition_map.partitions):
 			info.host_packages.add('xfsprogs')
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class ImagePackages(Task):
 		manifest = info.manifest
 		include, exclude = info.img_packages
 		# Add some basic packages we are going to need
-		include.update(['grub2'])
+		include.add('grub2')
 
 		# In squeeze, we need a special kernel flavor for xen
 		kernels = {'squeeze': {'amd64': 'linux-image-amd64',