diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7d3039722..c7ea98d4e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ jobs:
         test_os: ${{ fromJson(needs.compute-ci-level.outputs.package_os_matrix) }}
 
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    # Rawhide is best-effort; don't let it block merges
+    continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.test_os == 'fedora-45' }}
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
diff --git a/contrib/packaging/bootc.spec b/contrib/packaging/bootc.spec
index 8f8d3a67b..7ce0f7fd2 100644
--- a/contrib/packaging/bootc.spec
+++ b/contrib/packaging/bootc.spec
@@ -112,8 +112,13 @@ cat vendor-config.toml >> .cargo/config.toml
 rm vendor-config.toml
 %else
 # Container build: source already at _builddir (/src), nothing to extract
-# RPM's %mkbuilddir creates a subdirectory; symlink it back to the source
+# RPM's %mkbuilddir creates a subdirectory; symlink it back to the source.
+# F45+ RPM also creates rpmbuild.env in the subdir that %build will source,
+# so preserve it before replacing the directory with a symlink.
 cd ..
+if [ -f %{name}-%{version}-build/rpmbuild.env ]; then
+    mv %{name}-%{version}-build/rpmbuild.env .
+fi
 rm -rf %{name}-%{version}-build
 ln -s . %{name}-%{version}-build
 cd %{name}-%{version}-build
diff --git a/contrib/packaging/enable-compose-repos b/contrib/packaging/enable-compose-repos
index 20b5ba30d..dbabe8fd2 100755
--- a/contrib/packaging/enable-compose-repos
+++ b/contrib/packaging/enable-compose-repos
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ gpgcheck=1
 enabled=1
 priority=1
 gpgkey=${gpgkey}
+# Workaround for compose repos pulling in unwanted kernel subpackages
+# xref https://github.com/bootc-dev/bootc/pull/2267#issuecomment-4809555535
+exclude=kernel-debug* kernel-uki-virt*
 
 [compose-appstream]
 name=CentOS Stream \$releasever Compose AppStream
@@ -35,6 +38,9 @@ gpgcheck=1
 enabled=1
 priority=1
 gpgkey=${gpgkey}
+# Workaround for compose repos pulling in unwanted kernel subpackages
+# xref https://github.com/bootc-dev/bootc/pull/2267#issuecomment-4809555535
+exclude=kernel-debug* kernel-uki-virt*
 EOF
     echo "Enabled CentOS Stream compose repos (gpgkey: ${gpgkey})"
     ;;
diff --git a/tmt/tests/booted/test-soft-reboot-selinux-policy.nu b/tmt/tests/booted/test-soft-reboot-selinux-policy.nu
index 4e2706804..1ebb11f17 100644
--- a/tmt/tests/booted/test-soft-reboot-selinux-policy.nu
+++ b/tmt/tests/booted/test-soft-reboot-selinux-policy.nu
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ gpgcheck=1
 enabled=1
 priority=1
 gpgkey=($gpgkey)
+exclude=kernel-debug* kernel-uki-virt*
 
 [compose-appstream]
 name=CentOS Stream $releasever Compose AppStream
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ gpgcheck=1
 enabled=1
 priority=1
 gpgkey=($gpgkey)
+exclude=kernel-debug* kernel-uki-virt*
 "
         $repo_content | save --force centos-compose.repo