diff --git a/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/deployment.tf b/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/deployment.tf
index 5da00f7a..706f691f 100644
--- a/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/deployment.tf
+++ b/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/deployment.tf
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ resource "kubernetes_deployment_v1" "deployment" {
           name    = "prepare-workspace"
           command = ["/bin/bash", "/prepare-workspace-script.sh"]
           image   = var.workspace_image
-          env {
-            name  = "SYSTEM_PACKAGES"
-            value = length(local.validated_system_packages) > 0 ? join(" ", local.validated_system_packages) : "NONE"
-          }
           env {
             name  = "HOMEBREW_PREFIX"
             value = local.homebrew_directory
@@ -70,10 +66,6 @@ resource "kubernetes_deployment_v1" "deployment" {
             name       = "coder-scripts"
             sub_path   = "prepare_workspace_script"
           }
-          volume_mount {
-            name       = "system"
-            mount_path = "/updated"
-          }
           security_context {
             run_as_user = 0
           }
@@ -156,21 +148,6 @@ resource "kubernetes_deployment_v1" "deployment" {
             name       = "coder-scripts"
             sub_path   = "workspace_init_script"
           }
-          volume_mount {
-            mount_path = "/usr"
-            name       = "system"
-            sub_path   = "usr"
-          }
-          volume_mount {
-            mount_path = "/etc"
-            name       = "system"
-            sub_path   = "etc"
-          }
-          volume_mount {
-            mount_path = "/var"
-            name       = "system"
-            sub_path   = "var"
-          }
           volume_mount {
             mount_path = "/tmp"
             name       = "tmp"
@@ -215,12 +192,6 @@ resource "kubernetes_deployment_v1" "deployment" {
             default_mode = "0750"
           }
         }
-        volume {
-          name = "system"
-          empty_dir {
-            size_limit = "10Gi"
-          }
-        }
         # /tmp is scratch space (agent/tool tempfiles, build caches, downloaded
         # archives) and needs to be fast - it cannot be the NFS-backed "home"
         # PVC, and it cannot be an empty_dir either, because empty_dir lives on
diff --git a/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/parameters.tf b/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/parameters.tf
index 630452e8..58729621 100644
--- a/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/parameters.tf
+++ b/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/parameters.tf
@@ -28,17 +28,6 @@ data "coder_parameter" "preferred_nodes" {
   type         = "list(string)"
 }
 
-data "coder_parameter" "system_packages" {
-  name = "system_packages"
-
-  default      = jsonencode(["build-essential"])
-  display_name = "System Packages"
-  description  = "Additional system packages to install"
-  icon         = "/icon/ubuntu.svg"
-  mutable      = true
-  type         = "list(string)"
-}
-
 data "coder_parameter" "memory_watchdog_mode" {
   name = "memory_watchdog_mode"
 
@@ -77,10 +66,6 @@ locals {
     ["observe", "enforce", "enforce-all"], data.coder_parameter.memory_watchdog_mode.value
   ) ? data.coder_parameter.memory_watchdog_mode.value : "observe"
 
-  validated_system_packages = (data.coder_parameter.system_packages.value != "") ? [
-    for str in jsondecode(data.coder_parameter.system_packages.value) :
-    str if length(regexall("[^a-zA-Z0-9-]", str)) == 0
-  ] : []
   validated_preferred_nodes = (data.coder_parameter.preferred_nodes.value != "") ? [
     for str in jsondecode(data.coder_parameter.preferred_nodes.value) :
     str if length(regexall("[^a-zA-Z0-9-]", str)) == 0
diff --git a/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/script-prepare-workspace.sh b/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/script-prepare-workspace.sh
index 3140d1ee..6fa32115 100755
--- a/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/script-prepare-workspace.sh
+++ b/templates/kubernetes/homelab-workspace/script-prepare-workspace.sh
@@ -67,29 +67,6 @@ setup_homebrew() {
   echo 'Done'
 }
 
-setup_system_packages() {
-  echo '------------------------------------------------------------'
-  echo 'Running apt-get update...'
-  apt-get update 2>&1 | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
-  echo 'Running apt-file update...'
-  apt-file update 2>&1 | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
-  echo '------------------------------------------------------------'
-  echo 'Installing additinal apt packages...'
-  echo "    Packages: $SYSTEM_PACKAGES"
-  echo
-  if [[ "$SYSTEM_PACKAGES" != "NONE" ]]; then
-    DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive" apt-get install --no-install-recommends -yq $SYSTEM_PACKAGES 2>&1 | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
-  fi
-  echo '------------------------------------------------------------'
-  echo 'Rsyncing (etc, usr, var) to /updated...'
-  rsync -aH --stats /etc /usr /var /updated 2>&1 | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
-  echo '------------------------------------------------------------'
-  echo 'Updated system size...'
-  du -h -d 1 /updated 2>&1 | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
-  echo '------------------------------------------------------------'
-  echo 'Done'
-}
-
 prepare_environment() {
   echo '------------------------------------------------------------'
   grep -v '^PATH=' /etc/environment > /tmp/environment.bak
@@ -104,9 +81,6 @@ prepare_environment() {
 }
 
 main() {
-  echo "Setting up system packages..."
-  setup_system_packages | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
-  echo
   echo "Setting up homebrew..."
   setup_homebrew | sed -E -n 's|^|    |p'
   echo