diff --git a/nix/microvm/base.nix b/nix/microvm/base.nix
index 2ad2e505..d40027f4 100644
--- a/nix/microvm/base.nix
+++ b/nix/microvm/base.nix
@@ -235,7 +235,25 @@ in {
   ];
 
   # add any common packages / services here
-  environment.systemPackages = [pkgs.gitMinimal];
+  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
+    gitMinimal
+    curlMinimal
+    wget
+    coreutils-full
+    file
+    findutils
+    gnused
+    jq
+    yq
+    xxd
+    gnutar
+    zip
+    unzip
+    gz-utils
+    bzip2
+    lz4
+    p7zip
+  ];
   # disable default nixos packages ([perl rsync strace])
   environment.defaultPackages = [];
   # this removed nixos-rebuild-ng and nixos-generate-config, which lets us
diff --git a/nix/pkgs/spindle-alpine-image.nix b/nix/pkgs/spindle-alpine-image.nix
index 11d74e26..7e102a4f 100644
--- a/nix/pkgs/spindle-alpine-image.nix
+++ b/nix/pkgs/spindle-alpine-image.nix
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@
 }: let
   nix = pkgsStatic.nixStatic;
   bash = pkgsStatic.bashNonInteractive;
+  curl = pkgsStatic.curlMinimal;
+  jq = pkgsStatic.jq;
   git =
     (pkgsStatic.gitMinimal.override {
-      curl = pkgsStatic.curlMinimal;
+      inherit curl;
       pythonSupport = false;
       withManual = false;
       nlsSupport = false;
@@ -26,7 +28,9 @@
       doInstallCheck = false;
       configureFlags = (old.configureFlags or []) ++ ["ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_global_init=yes"];
     });
-  guestTools = [nix bash git];
+  # we don't include gnused, xxd etc. here because busybox has them
+  # we want to keep the image this image small!
+  guestTools = [nix bash git curl jq];
 
   # run by busybox at sysinit
   setupScript = writeText "spindle-setup" ''