diff --git a/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go b/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go
index 86a2e37277..295cf7947d 100644
--- a/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go
+++ b/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go
@@ -125,7 +125,8 @@ var knownKernels = []string{"kernel", "kernel-debug", "kernel-rt"}
 
 // Returns the number of known kernels in the package list
 func kernelCount(imgType distro.ImageType) int {
-	pkgs := imgType.PackageSets(blueprint.Blueprint{})["packages"].Include
+	sets := imgType.PackageSets(blueprint.Blueprint{})
+	pkgs := sets["packages"].Append(sets["blueprint"]).Include
 	n := 0
 	for _, pkg := range pkgs {
 		for _, kernel := range knownKernels {
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel85/distro.go b/internal/distro/rhel85/distro.go
index 8bf8e7dc2b..14e1d434e5 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel85/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel85/distro.go
@@ -213,7 +213,10 @@ func (t *imageType) PackageSets(bp blueprint.Blueprint) map[string]rpmmd.Package
 	if timezone != nil {
 		bpPackages = append(bpPackages, "chrony")
 	}
-	mergedSets["packages"] = mergedSets["packages"].Append(rpmmd.PackageSet{Include: bpPackages})
+
+	// depsolve bp packages separately
+	// bp packages aren't restricted by exclude lists
+	mergedSets["blueprint"] = rpmmd.PackageSet{Include: bpPackages}
 	return mergedSets
 
 }
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
index 005e2ea1ba..f31af12432 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 func qcow2Pipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packageSetSpecs map[string][]rpmmd.PackageSpec, rng *rand.Rand) ([]osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func qcow2Pipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, opti
 func vhdPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packageSetSpecs map[string][]rpmmd.PackageSpec, rng *rand.Rand) ([]osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func vhdPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, option
 func vmdkPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packageSetSpecs map[string][]rpmmd.PackageSpec, rng *rand.Rand) ([]osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func vmdkPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, optio
 func openstackPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packageSetSpecs map[string][]rpmmd.PackageSpec, rng *rand.Rand) ([]osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func openstackPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations,
 func amiPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packageSetSpecs map[string][]rpmmd.PackageSpec, rng *rand.Rand) ([]osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func tarPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customizations, option
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
 
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ func tarInstallerPipelines(t *imageType, customizations *blueprint.Customization
 	pipelines := make([]osbuild.Pipeline, 0)
 	pipelines = append(pipelines, *buildPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["build"]))
 
-	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
+	treePipeline, err := osPipeline(repos, packageSetSpecs["packages"], packageSetSpecs["blueprint"], customizations, options, t.enabledServices, t.disabledServices, t.defaultTarget)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -325,9 +325,10 @@ func buildPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, buildPackageSpecs []rpmmd.PackageSp
 	return p
 }
 
-func osPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, c *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, enabledServices, disabledServices []string, defaultTarget string) (*osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
+func osPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, bpPackages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, c *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOptions, enabledServices, disabledServices []string, defaultTarget string) (*osbuild.Pipeline, error) {
 	p := new(osbuild.Pipeline)
 	p.Name = "os"
+	packages = append(packages, bpPackages...)
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewRPMStage(rpmStageOptions(repos), rpmStageInputs(packages)))
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewFixBLSStage())
 	language, keyboard := c.GetPrimaryLocale()