diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/common/init-stage2.sh b/.gitlab-ci/common/init-stage2.sh
index 0ce96019594..9d9226e5735 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/common/init-stage2.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/common/init-stage2.sh
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ fi
 # - vmx for Intel VT
 # - svm for AMD-V
 #
-# Additionally, download the kernel image to boot the VM via HWCI_TEST_SCRIPT.
-#
 if [ "$HWCI_KVM" = "true" ]; then
     unset KVM_KERNEL_MODULE
     {
@@ -91,11 +89,6 @@ if [ "$HWCI_KVM" = "true" ]; then
       echo "WARNING: Failed to detect CPU virtualization extensions"
     } || \
         modprobe ${KVM_KERNEL_MODULE}
-
-    mkdir -p /kernel
-    curl -L --retry 4 -f --retry-all-errors --retry-delay 60 \
-	-o "/kernel/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME}" \
-        "${KERNEL_IMAGE_BASE}/amd64/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME}"
 fi
 
 # Fix prefix confusion: the build installs to $CI_PROJECT_DIR, but we expect
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh
index 91056f89e94..8eaa4644d83 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh
@@ -195,17 +195,8 @@ section_end debian_setup
 
 . .gitlab-ci/container/build-kdl.sh
 
-############### Download prebuilt kernel and firmware
+############### Download firmware
 
-if [ "$DEBIAN_ARCH" = amd64 ]; then
-  uncollapsed_section_start kernel "Downloading kernel and firmware"
-  export KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME=bzImage
-  mkdir -p /kernel
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # KERNEL_IMAGE_BASE is set in the root .gitlab-ci.yml file
-  curl -L --retry 4 -f --retry-all-errors --retry-delay 60 \
-      -o "/kernel/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME}" "${KERNEL_IMAGE_BASE}/${DEBIAN_ARCH}/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME}"
-  section_end kernel
-fi
 . .gitlab-ci/container/get-firmware-from-source.sh / "$FIRMWARE_FILES"
 
 ############### Build mold
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci/container/gitlab-ci.yml
index d658a380edf..63d4e412420 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ debian/x86_64_test-base:
     - .firmware_x86_64
     - .container-builds-base
   variables:
-    MESA_IMAGE_TAG: &debian-x86_64_test-base "${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${KERNEL_TAG}"
+    MESA_IMAGE_TAG: &debian-x86_64_test-base "${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}"
     LLVM_VERSION: *debian-x86_64-llvm
 
 .use-debian/x86_64_test-base:
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ debian/x86_64_test-gl:
     - .export-container
   variables:
     MESA_IMAGE_TAG: &debian-x86_64_test-gl ${DEBIAN_TEST_GL_TAG}
-    LAVA_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "debian/x86_64_test-gl:${DEBIAN_TEST_GL_TAG}--${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${KERNEL_TAG}--${MESA_TEMPLATES_COMMIT}"
+    LAVA_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "debian/x86_64_test-gl:${DEBIAN_TEST_GL_TAG}--${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${MESA_TEMPLATES_COMMIT}"
 
 .use-debian/x86_64_test-gl:
   tags:
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ debian/x86_64_test-vk:
     - .export-container
   variables:
     MESA_IMAGE_TAG: &debian-x86_64_test-vk ${DEBIAN_TEST_VK_TAG}
-    LAVA_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "debian/x86_64_test-vk:${DEBIAN_TEST_VK_TAG}--${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${KERNEL_TAG}--${MESA_TEMPLATES_COMMIT}"
+    LAVA_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "debian/x86_64_test-vk:${DEBIAN_TEST_VK_TAG}--${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${MESA_TEMPLATES_COMMIT}"
 
 .use-debian/x86_64_test-vk:
   tags:
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ debian/x86_64_test-video:
     - .export-container
   variables:
     MESA_IMAGE_TAG: &debian-x86_64_test-video ${DEBIAN_TEST_VIDEO_TAG}
-    LAVA_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "debian/x86_64_test-video:${DEBIAN_TEST_VIDEO_TAG}--${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${KERNEL_TAG}--${MESA_TEMPLATES_COMMIT}"
+    LAVA_DISTRIBUTION_TAG: "debian/x86_64_test-video:${DEBIAN_TEST_VIDEO_TAG}--${DEBIAN_BASE_TAG}--${PKG_REPO_REV}--${MESA_TEMPLATES_COMMIT}"
 
 .use-debian/x86_64_test-video:
   tags:
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh b/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh
index d5d18cb0273..75638fcf6f8 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ then
   set -x
 fi
 
+if [ ! -f "/kernel/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME:-bzImage}" ]; then
+  mkdir -p /kernel
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # KERNEL_IMAGE_BASE is set in the default before_script
+  curl -L --retry 4 -f --retry-connrefused --retry-delay 30 \
+    -o "/kernel/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME:-bzImage}" "${KERNEL_IMAGE_BASE}/${DEBIAN_ARCH:-amd64}/${KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME:-bzImage}"
+fi
+
 # We aren't testing the host driver here, so we don't need to validate NIR on the host
 NIR_DEBUG="novalidate" \
 LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=${CROSVM_LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE:-} \