diff --git a/baseimage/initializeBaseUbuntuImage.sh b/baseimage/initializeBaseUbuntuImage.sh
index 35f2b0f44..3f70ac980 100755
--- a/baseimage/initializeBaseUbuntuImage.sh
+++ b/baseimage/initializeBaseUbuntuImage.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ debconf-set-selections <<< 'mysql-server mysql-server/root_password_again passwo
 
 gpg_package=$([[ "${ubuntu_version}" == "16.04" ]] && echo "gnupg" || echo "gpg")
 mysql_package=$([[ "${ubuntu_version}" == "20.04" ]] && echo "mysql-server-8.0" || echo "mysql-server-5.7")
-apt-get -y install \
+apt-get -y install --no-install-recommends \
     acl \
     build-essential \
     cifs-utils \
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ apt install -y /tmp/nginx.deb
 rm /tmp/nginx.deb
 
 # on some providers like scaleway the sudo file is changed and we want to keep the old one
-apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" install -y sudo
+apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" install -y --no-install-recommends sudo
 
 # this ensures that unattended upgades are enabled, if it was disabled during ubuntu install time (see #346)
 # debconf-set-selection of unattended-upgrades/enable_auto_updates + dpkg-reconfigure does not work
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ mkdir -p /usr/local/node-10.18.1
 curl -sL https://nodejs.org/dist/v10.18.1/node-v10.18.1-linux-x64.tar.gz | tar zxf - --strip-components=1 -C /usr/local/node-10.18.1
 ln -sf /usr/local/node-10.18.1/bin/node /usr/bin/node
 ln -sf /usr/local/node-10.18.1/bin/npm /usr/bin/npm
-apt-get install -y python   # Install python which is required for npm rebuild
+apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python   # Install python which is required for npm rebuild
 [[ "$(python --version 2>&1)" == "Python 2.7."* ]] || die "Expecting python version to be 2.7.x"
 
 # https://docs.docker.com/engine/installation/linux/ubuntulinux/
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ fi
 
 # do not upgrade grub because it might prompt user and break this script
 echo "==> Enable memory accounting"
-apt-get -y --no-upgrade install grub2-common
+apt-get -y --no-upgrade --no-install-recommends install grub2-common
 sed -e 's/^GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="\(.*\)"$/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="\1 cgroup_enable=memory swapaccount=1 panic_on_oops=1 panic=5"/' -i /etc/default/grub
 update-grub
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ done
 echo "==> Install collectd"
 # without this, libnotify4 will install gnome-shell
 apt-get install -y libnotify4 --no-install-recommends
-if ! apt-get install -y libcurl3-gnutls collectd collectd-utils; then
+if ! apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libcurl3-gnutls collectd collectd-utils; then
     # FQDNLookup is true in default debian config. The box code has a custom collectd.conf that fixes this
     echo "Failed to install collectd. Presumably because of http://mailman.verplant.org/pipermail/collectd/2015-March/006491.html"
     sed -e 's/^FQDNLookup true/FQDNLookup false/' -i /etc/collectd/collectd.conf
diff --git a/scripts/cloudron-setup b/scripts/cloudron-setup
index 86044951f..c618be884 100755
--- a/scripts/cloudron-setup
+++ b/scripts/cloudron-setup
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ if [[ "${initBaseImage}" == "true" ]]; then
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    if ! DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" -y install curl python3 ubuntu-standard software-properties-common -y &>> "${LOG_FILE}"; then
+    if ! DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" -y install --no-install-recommends curl python3 ubuntu-standard software-properties-common -y &>> "${LOG_FILE}"; then
         echo "Could not install setup dependencies (curl). See ${LOG_FILE}"
         exit 1
     fi