diff --git a/customize_rootfs.sh b/customize_rootfs.sh
index 554bbb659f..5f165b75f2 100755
--- a/customize_rootfs.sh
+++ b/customize_rootfs.sh
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ sudo rm -rf "$TMP_STATIC"
 # Fix issue where alsa-base (dependency of alsa-utils) is messing up our sound
 # drivers. The stock modprobe settings worked fine.
 # TODO: Revisit when we have decided on how sound will work on chromeos.
-sudo rm "${ROOT_FS_DIR}/etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf"
+! sudo rm "${ROOT_FS_DIR}/etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf"
 
 # Remove unneeded fonts.
 sudo rm -rf "${ROOT_FS_DIR}/usr/share/fonts/X11"
diff --git a/install_packages.sh b/install_packages.sh
index 79917b634b..028bbc3dca 100755
--- a/install_packages.sh
+++ b/install_packages.sh
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ apt-config -c="$APT_CONFIG" dump > "${ROOT_FS_DIR}/../apt.conf.dump"
 # Install prod packages
 COMPONENTS=`cat $FLAGS_package_list | grep -v ' *#' | grep -v '^ *$' | sed '/$/{N;s/\n/ /;}'`
 sudo apt-get -c="$APT_CONFIG" update
-sudo apt-get -c="$APT_CONFIG" --yes --force-yes install $COMPONENTS
+sudo apt-get -c="$APT_CONFIG" --yes --force-yes --no-install-recommends \
+  install $COMPONENTS
 
 # Create kernel installation configuration to suppress warnings,
 # install the kernel in /boot, and manage symlinks.