diff --git a/ci-automation/ci-config.env b/ci-automation/ci-config.env
index 5773a4c1c6..39fdb46939 100644
--- a/ci-automation/ci-config.env
+++ b/ci-automation/ci-config.env
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ GC_BUCKET="flatcar-linux"
 
 DEFAULT_HTTP_IMAGE_URL_TEMPLATE="@PROTO@://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/@ARCH@/@VERNUM@"
 
-if ! command -v pigz > /dev/null; then
-  # No PIGZ on Flatcar
-  PIGZ="docker run --rm -i ghcr.io/flatcar/pigz --fast"
+if ! command -v zstd > /dev/null; then
+  # we require zstd and it is included by default on flatcar
+  echo >&2 "zstd could not be found. unpacking container image may fail."
 fi
 
 CI_GIT_AUTHOR="flatcar-ci"
diff --git a/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh b/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
index 20e83ac169..3129b3ad4a 100644
--- a/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 # CI automation common functions.
 
 source ci-automation/ci-config.env
-: ${PIGZ:=pigz}
 : ${docker:=docker}
 
 : ${TEST_WORK_DIR:='__TESTS__'}