diff --git a/ci/Dockerfile.fedora b/ci/Dockerfile.fedora
index 8fe6b129..09dc7475 100644
--- a/ci/Dockerfile.fedora
+++ b/ci/Dockerfile.fedora
@@ -1,15 +1,7 @@
 FROM fedora:34
 
-RUN dnf -y upgrade
-RUN dnf -y install gcc make cmake libcurl-devel rpm-devel rpm-build \
-        libsolv-devel popt-devel sed createrepo_c glib2-devel expat \
-        findutils python3-pytest python3-requests python3-urllib3 \
-        python3-pyOpenSSL python3 python3-devel valgrind gpgme-devel \
-        expat-devel openssl-devel sqlite-devel rpm-sign which python3-pip \
-        shadow-utils sudo e2fsprogs util-linux
-
-RUN pip3 install flake8
-
-RUN mkdir -p /var/lib/tdnf
+COPY ci/prep.sh /prep.sh
+RUN chmod +x /prep.sh
+RUN /prep.sh
 
 CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/ci/Dockerfile.photon b/ci/Dockerfile.photon
index b93955e2..d7919329 100644
--- a/ci/Dockerfile.photon
+++ b/ci/Dockerfile.photon
@@ -1,19 +1,7 @@
 FROM photon:latest
 
-RUN tdnf update  -y
-RUN tdnf remove  -y toybox
-RUN tdnf install -y --enablerepo=photon-debuginfo \
-               build-essential cmake curl-devel rpm-build \
-               libsolv-devel popt-devel sed createrepo_c glib expat-libs \
-               findutils python3 python3-pip python3-setuptools \
-               python3-devel valgrind gpgme-devel glibc-debuginfo \
-               expat-devel openssl-devel zlib-devel sqlite-devel \
-               python3-requests python3-urllib3 python3-pyOpenSSL \
-               sudo shadow which e2fsprogs util-linux
-
-# this can to be removed once latest pytest gets published in photon
-RUN pip3 install pytest flake8
-
-RUN mkdir -p /var/lib/tdnf
+COPY ci/prep.sh /prep.sh
+RUN chmod +x /prep.sh
+RUN /prep.sh
 
 CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/ci/prep.sh b/ci/prep.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf57f074
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/prep.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -ex
+
+rel_file="/etc/os-release"
+
+common_pkgs=(
+  cmake
+  createrepo_c
+  e2fsprogs
+  expat-devel
+  findutils
+  gpgme-devel
+  libsolv-devel
+  openssl-devel
+  popt-devel
+  python3-devel
+  python3-pip
+  python3-pyOpenSSL
+  python3-requests
+  python3-urllib3
+  rpm-build
+  sed
+  sqlite-devel
+  sudo
+  util-linux
+  valgrind
+  which
+)
+
+if grep -qw "Fedora" ${rel_file}; then
+  fedora_packages=(
+    ${common_pkgs[@]}
+    gcc
+    glib2-devel
+    libcurl-devel
+    make
+    python3-pytest
+    python3-flake8
+    rpm-devel
+    rpm-sign
+    shadow-utils
+  )
+  dnf -y upgrade --refresh
+  dnf -y install ${fedora_packages[@]}
+elif grep -qw "Photon" ${rel_file}; then
+  photon_packages=(
+    ${common_pkgs[@]}
+    build-essential
+    curl-devel
+    glib
+    glibc-debuginfo
+    shadow
+    zlib-devel
+  )
+  tdnf -y upgrade --refresh
+  tdnf remove -y toybox
+  tdnf -y install --enablerepo=photon-debuginfo ${photon_packages[@]}
+  pip3 install pytest flake8
+fi
+
+mkdir -p /var/lib/tdnf