diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index da65b793..f7062cd6 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 livecd-rootfs (2.477) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
 
+  * Purge initramfs-tools from minimized images.
   * Remove boot/grub leftovers from our root squashfs, left behind after
     grub purge.
   * Remove apt, debconf cruft files from /var/cache in all our livefses.
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ livecd-rootfs (2.477) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     for any of the current minimal images), rather than being included
     directly in the cloud-image seed.
 
- -- Steve Langasek <steve.langasek@ubuntu.com>  Fri, 13 Oct 2017 14:18:45 -0400
+ -- Steve Langasek <steve.langasek@ubuntu.com>  Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:14:58 -0400
 
 livecd-rootfs (2.476) artful; urgency=medium
 
diff --git a/live-build/auto/build b/live-build/auto/build
index b062ddfb..30ced7b5 100755
--- a/live-build/auto/build
+++ b/live-build/auto/build
@@ -210,6 +210,22 @@ EOF
 
 	lb chroot "$@"
 
+	if [ "${SUBPROJECT:-}" = minimized ]; then
+		# force removal of initramfs-tools, which we assert is not
+		# required for any minimized images but is still pulled in by
+		# default
+		Chroot chroot "env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+			apt-get -y purge initramfs-tools"
+		Chroot chroot "env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+			apt-mark auto busybox-initramfs busybox-static"
+		# temporary workaround: don't remove linux-base which
+		# may have no other reverse-depends currently
+		Chroot chroot "env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+			apt-mark manual linux-base"
+		Chroot chroot "env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+			apt-get -y --purge autoremove"
+	fi
+
 	# remove crufty files that shouldn't be left in an image
 	rm -f chroot/var/cache/debconf/*-old
 	Chroot chroot apt clean