diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index c27659ae..52ec26e7 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
+livecd-rootfs (2.551) disco; urgency=medium
+
+  * Do no install openssh-server in the base filsystem for the live server
+    installer.
+  * Use right lsb_release argument for HWE kernel name (-sc -> bionic, need
+    -sr -> 18.04).
+  * A few simple tweaks to reduce size of live servers installer.squashfs:
+    - Do not run apt-get update (which can bring in package lists if we are
+      unlucky wrt publisher schedules).
+    - Run apt-get clean to clear out downloaded debs of curtin/casper and
+      dependencies.
+    - Do not install user-setup.
+    - Use the core snap from the base filesystem if present.
+
+ -- Michael Hudson-Doyle <michael.hudson@ubuntu.com>  Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:40:21 +1300
+
 livecd-rootfs (2.550) disco; urgency=medium
 
   [ Balint Reczey ]
diff --git a/live-build/auto/config b/live-build/auto/config
index 21cba94d..496e8dea 100755
--- a/live-build/auto/config
+++ b/live-build/auto/config
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ case $PROJECT in
 			live)
 				add_task install standard
 				add_task install server
-				LIVE_TASK='cloud-image'
+				add_package install cloud-init
 				;;
 		esac
 		COMPONENTS='main'
diff --git a/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/032-installer-squashfs.binary b/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/032-installer-squashfs.binary
index 63edba4f..d08b4cd9 100755
--- a/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/032-installer-squashfs.binary
+++ b/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/032-installer-squashfs.binary
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ EOF
 
 # Install any requirements for the installer, for things we don't want
 # to see on the installed system
-chroot $INSTALLER_ROOT apt-get update
-chroot $INSTALLER_ROOT apt-get -y install user-setup curtin lupin-casper
+chroot $INSTALLER_ROOT apt-get -y install curtin lupin-casper
+chroot $INSTALLER_ROOT apt-get clean
+
 
 # For bug #1743643 "Install to dirty disk with swap fails" remove the
 # "helpful" casper script that mounts any swap partitions it finds.
@@ -65,15 +66,17 @@ touch $INSTALLER_ROOT/etc/cloud/cloud-init.disabled
 chroot $INSTALLER_ROOT mkdir -p /var/lib/snapd/seed/snaps /var/lib/snapd/seed/assertions
 chroot $INSTALLER_ROOT sh -c '
 set -x;
-cd /var/lib/snapd/seed;
-sudo SNAPPY_STORE_NO_CDN=1 snap download core;
-sudo SNAPPY_STORE_NO_CDN=1 snap download subiquity;
+mkdir -p /var/lib/snapd/seed/snaps/
+cd /var/lib/snapd/seed/snaps/;
+if [ ! -e core_*.snap ]; then
+	SNAPPY_STORE_NO_CDN=1 snap download core
+fi
+SNAPPY_STORE_NO_CDN=1 snap download subiquity;
 
-CORE_SNAP=$(ls -1 core*.snap);
+CORE_SNAP=$(ls -1 core_*.snap);
 SUBIQUITY_SNAP=$(ls -1 subiquity*.snap);
 
 mv *.assert /var/lib/snapd/seed/assertions/;
-mv *.snap /var/lib/snapd/seed/snaps/;
 
 cat <<EOF > /var/lib/snapd/seed/seed.yaml
 snaps:
diff --git a/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/033-kernel-bits.binary b/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/033-kernel-bits.binary
index 5ebfd1d9..7e35c3f2 100644
--- a/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/033-kernel-bits.binary
+++ b/live-build/ubuntu-server/hooks/033-kernel-bits.binary
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ for variant in $variants; do
 		kernel_metapkg=linux-generic
 		flavor=generic
 	elif [ "$variant" = "hwe" ]; then
-		kernel_metapkg=linux-generic-hwe-$(lsb_release -sc)
+		kernel_metapkg=linux-generic-hwe-$(lsb_release -sr)
 		flavor=generic-hwe
 	else
 		echo "bogus variant: $variant"