diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index c2d5c8b7..360155ed 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ livecd-rootfs (2.525.13) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     /lib/modules from a squashfs on the ISO.
   * Do no install openssh-server in the base filsystem for the live server
     installer.
+  * 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>  Thu, 13 Dec 2018 15:22:15 +1300
 
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: