diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index ca1822af..75f75a01 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ timeout_in: 60m
 task:
     name: "Validate"
     alias: "validate"
+    skip: "changesInclude('**.md', 'LICENSE')"
     timeout_in: 5m
     container: &ci_container
         # Ref: https://cirrus-ci.org/guide/docker-builder-vm/#dockerfile-as-a-ci-environment
@@ -38,10 +39,12 @@ task:
 task:
     name: "Image-builder image"
     alias: "image_builder"
+    skip: "changesInclude('**.md', 'LICENSE')"
     depends_on:
         - validate
     # Packer needs time to clean up partially created VM images
     auto_cancellation: $CI != "true"
+    stateful: true
     timeout_in: 30m
     container:
       dockerfile: "image_builder/Containerfile"
@@ -55,6 +58,7 @@ task:
 
 task:
     alias: "podman_containers"
+    skip: "changesInclude('**.md', 'LICENSE')"
     depends_on:
         - image_builder
     timeout_in: 30m
@@ -97,10 +101,12 @@ task:
 
 task:
     alias: "base_images"
+    skip: "changesInclude('**.md', 'LICENSE')"
     depends_on:
         - image_builder
     # Packer needs time to clean up partially created VM images
     auto_cancellation: $CI != "true"
+    stateful: true
     timeout_in: 30m
     # Cannot use a container for this task, virt required for fedora image conversion
     gce_instance:
@@ -130,10 +136,12 @@ task:
 
 task:
     alias: "cache_images"
+    skip: "changesInclude('**.md', 'LICENSE')"
     depends_on:
         - base_images
     # Packer needs time to clean up partially created VM images
     auto_cancellation: $CI != "true"
+    stateful: true
     timeout_in: 40m
     container:
       dockerfile: "image_builder/Containerfile"
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8ee95270..dd8c5019 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -161,13 +161,15 @@ image_builder/manifest.json: image_builder/gce.json image_builder/setup.sh lib.s
 # from inside the debugging container.
 .PHONY: image_builder_debug
 image_builder_debug: $(_TEMPDIR)/image_builder_debug.tar ## Build and enter container for local development/debugging of targets requiring packer + virtualization
+	$(eval override _IMG_SFX := $(call err_if_empty,IMG_SFX))
+	$(eval override _GAC_FILEPATH := $(call err_if_empty,GAC_FILEPATH))
 	/usr/bin/podman run -it --rm \
 		--security-opt label=disable -v $$HOME:$$HOME -w $$PWD \
 		-v $(_TEMPDIR):$(_TEMPDIR):Z -v $(_GAC_FILEPATH):$(_GAC_FILEPATH):Z \
 		-v /dev/kvm:/dev/kvm \
 		-e PACKER_INSTALL_DIR=/usr/local/bin \
+		-e IMG_SFX=$(_IMG_SFX) \
 		-e GAC_FILEPATH=$(call err_if_empty,GAC_FILEPATH) \
-		 -e TEMPDIR=$(_TEMPDIR) \
 		docker-archive:$<
 
 $(_TEMPDIR)/image_builder_debug.tar: $(_TEMPDIR) $(_TEMPDIR)/var_cache_dnf image_builder/Containerfile image_builder/install_packages.txt ci/install_packages.sh lib.sh