diff --git a/IMG_SFX b/IMG_SFX
index 4b51e1e5..c80e68ec 100644
--- a/IMG_SFX
+++ b/IMG_SFX
@@ -1 +1 @@
-20231208t193858z-f39f38d13
+20240102t212217z-f39f38d13
diff --git a/base_images/debian_base-setup.sh b/base_images/debian_base-setup.sh
index bbcec2f7..36bc9c0a 100644
--- a/base_images/debian_base-setup.sh
+++ b/base_images/debian_base-setup.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ echo "Updating package source lists"
 #
 # This will probably be necessary until debian 13 becomes stable.
 # At which time some new kludge will be necessary.
-timebomb 20231231 "workaround for updating debian 12 to 13"
+#
+# FIXME: 2024-01-02: Bumped the timebomb expiration date because it's
+#        too hard to find out if it's fixed or not
+timebomb 20240110 "workaround for updating debian 12 to 13"
 $SUDO tee /usr/bin/version_find_latest <<"EOF"
 #!/bin/bash
 #
@@ -133,6 +136,13 @@ echo "$version_find_latest_a"
 EOF
 $SUDO chmod 755 /usr/bin/version_find_latest
 
+# 2024-01-02 between 2023-12 and now, debian got tar-1.35+dfsg-2
+# which has the horrible duplicate-path bug:
+#     https://github.com/containers/podman/issues/19407
+#     https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2230127
+timebomb 20240110 "prevent us from getting broken tar-1.35+dfsg-2"
+( set -x; $SUDO apt-mark hold tar; )
+
 echo "Upgrading to SID"
 ( set -x; $SUDO apt-get -q -y full-upgrade; )
 echo "Installing basic, necessary packages."
diff --git a/cache_images/fedora_packaging.sh b/cache_images/fedora_packaging.sh
index 0e6471c5..378013b7 100644
--- a/cache_images/fedora_packaging.sh
+++ b/cache_images/fedora_packaging.sh
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ INSTALL_PACKAGES=(\
     pandoc
     parallel
     passt
+    perl-Clone
     perl-FindBin
     pkgconfig
     podman
@@ -220,7 +221,3 @@ cd -
 
 # It was observed in F33, dnf install doesn't always get you the latest/greatest
 lilto $SUDO dnf update -y
-
-# FIXME FIXME FIXME 2023-11-16 TEMPORARY to get crun-1.11.2
-timebomb 20231220 "force-update crun >= 1.11.1 on f38"
-lilto $SUDO dnf --enablerepo=updates-testing -y upgrade crun
diff --git a/image_builder/install_packages.txt b/image_builder/install_packages.txt
index cb0377a4..14fcaf75 100644
--- a/image_builder/install_packages.txt
+++ b/image_builder/install_packages.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ findutils
 gawk
 genisoimage
 git
-google-cloud-sdk
+google-cloud-cli
 jq
 libvirt
 libvirt-admin