diff --git a/.github/workflows/rust.yml b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
index 970b86e92c..0cb85955ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rust.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update PATH
       run: echo "$PWD/out/cockroachdb/bin:$PWD/out/clickhouse" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
     - name: Install Pre-Requisites
-      run: ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh -y
+      run: ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh -y
     - name: Check build of deployed Omicron packages
       run: cargo run --bin omicron-package -- check
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update PATH
       run: echo "$PWD/out/cockroachdb/bin:$PWD/out/clickhouse" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
     - name: Install Pre-Requisites
-      run: ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh -y
+      run: ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh -y
     - name: Run Clippy Lints
       #
       # Clippy's style nits are useful, but not worth keeping in CI.  This
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update PATH
       run: echo "$PWD/out/cockroachdb/bin:$PWD/out/clickhouse" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
     - name: Install Pre-Requisites
-      run: ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh -y
+      run: ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh -y
     - name: Test build documentation
       run: cargo doc
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update PATH
       run: echo "$PWD/out/cockroachdb/bin:$PWD/out/clickhouse" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
     - name: Install Pre-Requisites
-      run: ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh -y
+      run: ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh -y
     - name: Create temporary directory for test outputs
       run: mkdir -p $OMICRON_TMP
     - name: Build
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 7fde038a9e..b7e4963c5a 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ WORKDIR /usr/src/omicron
 # sudo and path thing are only needed to get prereqs script to run
 ENV PATH=/usr/src/omicron/out/cockroachdb/bin:/usr/src/omicron/out/clickhouse:${PATH} 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y sudo --no-install-recommends && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
-RUN tools/install_prerequisites.sh -y
+RUN tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh -y
 
 RUN cargo build --release
 
diff --git a/deploy/src/bin/thing-flinger.rs b/deploy/src/bin/thing-flinger.rs
index 2b354847df..2d4e549cb7 100644
--- a/deploy/src/bin/thing-flinger.rs
+++ b/deploy/src/bin/thing-flinger.rs
@@ -274,27 +274,27 @@ fn do_install_prereqs(config: &Config) -> Result<()> {
 
     // run install_prereqs on each server
     let builder = &config.servers[&config.builder.server];
-    let build_server = (builder, &config.builder.omicron_path);
-    let all_servers = std::iter::once(build_server).chain(
-        config.servers.iter().filter_map(|(name, server)| {
-            // skip running prereq installing on a deployment target if it is
-            // also the builder, because we're already running it on the builder
-            if *name == config.builder.server {
-                None
-            } else {
-                Some((server, &config.deployment.staging_dir))
-            }
-        }),
+    let all_servers = config
+        .servers
+        .iter()
+        .map(|(_name, server)| (server, &config.deployment.staging_dir));
+
+    // -y: assume yes instead of prompting
+    // -p: skip check that deps end up in $PATH
+    let cmd = format!(
+        "cd {} && mkdir -p out && pfexec ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh -y -p",
+        config.builder.omicron_path.display()
     );
+    println!("install builder prerequisites on {}", builder.addr);
+    ssh_exec(builder, &cmd, false)?;
 
     for (server, root_path) in all_servers {
         // -y: assume yes instead of prompting
-        // -p: skip check that deps end up in $PATH
         let cmd = format!(
-            "cd {} && mkdir -p out && pfexec ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh -y -p",
+            "cd {} && mkdir -p out && pfexec ./tools/install_runner_prerequisites.sh -y",
             root_path.display()
         );
-        println!("install prerequisites on {}", server.addr);
+        println!("install runner prerequisites on {}", server.addr);
         ssh_exec(server, &cmd, false)?;
     }
 
diff --git a/docs/how-to-run-simulated.adoc b/docs/how-to-run-simulated.adoc
index 0a1b4a086c..4f9186c390 100644
--- a/docs/how-to-run-simulated.adoc
+++ b/docs/how-to-run-simulated.adoc
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Prerequisite software may be installed with the following script:
 
 [source,text]
 ----
-$ ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh
+$ ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh
 ----
 
 == Running
diff --git a/docs/how-to-run.adoc b/docs/how-to-run.adoc
index de8840f99e..7a8a821986 100644
--- a/docs/how-to-run.adoc
+++ b/docs/how-to-run.adoc
@@ -25,6 +25,18 @@ Any additional prerequisite software may be installed with the following script:
 $ ./tools/install_prerequisites.sh
 ----
 
+This script expects that you are both attempting to compile code and execute
+it on the same machine. If you'd like to have a different machine for a "builder"
+and a "runner", you can use the two more fine-grained scripts:
+
+[source,text]
+----
+# To be invoked on the machine building Omicron
+$ ./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh
+# To be invoked on the machine running Omicron
+$ ./tools/install_runner_prerequisites.sh
+----
+
 === Make (or unmake) me a Gimlet!
 
 The sled agent expects to manage a real Gimlet. However, until those are built,
diff --git a/tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh b/tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ae46b7224e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -eu
+
+MARKER=/etc/opt/oxide/NO_INSTALL
+if [[ -f "$MARKER" ]]; then
+  echo "This system has the marker file $MARKER, aborting." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Set the CWD to Omicron's source.
+SOURCE_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )"
+cd "${SOURCE_DIR}/.."
+
+function on_exit
+{
+  echo "Something went wrong, but this script is idempotent - If you can fix the issue, try re-running"
+}
+
+trap on_exit ERR
+
+# Parse command line options:
+#
+# -y  Assume "yes" intead of showing confirmation prompts.
+# -p  Skip checking paths
+ASSUME_YES="false"
+SKIP_PATH_CHECK="false"
+while getopts yp flag
+do
+  case "${flag}" in
+    y) ASSUME_YES="true" ;;
+    p) SKIP_PATH_CHECK="true" ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Offers a confirmation prompt, unless we were passed `-y`.
+#
+# Args:
+#  $1: Text to be displayed
+function confirm
+{
+  if [[ "${ASSUME_YES}" == "true" ]]; then
+    response=y
+  else
+    read -r -p "$1 (y/n): " response
+  fi
+  case $response in
+    [yY])
+      true
+      ;;
+    *)
+      false
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+# Packages to be installed on all OSes:
+#
+# - libpq, the PostgreSQL client lib.
+# We use Diesel's PostgreSQL support to connect to CockroachDB (which is
+# wire-compatible with PostgreSQL). Diesel uses the native libpq to do this.
+# `pg_config` is a utility which may be used to query for the installed
+# PostgreSQL libraries, and is expected by the Omicron build to exist in
+# the developer's PATH variable.
+# - pkg-config, a tool for querying installed libraries.
+#
+# Packages to be installed on Helios only:
+#
+# - pkg, the IPS client (though likely it will just be updated)
+# - build-essential: Common development tools
+# - brand/omicron1/tools: Oxide's omicron1-brand Zone
+
+HOST_OS=$(uname -s)
+if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "Linux" ]]; then
+  packages=(
+    'libpq-dev'
+    'pkg-config'
+    'xmlsec1'
+    'libxmlsec1-dev'
+    'libxmlsec1-openssl'
+    'libclang-dev'
+    'libsqlite3-dev'
+  )
+  sudo apt-get update
+  if [[ "${ASSUME_YES}" == "true" ]]; then
+    sudo apt-get install -y ${packages[@]}
+  else
+      confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && sudo apt-get install ${packages[@]}
+  fi
+elif [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
+  packages=(
+    'pkg:/package/pkg'
+    'build-essential'
+    'library/postgresql-13'
+    'pkg-config'
+    'library/libxmlsec1'
+    # "bindgen leverages libclang to preprocess, parse, and type check C and C++ header files."
+    'pkg:/ooce/developer/clang-120'
+  )
+
+  # Install/update the set of packages.
+  # Explicitly manage the return code using "rc" to observe the result of this
+  # command without exiting the script entirely (due to bash's "errexit").
+  rc=0
+  confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && { pfexec pkg install -v "${packages[@]}" || rc=$?; }
+  # Return codes:
+  #  0: Normal Success
+  #  4: Failure because we're already up-to-date. Also acceptable.
+  if [[ "$rc" -ne 4 ]] && [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    exit "$rc"
+  fi
+
+  pkg list -v "${packages[@]}"
+elif [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "Darwin" ]]; then
+  packages=(
+    'postgresql'
+    'pkg-config'
+    'libxmlsec1'
+  )
+  confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && brew install ${packages[@]}
+else
+  echo "Unsupported OS: ${HOST_OS}"
+  exit -1
+fi
+
+# CockroachDB and Clickhouse are used by Omicron for storage of
+# control plane metadata and metrics.
+#
+# They are used in a couple of spots within Omicron:
+#
+# - Test Suite: The test suite, regardless of host OS, builds temporary
+# databases for testing, and expects `cockroach` and `clickhouse` to
+# exist as a part of the PATH.
+# - Packaging: When constructing packages on Helios, these utilities
+# are packaged into zones which may be launched by the sled agent.
+
+./tools/ci_download_cockroachdb
+./tools/ci_download_clickhouse
+
+# Install static console assets. These are used when packaging Nexus.
+./tools/ci_download_console
+
+# Download the OpenAPI spec for maghemite. This is required to build the
+# ddm-admin-api crate.
+./tools/ci_download_maghemite_openapi
+
+# Validate the PATH:
+expected_in_path=(
+  'pg_config'
+  'pkg-config'
+  'cockroach'
+  'clickhouse'
+)
+
+function show_hint
+{
+  case "$1" in
+    "pg_config")
+      if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
+        echo "On illumos, $1 is typically found in '/opt/ooce/bin'"
+      fi
+      ;;
+    "pkg-config")
+      if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
+        echo "On illumos, $1 is typically found in '/usr/bin'"
+      fi
+      ;;
+    "cockroach")
+      echo "$1 should have been installed to '$PWD/out/cockroachdb/bin'"
+      ;;
+    "clickhouse")
+      echo "$1 should have been installed to '$PWD/out/clickhouse'"
+      ;;
+    *)
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+# Check all paths before returning an error, unless we were told not too.
+if [[ "$SKIP_PATH_CHECK" == "true" ]]; then
+  echo "All prerequisites installed successfully"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+ANY_PATH_ERROR="false"
+for command in "${expected_in_path[@]}"; do
+  rc=0
+  which "$command" &> /dev/null || rc=$?
+  if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: $command seems installed, but was not found in PATH. Please add it."
+    show_hint "$command"
+    ANY_PATH_ERROR="true"
+  fi
+done
+
+if [[ "$ANY_PATH_ERROR" == "true" ]]; then
+  exit -1
+fi
+
+echo "All builder prerequisites installed successfully, and PATH looks valid"
diff --git a/tools/install_prerequisites.sh b/tools/install_prerequisites.sh
index 5c8ddf795f..0323f44890 100755
--- a/tools/install_prerequisites.sh
+++ b/tools/install_prerequisites.sh
@@ -2,208 +2,9 @@
 
 set -eu
 
-MARKER=/etc/opt/oxide/NO_INSTALL
-if [[ -f "$MARKER" ]]; then
-  echo "This system has the marker file $MARKER, aborting." >&2
-  exit 1
-fi
-
 # Set the CWD to Omicron's source.
 SOURCE_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )"
 cd "${SOURCE_DIR}/.."
 
-function on_exit
-{
-  echo "Something went wrong, but this script is idempotent - If you can fix the issue, try re-running"
-}
-
-trap on_exit ERR
-
-# Parse command line options:
-#
-# -y  Assume "yes" intead of showing confirmation prompts.
-ASSUME_YES="false"
-SKIP_PATH_CHECK="false"
-while getopts yp flag
-do
-  case "${flag}" in
-    y) ASSUME_YES="true" ;;
-    p) SKIP_PATH_CHECK="true" ;;
-  esac
-done
-
-# Offers a confirmation prompt, unless we were passed `-y`.
-#
-# Args:
-#  $1: Text to be displayed
-function confirm
-{
-  if [[ "${ASSUME_YES}" == "true" ]]; then
-    response=y
-  else
-    read -r -p "$1 (y/n): " response
-  fi
-  case $response in
-    [yY])
-      true
-      ;;
-    *)
-      false
-      ;;
-  esac
-}
-
-# Packages to be installed on all OSes:
-#
-# - libpq, the PostgreSQL client lib.
-# We use Diesel's PostgreSQL support to connect to CockroachDB (which is
-# wire-compatible with PostgreSQL). Diesel uses the native libpq to do this.
-# `pg_config` is a utility which may be used to query for the installed
-# PostgreSQL libraries, and is expected by the Omicron build to exist in
-# the developer's PATH variable.
-# - pkg-config, a tool for querying installed libraries.
-#
-# Packages to be installed on Helios only:
-#
-# - pkg, the IPS client (though likely it will just be updated)
-# - build-essential: Common development tools
-# - brand/omicron1/tools: Oxide's omicron1-brand Zone
-
-HOST_OS=$(uname -s)
-if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "Linux" ]]; then
-  packages=(
-    'libpq-dev'
-    'pkg-config'
-    'xmlsec1'
-    'libxmlsec1-dev'
-    'libxmlsec1-openssl'
-    'libclang-dev'
-    'libsqlite3-dev'
-  )
-  sudo apt-get update
-  if [[ "${ASSUME_YES}" == "true" ]]; then
-    sudo apt-get install -y ${packages[@]}
-  else
-      confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && sudo apt-get install ${packages[@]}
-  fi
-elif [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
-  packages=(
-    'pkg:/package/pkg'
-    'build-essential'
-    'library/postgresql-13'
-    'pkg-config'
-    'brand/omicron1/tools'
-    'library/libxmlsec1'
-    # "bindgen leverages libclang to preprocess, parse, and type check C and C++ header files."
-    'pkg:/ooce/developer/clang-120'
-  )
-
-  # Install/update the set of packages.
-  # Explicitly manage the return code using "rc" to observe the result of this
-  # command without exiting the script entirely (due to bash's "errexit").
-  rc=0
-  confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && { pfexec pkg install -v "${packages[@]}" || rc=$?; }
-  # Return codes:
-  #  0: Normal Success
-  #  4: Failure because we're already up-to-date. Also acceptable.
-  if [[ "$rc" -ne 4 ]] && [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
-    exit "$rc"
-  fi
-
-  pkg list -v "${packages[@]}"
-elif [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "Darwin" ]]; then
-  packages=(
-    'postgresql'
-    'pkg-config'
-    'libxmlsec1'
-  )
-  confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && brew install ${packages[@]}
-else
-  echo "Unsupported OS: ${HOST_OS}"
-  exit -1
-fi
-
-# CockroachDB and Clickhouse are used by Omicron for storage of
-# control plane metadata and metrics.
-#
-# They are used in a couple of spots within Omicron:
-#
-# - Test Suite: The test suite, regardless of host OS, builds temporary
-# databases for testing, and expects `cockroach` and `clickhouse` to
-# exist as a part of the PATH.
-# - Packaging: When constructing packages on Helios, these utilities
-# are packaged into zones which may be launched by the sled agent.
-
-./tools/ci_download_cockroachdb
-./tools/ci_download_clickhouse
-
-# Install static console assets. These are used when packaging Nexus.
-./tools/ci_download_console
-
-# Download the OpenAPI spec for maghemite. This is required to build the
-# ddm-admin-api crate.
-./tools/ci_download_maghemite_openapi
-
-# Install OPTE
-#
-# OPTE is a Rust package that is consumed by a kernel module called xde. This
-# installs the `xde` driver and some kernel bits required to work with that
-# driver.
-if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
-    ./tools/install_opte.sh
-fi
-
-# Validate the PATH:
-expected_in_path=(
-  'pg_config'
-  'pkg-config'
-  'cockroach'
-  'clickhouse'
-)
-
-function show_hint
-{
-  case "$1" in
-    "pg_config")
-      if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
-        echo "On illumos, $1 is typically found in '/opt/ooce/bin'"
-      fi
-      ;;
-    "pkg-config")
-      if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
-        echo "On illumos, $1 is typically found in '/usr/bin'"
-      fi
-      ;;
-    "cockroach")
-      echo "$1 should have been installed to '$PWD/out/cockroachdb/bin'"
-      ;;
-    "clickhouse")
-      echo "$1 should have been installed to '$PWD/out/clickhouse'"
-      ;;
-    *)
-      ;;
-  esac
-}
-
-# Check all paths before returning an error, unless we were told not too.
-if [[ "$SKIP_PATH_CHECK" == "true" ]]; then
-  echo "All prerequisites installed successfully"
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-ANY_PATH_ERROR="false"
-for command in "${expected_in_path[@]}"; do
-  rc=0
-  which "$command" &> /dev/null || rc=$?
-  if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
-    echo "ERROR: $command seems installed, but was not found in PATH. Please add it."
-    show_hint "$command"
-    ANY_PATH_ERROR="true"
-  fi
-done
-
-if [[ "$ANY_PATH_ERROR" == "true" ]]; then
-  exit -1
-fi
-
-echo "All prerequisites installed successfully, and PATH looks valid"
+./tools/install_builder_prerequisites.sh "$@"
+./tools/install_runner_prerequisites.sh "$@"
diff --git a/tools/install_runner_prerequisites.sh b/tools/install_runner_prerequisites.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a24d3f9a95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/install_runner_prerequisites.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -eu
+
+MARKER=/etc/opt/oxide/NO_INSTALL
+if [[ -f "$MARKER" ]]; then
+  echo "This system has the marker file $MARKER, aborting." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Set the CWD to Omicron's source.
+SOURCE_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )"
+cd "${SOURCE_DIR}/.."
+
+function on_exit
+{
+  echo "Something went wrong, but this script is idempotent - If you can fix the issue, try re-running"
+}
+
+trap on_exit ERR
+
+# Parse command line options:
+#
+# -y  Assume "yes" intead of showing confirmation prompts.
+# -p  Skip checking paths (currently unused)
+ASSUME_YES="false"
+while getopts yp flag
+do
+  case "${flag}" in
+    y) ASSUME_YES="true" ;;
+    p) continue ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Offers a confirmation prompt, unless we were passed `-y`.
+#
+# Args:
+#  $1: Text to be displayed
+function confirm
+{
+  if [[ "${ASSUME_YES}" == "true" ]]; then
+    response=y
+  else
+    read -r -p "$1 (y/n): " response
+  fi
+  case $response in
+    [yY])
+      true
+      ;;
+    *)
+      false
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+# Packages to be installed Helios:
+#
+# - libpq, the PostgreSQL client lib.
+# We use Diesel's PostgreSQL support to connect to CockroachDB (which is
+# wire-compatible with PostgreSQL). Diesel uses the native libpq to do this.
+# `pg_config` is a utility which may be used to query for the installed
+# PostgreSQL libraries, and is expected by the Omicron build to exist in
+# the developer's PATH variable.
+# - pkg-config, a tool for querying installed libraries.
+# - pkg, the IPS client (though likely it will just be updated)
+# - brand/omicron1/tools: Oxide's omicron1-brand Zone
+HOST_OS=$(uname -s)
+if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
+  packages=(
+    'pkg:/package/pkg'
+    'library/postgresql-13'
+    'pkg-config'
+    'brand/omicron1/tools'
+    'library/libxmlsec1'
+  )
+
+  # Install/update the set of packages.
+  # Explicitly manage the return code using "rc" to observe the result of this
+  # command without exiting the script entirely (due to bash's "errexit").
+  rc=0
+  confirm "Install (or update) [${packages[*]}]?" && { pfexec pkg install -v "${packages[@]}" || rc=$?; }
+  # Return codes:
+  #  0: Normal Success
+  #  4: Failure because we're already up-to-date. Also acceptable.
+  if [[ "$rc" -ne 4 ]] && [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    exit "$rc"
+  fi
+
+  pkg list -v "${packages[@]}"
+else
+  echo "Unsupported OS: ${HOST_OS}"
+  exit -1
+fi
+
+# Install OPTE
+#
+# OPTE is a Rust package that is consumed by a kernel module called xde. This
+# installs the `xde` driver and some kernel bits required to work with that
+# driver.
+if [[ "${HOST_OS}" == "SunOS" ]]; then
+    ./tools/install_opte.sh
+fi
+
+echo "All runner prerequisites installed successfully"