diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
index 210cee5..7be0b12 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -389,6 +389,40 @@ jobs:
           echo "Failed to prepare kube-vip image archive on runner" >&2
           exit 1
 
+      - name: Prepare bootstrap image archives
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          archive_name() {
+            printf '%s' "$1" | tr '/:' '__'
+          }
+
+          prepare_image_archive() {
+            local image="$1"
+            local archive="outputs/bootstrap-image-archives/$(archive_name "${image}").tar"
+
+            mkdir -p outputs/bootstrap-image-archives
+            for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+              if skopeo copy "docker://${image}" "docker-archive:${archive}:${image}"; then
+                return 0
+              fi
+              sleep 10
+            done
+
+            echo "Failed to prepare bootstrap image archive for ${image}" >&2
+            return 1
+          }
+
+          for image in \
+            ghcr.io/fluxcd/source-controller:v1.8.0 \
+            ghcr.io/fluxcd/kustomize-controller:v1.8.1 \
+            ghcr.io/fluxcd/helm-controller:v1.5.1 \
+            ghcr.io/fluxcd/notification-controller:v1.8.1 \
+            oci.external-secrets.io/external-secrets/external-secrets:v2.1.0 \
+            ghcr.io/tailscale/k8s-operator:v1.96.5 \
+            ghcr.io/tailscale/tailscale:v1.96.5; do
+            prepare_image_archive "${image}"
+          done
+
       - name: Run Ansible Playbook
         working-directory: ansible
         run: |
@@ -481,6 +515,26 @@ jobs:
             fi
           }
 
+          import_required_image() {
+            local image="$1"
+            local host_ip="$2"
+            local archive_name
+            local archive_path
+            archive_name="$(printf '%s' "${image}" | tr '/:' '__').tar"
+            archive_path="outputs/bootstrap-image-archives/${archive_name}"
+
+            if [ ! -s "${archive_path}" ]; then
+              echo "Missing required bootstrap image archive ${archive_path} for ${image}" >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+
+            echo "Importing ${image} archive on ${host_ip}"
+            scp -i "$HOME/.ssh/id_ed25519" -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o ConnectTimeout=10 \
+              "${archive_path}" "ubuntu@${host_ip}:/tmp/${archive_name}"
+            ssh -i "$HOME/.ssh/id_ed25519" -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o ConnectTimeout=10 "ubuntu@${host_ip}" \
+              "sudo k3s ctr -n k8s.io images import '/tmp/${archive_name}' && sudo k3s crictl inspecti '${image}' >/dev/null"
+          }
+
           eso_diagnostics() {
             kubectl -n flux-system get kustomizations,ocirepositories,helmrepositories,helmcharts,helmreleases || true
             kubectl -n flux-system describe kustomization addon-external-secrets || true
@@ -608,14 +662,12 @@ jobs:
             --from-file=known_hosts=/tmp/flux_known_hosts \
             --dry-run=client -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
           PRIMARY_CP_IP=$(python3 -c 'import json; print(json.load(open("outputs/terraform_outputs.json"))["primary_control_plane_ip"]["value"])')
-          FLUX_IMAGE_PULL_ATTEMPTS=45
-          FLUX_IMAGE_PULL_SLEEP=10
           for image in \
             ghcr.io/fluxcd/source-controller:v1.8.0 \
             ghcr.io/fluxcd/kustomize-controller:v1.8.1 \
             ghcr.io/fluxcd/helm-controller:v1.5.1 \
             ghcr.io/fluxcd/notification-controller:v1.8.1; do
-            pull_required_image "${image}" "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}" "${FLUX_IMAGE_PULL_ATTEMPTS}" "${FLUX_IMAGE_PULL_SLEEP}" "Failed to pre-pull required Flux image"
+            import_required_image "${image}" "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}"
           done
           # Apply CRDs and controllers first
           kubectl apply -f clusters/prod/flux-system/gotk-components.yaml
@@ -640,7 +692,7 @@ jobs:
           # Wait directly on the ESO Helm objects; Kustomization readiness hides useful failure details.
           wait_for_resource flux-system kustomization.kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/addon-external-secrets 600
           kubectl -n flux-system annotate kustomization/addon-external-secrets reconcile.fluxcd.io/requestedAt="$(date +%s)" --overwrite
-          pull_required_image oci.external-secrets.io/external-secrets/external-secrets:v2.1.0 "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}" 45 10 "Failed to pre-pull required External Secrets image"
+          import_required_image oci.external-secrets.io/external-secrets/external-secrets:v2.1.0 "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}"
           wait_for_flux_oci_helm_release external-secrets external-secrets external-secrets 600s 600
           wait_for_resource "" crd/clustersecretstores.external-secrets.io 900
           wait_for_resource "" crd/externalsecrets.external-secrets.io 900
@@ -668,8 +720,8 @@ jobs:
                       namespace: external-secrets
           EOF
           # Wait for the storage layer and private access components
-          pull_required_image ghcr.io/tailscale/k8s-operator:v1.96.5 "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}" 45 10 "Failed to pre-pull required Tailscale operator image"
-          pull_required_image ghcr.io/tailscale/tailscale:v1.96.5 "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}" 45 10 "Failed to pre-pull required Tailscale proxy image"
+          import_required_image ghcr.io/tailscale/k8s-operator:v1.96.5 "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}"
+          import_required_image ghcr.io/tailscale/tailscale:v1.96.5 "${PRIMARY_CP_IP}"
           wait_for_flux_helm_release tailscale flux-system-tailscale-operator tailscale-operator tailscale-system 600s 900s 900
           kubectl -n tailscale-system rollout status deployment/operator --timeout=600s
           wait_for_flux_helm_release nfs-subdir-external-provisioner flux-system-nfs-subdir-external-provisioner nfs-subdir-external-provisioner kube-system 600s 600s 600