diff --git a/build-tools/build-guest b/build-tools/build-guest
index 4f5391d1..42d31815 100755
--- a/build-tools/build-guest
+++ b/build-tools/build-guest
@@ -13,20 +13,7 @@
 BUILD_GUEST_DIR="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" )"
 source "${BUILD_GUEST_DIR}/image-utils.sh"
 
-# Remind folks then need to be in the correct group to run mock commands
-# Note: cgts is our current alias for the mock group.  Should probably be
-# renamed as stx-build in a future update
-NEED_GROUP=cgts
-CURRENT_GID=$(id -g)
-NEED_GID=$(getent group $NEED_GROUP | cut -d: -f3)
-if [ $CURRENT_GID != $NEED_GID ]; then
-   echo "This command must be run using group '$NEED_GROUP'."
-   echo "Please run:"
-   echo "   newgrp $NEED_GROUP"
-   echo ""
-   echo "Then try again."
-   exit 1
-fi
+PROGNAME=$(basename "$0")
 
 # NOTE: TMP_DIR must end in '/'
 # NOTE: /tmp/ is now tmpfs like.  Can't be trusted across multiple mock commands
@@ -190,7 +177,24 @@ function create_rootfs {
 	printf "   Error -- Failed to install RPM packages\n";
 	exit 1
     fi
-    
+
+    # Make sure all requested packages are installed
+    MISSING=$(
+        $MOCK -r $GUEST_CFG --chroot -- rpm -q --whatprovides ${INC_RPM_LIST} ${TIS_RPM_LIST} \
+            | tee /tmp/dpanech.log \
+            | sed -n 's/^no package provides //p' \
+            | sort -u
+    )
+    if [ -n "$MISSING" ]; then
+        printf "=====\n"
+        printf "WARNING: The following RPMs requested in .inc files are missing or could not be installed:\n"
+        for zz in $MISSING ; do
+            echo "   [$zz]"
+        done
+        #echo $MISSING | tr ' ' '\n' | sed 's/^/\t/'
+        printf "=====\n"
+    fi
+
     # Remove RPMs that are not required in image (pruned package list)
     # NOTE: these are automatically installed from the mock init not
     # through dependencies.
@@ -264,7 +268,7 @@ function build_image {
     ROOTFS_EXCLUDE=rootfs-exclude.txt
 
     $MOCK -r $GUEST_CFG --copyin $GUEST_BUILD_DIR/$ROOTFS_EXCLUDE $TMP_DIR
-    $MOCK -r $GUEST_CFG --chroot -- tar -cf $TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_TAR -X $TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_EXCLUDE --numeric-owner /
+    $MOCK -r $GUEST_CFG --chroot -- tar -cf $TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_TAR -X $TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_EXCLUDE --exclude=$TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_TAR --numeric-owner /
     $MOCK -r $GUEST_CFG --copyout $TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_TAR $GUEST_DIR
     $MOCK -r $GUEST_CFG --chroot -- rm -f $TMP_DIR$ROOTFS_TAR
 
@@ -330,7 +334,7 @@ VERBOSE=0
 BUILD_MODE='std'
 
 # read the options
-TEMP=`getopt -o h --long clean --long rt --long  std --long verbose -n 'test.sh' -- "$@"`
+TEMP=`getopt -o h --long clean,rt,std,verbose,help -n "$PROGNAME" -- "$@"` || exit 1
 eval set -- "$TEMP"
 
 # extract options and their arguments into variables.
diff --git a/build-tools/build_guest/rootfs-setup.sh b/build-tools/build_guest/rootfs-setup.sh
index 5af65666..40a51f62 100755
--- a/build-tools/build_guest/rootfs-setup.sh
+++ b/build-tools/build_guest/rootfs-setup.sh
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ fi
 yum clean all
 
 # update /etc/rsyslog.conf to have OmitLocalLogging off
-sed -i 's#OmitLocalLogging on#OmitLocalLogging off#g' /etc/rsyslog.conf
+if [ -f /etc/rsyslog.conf ]; then
+    sed -i 's#OmitLocalLogging on#OmitLocalLogging off#g' /etc/rsyslog.conf
+fi
 
 # select correct kernel and initrd
 if [ "$BUILD_MODE" == "rt" ]; then
diff --git a/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list-rt.txt b/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list-rt.txt
index 83e82e81..521d55c9 100644
--- a/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list-rt.txt
+++ b/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list-rt.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ bash
 bind-libs-lite
 bind-license
 binutils
-bonnie++
 bridge-utils
 btrfs-progs
 bzip2-libs
@@ -19,9 +18,7 @@ centos-logos
 centos-release
 checkpolicy
 chkconfig
-chrony
 cloud-init
-cloud-utils-growpart
 coreutils
 cpio
 cracklib
@@ -45,7 +42,6 @@ diffutils
 dmidecode
 dnsmasq
 dracut
-dracut-config-generic
 dracut-config-rescue
 dracut-network
 e2fsprogs
@@ -90,7 +86,6 @@ iperf3
 iproute
 iptables
 iputils
-iwl7265-firmware
 jansson
 jbigkit-libs
 json-c
@@ -221,8 +216,6 @@ policycoreutils-python
 polkit
 polkit-pkla-compat
 popt
-postfix
-ppp
 procps-ng
 pth
 pygobject3-base
@@ -232,7 +225,6 @@ python
 python-backports
 python-backports-ssl_match_hostname
 python-chardet
-python-cheetah
 python-configobj
 python-decorator
 python-iniparse
@@ -241,7 +233,6 @@ python-jsonpatch
 python-jsonpointer
 python-kitchen
 python-libs
-python-markdown
 python-perf
 python-pillow
 python-prettytable
@@ -294,7 +285,6 @@ vim-minimal
 virt-what
 wget
 which
-wpa_supplicant
 xz
 xz-libs
 yum
diff --git a/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list.txt b/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list.txt
index a1da53dc..61200f8b 100644
--- a/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list.txt
+++ b/build-tools/build_guest/rpm-install-list.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ bash
 bind-libs-lite
 bind-license
 binutils
-bonnie++
 bridge-utils
 btrfs-progs
 bzip2-libs
@@ -19,9 +18,7 @@ centos-logos
 centos-release
 checkpolicy
 chkconfig
-chrony
 cloud-init
-cloud-utils-growpart
 coreutils
 cpio
 cracklib
@@ -45,7 +42,6 @@ diffutils
 dmidecode
 dnsmasq
 dracut
-dracut-config-generic
 dracut-config-rescue
 dracut-network
 e2fsprogs
@@ -90,7 +86,6 @@ iperf3
 iproute
 iptables
 iputils
-iwl7265-firmware
 jansson
 jbigkit-libs
 json-c
@@ -221,8 +216,6 @@ policycoreutils-python
 polkit
 polkit-pkla-compat
 popt
-postfix
-ppp
 procps-ng
 pth
 pygobject3-base
@@ -232,7 +225,6 @@ python
 python-backports
 python-backports-ssl_match_hostname
 python-chardet
-python-cheetah
 python-configobj
 python-decorator
 python-iniparse
@@ -241,7 +233,6 @@ python-jsonpatch
 python-jsonpointer
 python-kitchen
 python-libs
-python-markdown
 python-perf
 python-pillow
 python-prettytable
@@ -266,7 +257,6 @@ rpm-build-libs
 rpm-libs
 rpm-python
 rsync
-rsyslog
 sed
 setup
 shadow-utils
@@ -292,7 +282,6 @@ vim-enhanced
 virt-what
 wget
 which
-wpa_supplicant
 xz
 xz-libs
 yum