diff --git a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel102-test-agent.containerfile b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel102-test-agent.containerfile
index 65211cab97..d4bf2dbf96 100644
--- a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel102-test-agent.containerfile
+++ b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel102-test-agent.containerfile
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ FROM registry.stage.redhat.io/rhel10/rhel-bootc:10.2
 ARG USHIFT_RPM_REPO_NAME=microshift-local
 ARG USHIFT_RPM_REPO_PATH=/tmp/$USHIFT_RPM_REPO_NAME
 
-# Configure the RPM repositories (no EUS in staging environment)
+# Configure the RPM repositories
+# - No EUS repositories in staging environment
+# - Disable default repositories to avoid pre-release repo access errors
 COPY --chmod=755 ./bootc-images/rpm-repo-config.sh /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh
-RUN /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh && rm -f /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh
+RUN /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh --disable-all && rm -f /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh
 
 # Configure the RHEL mirror RPM repositories (for use in the staging environment)
 ARG RHEL_MIRROR_REPO_NAME=rhel102-mirror.repo
diff --git a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel98-test-agent.containerfile b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel98-test-agent.containerfile
index b8e2e3b8da..7ac553d111 100644
--- a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel98-test-agent.containerfile
+++ b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer1-base/group1/rhel98-test-agent.containerfile
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ FROM registry.stage.redhat.io/rhel9/rhel-bootc:9.8
 ARG USHIFT_RPM_REPO_NAME=microshift-local
 ARG USHIFT_RPM_REPO_PATH=/tmp/$USHIFT_RPM_REPO_NAME
 
-# Configure the RPM repositories (no EUS in staging environment)
+# Configure the RPM repositories
+# - No EUS repositories in staging environment
+# - Disable default repositories to avoid pre-release repo access errors
 COPY --chmod=755 ./bootc-images/rpm-repo-config.sh /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh
-RUN /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh && rm -f /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh
+RUN /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh --disable-all && rm -f /tmp/rpm-repo-config.sh
 
 # Configure the RHEL mirror RPM repositories (for use in the staging environment)
 ARG RHEL_MIRROR_REPO_NAME=rhel98-mirror.repo
diff --git a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer4-release/group2/rhel102-bootc-brew-lrel-fips.containerfile b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer4-release/group2/rhel102-bootc-brew-lrel-fips.containerfile
index cb34910472..6a5b6ca8c1 100644
--- a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer4-release/group2/rhel102-bootc-brew-lrel-fips.containerfile
+++ b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/layer4-release/group2/rhel102-bootc-brew-lrel-fips.containerfile
@@ -10,10 +10,7 @@ match-architectures = ["x86_64"]
 EOF
 
 # Enable the FIPS crypto policy
-#
-# Note: CNI plugins are required for podman to operate normally on RHEL 9.x.
-# This package is no longer installed as cri-o dependency.
-RUN dnf install -y crypto-policies-scripts containernetworking-plugins && \
+RUN dnf install -y crypto-policies-scripts && \
     update-crypto-policies --no-reload --set FIPS && \
     dnf clean all
 # {{- end -}}
diff --git a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/templates/rpm-repo-config.sh.template b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/templates/rpm-repo-config.sh.template
index 7e85fae676..298eb3ec73 100644
--- a/test/image-blueprints-bootc/templates/rpm-repo-config.sh.template
+++ b/test/image-blueprints-bootc/templates/rpm-repo-config.sh.template
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ] ; do
         enable_eus_repositories
         shift
         ;;
+    --disable-all)
+        dnf config-manager --set-disabled '*'
+        shift
+        ;;
     *)
         echo "Unknown option: $1"
         exit 1