diff --git a/variants/bluefin/Containerfile b/variants/bluefin/Containerfile
index ada49d4..c941b68 100644
--- a/variants/bluefin/Containerfile
+++ b/variants/bluefin/Containerfile
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ ARG UBLUE_IMAGE_TAG="stable"
 ARG FEDORA_MAJOR_VERSION="41"
 
 # Build, cleanup, commit.
-RUN --mount=type=cache,dst=/var/cache/rpm-ostree \
+RUN --mount=type=cache,dst=/var/cache/libdnf5 \
+    --mount=type=cache,dst=/var/cache/rpm-ostree \
     --mount=type=bind,from=ctx,source=/,target=/ctx \
     /ctx/build_files/shared/build-base.sh
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ ARG UBLUE_IMAGE_TAG="stable"
 ARG FEDORA_MAJOR_VERSION="41"
 
 # Build, Clean-up, Commit
-RUN --mount=type=cache,dst=/var/cache/rpm-ostree \
+RUN --mount=type=cache,dst=/var/cache/libdnf5 \
+    --mount=type=cache,dst=/var/cache/rpm-ostree \
     --mount=type=bind,from=ctx,source=/,target=/ctx \
     /ctx/build_files/shared/build-dx.sh
diff --git a/variants/bluefin/build_files/base/04-packages.sh b/variants/bluefin/build_files/base/04-packages.sh
index 6c453e3..045de99 100755
--- a/variants/bluefin/build_files/base/04-packages.sh
+++ b/variants/bluefin/build_files/base/04-packages.sh
@@ -26,14 +26,15 @@ fi
 
 # simple case to install where no packages need excluding
 if [[ "${#INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 && "${#INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    rpm-ostree install \
+    dnf -y install \
         ${INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}
 
 # install/excluded packages both at same time
 elif [[ "${#INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 && "${#INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then
-    rpm-ostree override remove \
-        ${INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]} \
-        $(printf -- "--install=%s " ${INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]})
+    dnf5 -y remove \
+        ${INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]} && \
+    dnf5 -y install \
+        ${INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}
 else
     echo "No packages to install."
 fi
@@ -46,6 +47,6 @@ fi
 
 # remove any excluded packages which are still present on image
 if [[ "${#INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then
-    rpm-ostree override remove \
+    dnf5 -y remove \
         ${INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}
 fi
diff --git a/variants/bluefin/build_files/dx/03-packages-dx.sh b/variants/bluefin/build_files/dx/03-packages-dx.sh
index 7850d48..da032a5 100755
--- a/variants/bluefin/build_files/dx/03-packages-dx.sh
+++ b/variants/bluefin/build_files/dx/03-packages-dx.sh
@@ -30,14 +30,15 @@ fi
 
 # simple case to install where no packages need excluding
 if [[ "${#INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 && "${#INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    rpm-ostree install \
+    dnf -y install \
         ${INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}
 
 # install/excluded packages both at same time
 elif [[ "${#INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 && "${#INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then
-    rpm-ostree override remove \
-        ${INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]} \
-        $(printf -- "--install=%s " ${INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]})
+    dnf5 -y remove \
+        ${INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]} && \
+    dnf5 -y install \
+        ${INCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}
 else
     echo "No packages to install."
 fi
@@ -50,6 +51,6 @@ fi
 
 # remove any excluded packages which are still present on image
 if [[ "${#INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then
-    rpm-ostree override remove \
+    dnf5 -y remove \
         ${INSTALLED_EXCLUDED_PACKAGES[@]}
 fi
diff --git a/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/build-base.sh b/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/build-base.sh
index 1a17fd0..458ef71 100755
--- a/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/build-base.sh
+++ b/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/build-base.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,23 @@
 
 set -eoux pipefail
 
+# there is no 'rpm-ostree cliwrap uninstall-from-root', but this is close enough. See:
+# https://github.com/coreos/rpm-ostree/blob/6d2548ddb2bfa8f4e9bafe5c6e717cf9531d8001/rust/src/cliwrap.rs#L25-L32
+if [ -d /usr/libexec/rpm-ostree/wrapped ]; then
+    # binaries which could be created if they did not exist thus may not be in wrapped dir
+    rm -f \
+        /usr/bin/yum \
+        /usr/bin/dnf \
+        /usr/bin/kernel-install
+    # binaries which were wrapped
+    mv -f /usr/libexec/rpm-ostree/wrapped/* /usr/bin
+    rm -fr /usr/libexec/rpm-ostree
+fi
+
+if [ ${FEDORA_MAJOR_VERSION} -lt 41 ]; then
+    rpm-ostree install --idempotent dnf5 dnf5-plugins
+fi
+
 # Make Alternatives Directory
 mkdir -p /var/lib/alternatives
 
diff --git a/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/clean-stage.sh b/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/clean-stage.sh
index 064dd0b..336472c 100755
--- a/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/clean-stage.sh
+++ b/variants/bluefin/build_files/shared/clean-stage.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/bash
 
 set -eoux pipefail
-shopt -s extglob
 
 rm -rf /tmp/* || true
-rm -rf /var/!(cache)
-rm -rf /var/cache/!(rpm-ostree)
+find /var/* -maxdepth 0 -type d \! -name cache -exec rm -fr {} \;
+find /var/cache/* -maxdepth 0 -type d \! -name libdnf5 \! -name rpm-ostree -exec rm -fr {} \;