diff --git a/scripts/g14-gitops-render.mjs b/scripts/g14-gitops-render.mjs
index 0a2cef35..3c1b27d4 100644
--- a/scripts/g14-gitops-render.mjs
+++ b/scripts/g14-gitops-render.mjs
@@ -1116,11 +1116,9 @@ function prepareSourceScript() {
     "export HWLAB_TEKTON_TASK=\"prepare-source\"",
     "export HWLAB_SOURCE_REVISION=\"$(params.revision)\"",
     dependencyProxyProbeScript("prepare-source-proxy-preflight", "http://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/bookworm/InRelease"),
-    curlDownloadProbeFunction(),
     `echo '{"event":"ci-base-image","phase":"prepare-source","image":"${ciToolsRunnerImage}","policy":"no-runtime-apk"}'`,
-    "for tool in node npm git python3 ssh curl timeout; do command -v \"$tool\" >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo '{\"event\":\"ci-base-image\",\"ok\":false,\"reason\":\"missing-tool\",\"tool\":\"'\"$tool\"'\"}'; exit 31; }; done",
+    "for tool in node git ssh ssh-keyscan timeout; do command -v \"$tool\" >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo '{\"event\":\"ci-base-image\",\"ok\":false,\"reason\":\"missing-tool\",\"tool\":\"'\"$tool\"'\"}'; exit 31; }; done",
     "node -e 'console.log(JSON.stringify({event:\"ci-base-image\",phase:\"prepare-source\",ok:true,node:process.version}))'",
-    "curl_dependency_probe \"prepare-source-pre-npm\" \"https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/latest\"",
     gitSshShellFunction(),
     "git_ssh_setup",
     "git_read_url=\"$(params.git-read-url)\"",
@@ -1178,9 +1176,7 @@ function prepareSourceScript() {
     "  echo '{\"event\":\"gitops-artifact-catalog\",\"phase\":\"prepare-source\",\"status\":\"seeded-v02-skeleton\"}'",
     "fi",
     "ci_timing_emit catalog-fetch succeeded \"$catalog_fetch_started_ms\"",
-    "npm_ci_started_ms=\"$(ci_now_ms)\"",
-    "npm ci --ignore-scripts",
-    "ci_timing_emit npm-ci succeeded \"$npm_ci_started_ms\"",
+    "echo '{\"event\":\"prepare-source-dependencies\",\"status\":\"skipped\",\"reason\":\"ci-tools-image-provides-required-node-runtime\"}'",
     `echo ${shellSingleQuote(`G14 prepare-source complete; validation task count=${primitiveValidationTasks.length}`)}`
   ];
   return `${lines.join("\n")}\n`;
diff --git a/scripts/g14-gitops-render.test.ts b/scripts/g14-gitops-render.test.ts
index 8ac24a9a..c0c65c16 100644
--- a/scripts/g14-gitops-render.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/g14-gitops-render.test.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ test("v02 render follows TypeScript runtime checks and does not self-patch boots
     assert.match(prepareSourceScript, /git_timed source-clone 180 git clone --branch "\$\(params\.source-branch\)" "\$git_read_url"/u);
     assert.match(prepareSourceScript, /git_timed catalog-ls-remote 45 git ls-remote --exit-code --heads "\$git_read_url"/u);
     assert.match(prepareSourceScript, /git remote set-url gitops-catalog "\$git_read_url"/u);
+    assert.match(prepareSourceScript, /prepare-source-dependencies/u);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(prepareSourceScript, /npm ci --ignore-scripts/u);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(prepareSourceScript, /prepare-source-pre-npm/u);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(prepareSourceScript, /dependency-curl-probe-start/u);
 
     const pipelineGitReadParam = pipelineJson.spec.params.find((param) => param.name === "git-read-url");
     assert.equal(pipelineGitReadParam?.default, "http://git-mirror-http.devops-infra.svc.cluster.local/pikasTech/HWLAB.git");