diff --git a/resources/guest_configs/ci.config b/resources/guest_configs/ci.config
index 7bbf1fb1f56..166ab94db3f 100644
--- a/resources/guest_configs/ci.config
+++ b/resources/guest_configs/ci.config
@@ -5,3 +5,10 @@ CONFIG_SQUASHFS_ZSTD=y
 # aarch64 only TBD split into a separate file
 CONFIG_DEVMEM=y
 # CONFIG_ARM64_ERRATUM_3194386 is not set
+# Needed for CTRL+ALT+DEL support
+CONFIG_SERIO=y
+CONFIG_SERIO_I8042=y
+CONFIG_SERIO_LIBPS2=y
+CONFIG_SERIO_GSCPS2=y
+CONFIG_KEYBOARD_ATKBD=y
+CONFIG_INPUT_KEYBOARD=y
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/rebuild.sh b/resources/rebuild.sh
index 90bac7addb7..56afd1bdbac 100755
--- a/resources/rebuild.sh
+++ b/resources/rebuild.sh
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ EOF
 }
 
 function clone_amazon_linux_repo {
-    [ -d linux ] || git clone https://github.com/amazonlinux/linux linux
+    [ -d linux ] || git clone --no-checkout --filter=tree:0 https://github.com/amazonlinux/linux
 }
 
 # prints the git tag corresponding to the newest and best matching the provided kernel version $1
@@ -145,7 +145,8 @@ function build_al_kernel {
     local KERNEL_VERSION=$(echo $KERNEL_CFG | grep -Po "microvm-kernel-ci-$ARCH-\K(\d+\.\d+)")
 
     pushd linux
-    make distclean
+    # fails immediately after clone because nothing is checked out
+    make distclean || true
 
     git checkout $(get_tag $KERNEL_VERSION)