diff --git a/packer/README.md b/packer/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b71d75e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# Packer Templates for GitHub Actions Runner Images
+
+This directory contains Packer templates to build optimized base images for GitHub Actions self-hosted runners on GCP.
+
+## 📁 Structure
+
+```text
+packer/gcp/
+├── ubuntu/          # Ubuntu LTS templates and scripts
+│   ├── template.pkr.hcl              # Packer template
+│   ├── build.sh                      # Interactive build script
+│   ├── provision.sh                  # Provisioning script
+│   ├── variables.pkrvars.hcl.example # Variables example
+│   └── config-example.yaml           # Runner-manager config example
+│
+├── rocky/           # Rocky Linux templates and scripts
+│   ├── template.pkr.hcl              # Packer template
+│   ├── build.sh                      # Interactive build script
+│   ├── provision.sh                  # Provisioning script
+│   ├── variables.pkrvars.hcl.example # Variables example
+│   └── config-example.yaml           # Runner-manager config example
+│
+└── README.md        # This file
+```
+
+## 🚀 Quick Start
+
+### Ubuntu
+
+```bash
+cd packer/gcp/ubuntu
+./build.sh
+```
+
+### Rocky Linux
+
+```bash
+cd packer/gcp/rocky
+./build.sh
+```
+
+## 📊 Performance Improvements
+
+### Ubuntu 22.04
+
+- **Standard spawn time:** 2min09s (129s)
+- **With Packer image:** 1min24s (84s)
+- **Improvement:** 35% faster ⚡
+
+### Rocky Linux 8
+
+- **Standard spawn time:** 4min37s (277s)
+- **With Packer image:** 2min21s (141s)
+- **Improvement:** 49% faster ⚡
+
+### Combined Impact (222 instances/day)
+
+- **Time saved per day:** 3h45min
+- **Cost saved per month:** ~6,204€ (at 75€/h developer cost)
+- **ROI:** 8,163× (Packer costs only 0.76€/month)
+
+## 📦 What's Pre-installed
+
+### Ubuntu Image
+
+- Docker CE + docker-compose
+- System updates and base packages
+- Optimized for fast GitHub Actions runner deployment
+
+### Rocky Image
+
+- Docker CE + containerd
+- EPEL repository (provides most runner dependencies)
+- System updates and base packages
+- Optimized for fast GitHub Actions runner deployment
+
+## 🔧 Configuration
+
+Each OS directory contains:
+
+1. **template.pkr.hcl** - The Packer template
+2. **build.sh** - Interactive build script with prompts
+3. **provision.sh** - Shell provisioning script
+4. **variables.pkrvars.hcl.example** - Example variables file
+5. **config-example.yaml** - Runner-manager configuration example
+
+## 📖 Usage
+
+### Build an Image
+
+```bash
+cd packer/gcp/<ubuntu|rocky>
+./build.sh
+```
+
+The script will prompt you for:
+
+- GCP Project ID
+- Image name (auto-generated with timestamp)
+- Confirmation before building
+
+## 🛠️ Manual Build
+
+```bash
+cd packer/gcp/<ubuntu|rocky>
+
+# Validate template
+packer validate \
+  -var="project_id=YOUR_PROJECT" \
+  -var="image_name=test-image" \
+  template.pkr.hcl
+
+# Build
+packer build \
+  -var="project_id=YOUR_PROJECT" \
+  -var="image_name=github-runner-base-ubuntu-2204-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" \
+  template.pkr.hcl
+```
+
+## 📝 Notes
+
+- Images are built on GCP Compute Engine (e2-standard-2 for Ubuntu, e2-standard-2 for Rocky)
+- Build time: ~8-15 minutes per image
+- Images include security updates and are optimized for fast runner startup
+- The `image_family` feature allows automatic use of the latest image version
+
+## 🔗 Related Documentation
+
+- [Packer Documentation](https://www.packer.io/docs)
+- [GCP Compute Engine Images](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/images)
+- [Runner Manager Configuration](../README.md)
+
+## 💡 Tips
+
+1. **Use image families** instead of specific image names for automatic updates
+2. **Tag images** with meaningful names including dates
+3. **Test new images** on a small runner group before full deployment
+4. **Monitor startup times** in GCP Cloud Logging to validate improvements
+5. **Rebuild regularly** (weekly recommended) to include security updates
diff --git a/packer/gcp/ubuntu/README.md b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70f2d03f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+# Ubuntu LTS Packer Template
+
+This directory contains the Packer template and scripts to build optimized Ubuntu 22.04 LTS base images for GitHub Actions self-hosted runners on GCP.
+
+## 📊 Performance
+
+- **Standard spawn time:** 2min09s (129s)
+- **With Packer image:** 1min24s (84s)
+- **Improvement:** 35% faster ⚡
+- **Time saved per instance:** 45 seconds
+
+## 📦 What's Pre-installed
+
+- Docker CE + docker-compose
+- containerd.io
+- System updates (apt update + upgrade)
+- Base development tools
+- Optimized for GitHub Actions runner deployment
+
+## 🚀 Quick Start
+
+### Build Locally
+
+```bash
+./build.sh
+```
+
+The script will interactively prompt you for:
+
+- GCP Project ID
+- GCP Zone
+- Image name (auto-generated with timestamp)
+
+### Manual Build
+
+```bash
+# Initialize Packer
+packer init template.pkr.hcl
+
+# Validate
+packer validate \
+  -var="project_id=YOUR_PROJECT" \
+  -var="zone=europe-west1-b" \
+  -var="image_name=github-runner-base-ubuntu-2204-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" \
+  template.pkr.hcl
+
+# Build
+packer build \
+  -var="project_id=YOUR_PROJECT" \
+  -var="zone=europe-west1-b" \
+  -var="image_name=github-runner-base-ubuntu-2204-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" \
+  template.pkr.hcl
+```
+
+## 📋 Files
+
+- **template.pkr.hcl** - Packer template definition
+- **build.sh** - Interactive build script
+- **provision.sh** - Shell provisioning script (if used)
+- **variables.pkrvars.hcl.example** - Example variables file
+- **config-example.yaml** - Runner-manager configuration example
+
+## 🛠️ Customization
+
+To customize the image, edit:
+
+1. **template.pkr.hcl** - Modify build configuration, machine type, disk size
+2. **provisioners** - Add/remove provisioning steps
+
+Example: Add additional packages
+
+```hcl
+provisioner "shell" {
+  inline = [
+    "sudo apt-get install -y your-package",
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+## 📝 Notes
+
+- Build machine: n2-standard-4 (4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM)
+- Build time: ~8-10 minutes
+- Disk size: 80 GB SSD
+- Image family: `github-runner-base-ubuntu-2204`
+- Source image: `ubuntu-2204-lts` from `ubuntu-os-cloud`
+
+## 🔗 See Also
+
+- [Main Packer README](../README.md)
+- [Runner Manager Documentation](../../README.md)
+- [Packer GCP Builder Documentation](https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/integrations/hashicorp/googlecompute)
diff --git a/packer/gcp/ubuntu/build.sh b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..44ada095
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Quick Start Script for Building Packer Image Locally
+# This script helps you build a GCP runner image using Packer
+# trunk-ignore-all(shellcheck/SC2310): command_exists used in conditions is intentional
+# trunk-ignore-all(shellcheck/SC2155): declare and assign pattern is acceptable here
+# trunk-ignore-all(shellcheck/SC1003): backslash escaping in examples is intentional
+
+set -e
+
+# Colors for output
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+BLUE='\033[0;34m'
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+# Function to print colored output
+print_info() {
+	echo -e "${BLUE}[INFO]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+print_success() {
+	echo -e "${GREEN}[SUCCESS]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+print_error() {
+	echo -e "${RED}[ERROR]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+print_warning() {
+	echo -e "${YELLOW}[WARNING]${NC} $1"
+}
+
+# Function to check if a command exists
+command_exists() {
+	command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
+# Main script
+print_info "Starting Packer build script for GCP runner images"
+echo ""
+
+# Check prerequisites
+print_info "Checking prerequisites..."
+
+if ! command_exists packer; then
+	print_error "Packer is not installed. Please install it from: https://www.packer.io/downloads"
+	exit 1
+fi
+print_success "Packer is installed ($(packer version))"
+
+if ! command_exists gcloud; then
+	print_error "Google Cloud SDK is not installed. Please install it from: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install"
+	exit 1
+fi
+print_success "Google Cloud SDK is installed"
+
+# Check GCP authentication
+print_info "Checking GCP authentication..."
+if gcloud auth application-default print-access-token >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	print_success "GCP authentication is configured"
+else
+	print_warning "GCP authentication not found. Running 'gcloud auth application-default login'..."
+	gcloud auth application-default login
+fi
+
+# Get GCP project ID
+CURRENT_PROJECT=$(gcloud config get-value project 2>/dev/null)
+if [[ -z ${CURRENT_PROJECT} ]]; then
+	print_error "No GCP project is configured. Please run: gcloud config set project YOUR_PROJECT_ID"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+echo ""
+print_info "Current GCP project: ${CURRENT_PROJECT}"
+
+# Prompt for confirmation or custom project
+read -p "Use this project? (y/n/custom): " -r
+if [[ ${REPLY} =~ ^[Nn]$ ]]; then
+	exit 0
+elif [[ ${REPLY} =~ ^[Cc]ustom$ ]]; then
+	read -p "Enter GCP project ID: " -r CUSTOM_PROJECT
+	GCP_PROJECT=${CUSTOM_PROJECT}
+else
+	GCP_PROJECT=${CURRENT_PROJECT}
+fi
+
+# Get zone
+print_info "Current GCP zone: $(gcloud config get-value compute/zone 2>/dev/null || echo 'not set')"
+read -p "Enter GCP zone (or press Enter for europe-west1-b): " -r
+GCP_ZONE=${REPLY:-europe-west1-b}
+
+# Choose Ubuntu version
+echo ""
+print_info "Available Ubuntu versions:"
+echo "  1) Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (recommended)"
+echo "  2) Ubuntu 24.04 LTS"
+echo "  3) Custom version"
+read -p "Select Ubuntu version (1/2/3): " -r VERSION_CHOICE
+
+case ${VERSION_CHOICE} in
+1)
+	UBUNTU_VERSION="2204"
+	print_success "Selected: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS"
+	;;
+2)
+	UBUNTU_VERSION="2404"
+	print_success "Selected: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS"
+	;;
+3)
+	read -p "Enter Ubuntu version (e.g., 2204 for 22.04): " -r UBUNTU_VERSION
+	print_success "Selected: Ubuntu ${UBUNTU_VERSION:0:2}.${UBUNTU_VERSION:2:2}"
+	;;
+*)
+	UBUNTU_VERSION="2204"
+	print_warning "Invalid choice, defaulting to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS"
+	;;
+esac
+
+# Generate image name with timestamp
+IMAGE_NAME="github-runner-base-ubuntu-${UBUNTU_VERSION}-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
+print_info "Generated image name: ${IMAGE_NAME}"
+
+read -p "Use this image name? (y/n): " -r
+if [[ ${REPLY} =~ ^[Nn]$ ]]; then
+	read -p "Enter custom image name: " -r CUSTOM_IMAGE_NAME
+	IMAGE_NAME=${CUSTOM_IMAGE_NAME}
+fi
+
+echo ""
+print_info "Build Configuration:"
+echo "  Project ID:     ${GCP_PROJECT}"
+echo "  Zone:           ${GCP_ZONE}"
+echo "  Ubuntu Version: ${UBUNTU_VERSION:0:2}.${UBUNTU_VERSION:2:2}"
+echo "  Image Name:     ${IMAGE_NAME}"
+echo "  Image Family:   github-runner-base-ubuntu-${UBUNTU_VERSION}"
+echo ""
+
+read -p "Proceed with build? (y/n): " -r
+if [[ ! ${REPLY} =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
+	print_info "Build cancelled"
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+echo ""
+print_info "Initializing Packer..."
+packer init template.pkr.hcl
+print_success "Packer initialized"
+
+echo ""
+print_info "Validating Packer template..."
+packer validate \
+	-var="project_id=${GCP_PROJECT}" \
+	-var="zone=${GCP_ZONE}" \
+	-var="image_name=${IMAGE_NAME}" \
+	-var="ubuntu_version=${UBUNTU_VERSION}" \
+	template.pkr.hcl
+print_success "Packer template is valid"
+
+echo ""
+print_info "Starting Packer build..."
+print_warning "This will take approximately 10-15 minutes"
+echo ""
+
+# Set Packer log level
+export PACKER_LOG=1
+export PACKER_LOG_PATH="packer-build-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
+
+# Run Packer build
+if packer build \
+	-var="project_id=${GCP_PROJECT}" \
+	-var="zone=${GCP_ZONE}" \
+	-var="image_name=${IMAGE_NAME}" \
+	-var="ubuntu_version=${UBUNTU_VERSION}" \
+	template.pkr.hcl; then
+
+	echo ""
+	print_success "Packer build completed successfully!"
+	print_info "Image name: ${IMAGE_NAME}"
+	print_info "Image family: github-runner-base"
+	print_info "Logs saved to: ${PACKER_LOG_PATH}"
+
+	echo ""
+	print_info "Verifying image creation..."
+	gcloud compute images describe "${IMAGE_NAME}" \
+		--project="${GCP_PROJECT}" \
+		--format="table(name,family,diskSizeGb,status,creationTimestamp)"
+
+	echo ""
+	print_success "Image verification complete!"
+
+	echo ""
+	print_info "Next steps:"
+	echo "  1. Test the image by creating a VM:"
+	echo '     gcloud compute instances create test-runner \'
+	echo "       --image=${IMAGE_NAME} \\"
+	echo "       --image-project=${GCP_PROJECT} \\"
+	echo "       --zone=${GCP_ZONE} \\"
+	echo "       --machine-type=n2-standard-4"
+	echo ""
+	echo "  2. Update your config.yaml:"
+	echo "     instance_config:"
+	echo "       image_family: github-runner-base"
+	echo "       image_project: ${GCP_PROJECT}"
+	echo ""
+	echo "  3. See docs/development/prebuilt-images.md for detailed setup"
+
+else
+	echo ""
+	print_error "Packer build failed!"
+	print_info "Check logs at: ${PACKER_LOG_PATH}"
+	exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/packer/gcp/ubuntu/provision.sh b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/provision.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..a649a6c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/provision.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Ubuntu provisioning script for GitHub Actions runner base image
+# This script is called by Packer to configure the image
+
+set -e
+
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "Ubuntu Provisioning Starting"
+echo "=========================================="
+
+# Update system packages
+echo "Step 1/4: Updating system packages..."
+apt-get update
+DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade -y
+
+# Install base dependencies
+echo "Step 2/4: Installing base dependencies..."
+DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y \
+	apt-transport-https \
+	ca-certificates \
+	curl \
+	gnupg \
+	lsb-release
+
+# Install Docker CE
+echo "Step 3/4: Installing Docker CE..."
+install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
+curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
+chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
+
+echo \
+	"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
+  $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" |
+	tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list >/dev/null
+
+apt-get update
+apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
+
+# Configure Docker
+systemctl enable docker
+groupadd -f docker
+
+# Clean up
+echo "Step 4/4: Cleaning up..."
+apt-get clean
+rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+rm -rf /tmp/*
+rm -f ~/.bash_history
+
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "Ubuntu Provisioning Completed"
+echo "=========================================="
diff --git a/packer/gcp/ubuntu/template.pkr.hcl b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/template.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c9cd3c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/template.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,280 @@
+# Packer Template for GitHub Runner Base Image (Ubuntu)
+# This template creates a pre-built GCP VM image with common dependencies
+# to accelerate GitHub Actions runner startup time.
+# 
+# Supports multiple Ubuntu versions: 22.04, 24.04, etc.
+# 
+# Example usage:
+#   Ubuntu 22.04: packer build -var="ubuntu_version=2204" template.pkr.hcl
+#   Ubuntu 24.04: packer build -var="ubuntu_version=2404" template.pkr.hcl
+
+# Variables for configuration
+variable "project_id" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "GCP project ID where the image will be built and stored"
+}
+
+variable "zone" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "GCP zone for the build VM"
+  default     = "europe-west1-b"
+}
+
+variable "ubuntu_version" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Ubuntu version (2204 for 22.04, 2404 for 24.04, etc.)"
+  default     = "2204"
+}
+
+variable "source_image_family" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Base image family to build from (will be constructed from ubuntu_version if not set)"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
+variable "source_image_project" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "GCP project containing the source image"
+  default     = "ubuntu-os-cloud"
+}
+
+variable "image_name" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Name for the output image (will be auto-generated if not set)"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
+variable "image_family" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Image family for the output image (will be constructed from ubuntu_version if not set)"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
+# Local variables for dynamic naming
+locals {
+  # Construct source image family from version if not explicitly set
+  actual_source_image_family = var.source_image_family != "" ? var.source_image_family : "ubuntu-${var.ubuntu_version}-lts"
+  
+  # Construct image family from version if not explicitly set
+  actual_image_family = var.image_family != "" ? var.image_family : "github-runner-base-ubuntu-${var.ubuntu_version}"
+  
+  # Construct image name with timestamp if not explicitly set
+  actual_image_name = var.image_name != "" ? var.image_name : "github-runner-base-ubuntu-${var.ubuntu_version}-${formatdate("YYYYMMDD-hhmmss", timestamp())}"
+  
+  # Formatted version for display (2204 -> 22.04)
+  version_display = "${substr(var.ubuntu_version, 0, 2)}.${substr(var.ubuntu_version, 2, 2)}"
+}
+
+variable "machine_type" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Machine type for the build VM"
+  default     = "n2-standard-2"
+}
+
+variable "disk_size" {
+  type        = number
+  description = "Disk size in GB for the image"
+  default     = 80
+}
+
+variable "disk_type" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Disk type for the build VM"
+  default     = "pd-ssd"
+}
+
+variable "network" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Network to use for the build VM"
+  default     = "default"
+}
+
+variable "subnetwork" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Subnetwork to use for the build VM"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
+variable "tags" {
+  type        = list(string)
+  description = "Network tags for the build VM"
+  default     = ["packer-build"]
+}
+
+variable "image_labels" {
+  type        = map(string)
+  description = "Labels to apply to the output image"
+  default = {
+    created_by = "packer"
+    purpose    = "github-actions-runner"
+  }
+}
+
+# Packer configuration
+packer {
+  required_version = ">= 1.9.0"
+  required_plugins {
+    googlecompute = {
+      version = ">= 1.1.1"
+      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/googlecompute"
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+# Source configuration
+source "googlecompute" "runner-base" {
+  project_id          = var.project_id
+  source_image_family = local.actual_source_image_family
+  source_image_project_id = [var.source_image_project]
+  zone                = var.zone
+  
+  # Output image configuration
+  image_name          = local.actual_image_name
+  image_family        = local.actual_image_family
+  image_description   = "Pre-built GitHub Actions runner base image (Ubuntu ${local.version_display}) with common dependencies"
+  image_labels        = merge(var.image_labels, {
+    os_version = var.ubuntu_version
+  })
+  
+  # Build VM configuration
+  machine_type        = var.machine_type
+  disk_size           = var.disk_size
+  disk_type           = var.disk_type
+  network             = var.network
+  subnetwork          = var.subnetwork
+  tags                = var.tags
+  
+  # SSH configuration
+  ssh_username        = "packer"
+  
+  # Use internal IP if on a private network
+  use_internal_ip     = false
+  
+  # Don't create a default service account
+  omit_external_ip    = false
+}
+
+# Build configuration
+build {
+  name = "github-runner-base"
+  
+  sources = ["source.googlecompute.runner-base"]
+  
+  # Wait for cloud-init to complete
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Waiting for cloud-init to complete...'",
+      "cloud-init status --wait || true",
+      "echo 'Cloud-init completed'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Update system packages
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Updating system packages...'",
+      "sudo apt-get update",
+      "sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade -y",
+      "echo 'System update completed'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Install base dependencies - EXACTLY matching startup.sh init() function
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Installing base dependencies (matching startup.sh init function)...'",
+      "sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y \\",
+      "  apt-transport-https \\",
+      "  ca-certificates \\",
+      "  curl \\",
+      "  gnupg \\",
+      "  lsb-release",
+      "echo 'Base dependencies installed'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Install Docker - EXACTLY matching startup.sh install_docker() function
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Installing Docker (matching startup.sh install_docker function)...'",
+      "sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings",
+      "curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg",
+      "sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg",
+      "echo \"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo $VERSION_CODENAME) stable\" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null",
+      "sudo apt-get update --yes",
+      "sudo apt-get install --yes docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io",
+      "echo 'Docker installed successfully'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Configure Docker to start on boot
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Configuring Docker service...'",
+      "sudo systemctl enable docker",
+      "sudo systemctl start docker",
+      "# Verify Docker is running",
+      "sudo docker version",
+      "echo 'Docker service configured'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Pre-create docker group (startup.sh will add actions user to it)
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Pre-creating docker group...'",
+      "sudo groupadd -f docker",
+      "echo 'Docker group ready'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Clean up to reduce image size
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Cleaning up to reduce image size...'",
+      "sudo apt-get autoremove -y",
+      "sudo apt-get clean",
+      "sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*",
+      "sudo rm -rf /tmp/*",
+      "sudo rm -rf /var/tmp/*",
+      "# Clear bash history (if exists)",
+      "rm -f ~/.bash_history",
+      "touch ~/.bash_history",
+      "echo 'Cleanup completed'"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Final system preparation
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = [
+      "echo 'Final system preparation...'",
+      "sudo sync",
+      "echo '========================================='",
+      "echo 'Image build completed successfully!'",
+      "echo '========================================='",
+      "echo 'Pre-installed components:'",
+      "echo '  - Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (updated)'",
+      "echo '  - Docker CE with containerd'",
+      "echo '  - Base dependencies (curl, gnupg, etc.)'",
+      "echo ''",
+      "echo 'To be installed at runtime by startup.sh:'",
+      "echo '  - actions user and permissions'",
+      "echo '  - GitHub Actions runner agent'",
+      "echo '  - Runner hooks and configuration'",
+      "echo '  - Runner service'",
+      "echo '========================================='",
+      "sudo docker --version",
+      "df -h /"
+    ]
+  }
+  
+  # Optional: Post-processor to create a manifest file
+  post-processor "manifest" {
+    output = "packer-manifest.json"
+    strip_path = true
+    custom_data = {
+      source_image_family = var.source_image_family
+      build_time = timestamp()
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packer/gcp/ubuntu/variables.pkrvars.hcl.example b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/variables.pkrvars.hcl.example
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70dc11e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/gcp/ubuntu/variables.pkrvars.hcl.example
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Packer Variables File (Optional)
+# This file allows you to set default values for variables
+# You can create a copy of this file as `variables.auto.pkrvars.hcl`
+# and Packer will automatically load it.
+
+# GCP Project Configuration
+zone       = "europe-west1-b"
+
+# Image Configuration
+source_image_family  = "ubuntu-2204-lts"
+source_image_project = "ubuntu-os-cloud"
+image_family         = "github-runner-base"
+
+# Build VM Configuration
+machine_type = "n2-standard-2"
+disk_size    = 80
+disk_type    = "pd-ssd"
+
+# Network Configuration
+network    = "default"
+subnetwork = ""
+tags       = ["packer-build"]
+
+# Image Labels
+image_labels = {
+  created_by = "packer"
+  purpose    = "github-actions-runner"
+  team       = "platform"
+}
+
+# Note: image_name should be set dynamically, not in this file
+# Use: packer build -var="image_name=github-runner-base-$(date +%Y%m%d)" .