diff --git a/playbooks/provision.yaml b/playbooks/provision.yaml
index 645f088..6603cac 100644
--- a/playbooks/provision.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/provision.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 
 - name: Configure common server settings
   hosts: all
+  vars_files:
+    - vars/packages.yaml
   tasks:
     - name: Set hostname
       become: true
@@ -92,6 +94,13 @@
         group: "{{ ansible_user }}"
         mode: 0644
 
+    - name: Install universal packages
+      when: ansible_distribution == "Rocky"
+      become: true
+      ansible.builtin.dnf:
+        name: "{{ skylab_packages_global + skylab_packages_rocky }}"
+        state: present
+
 - name: Configure SSH
   hosts: all
   handlers:
diff --git a/vars/packages.yaml b/vars/packages.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d70051c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/packages.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+skylab_packages_global:
+  - automake
+  - cmake
+  - curl
+  - gcc
+  - gcc-c++
+  - git
+  - make
+  - nano
+  - openssl-devel
+  - openssh-server
+  - systemd-devel
+  - unzip
+  - vim
+  - vim-minimal
+
+skylab_packages_rocky:
+  - bind-utils
+  - bash-completion
+  - nc
+  - nfs-utils
+  - python3
+  - python3-pip
+  - python3-setuptools
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - systemd-networkd
+  - wget