diff --git a/params/params.go b/params/params.go
index 96d873b9..ee43e4b9 100644
--- a/params/params.go
+++ b/params/params.go
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ type BootstrapInstance struct {
 	CACertBundle []byte `json:"ca-cert-bundle"`
 
 	OSArch OSArch   `json:"arch"`
+	OSType OSType   `json:"os_type"`
 	Flavor string   `json:"flavor"`
 	Image  string   `json:"image"`
 	Labels []string `json:"labels"`
diff --git a/runner/pool/pool.go b/runner/pool/pool.go
index 3cc90ff0..5b336185 100644
--- a/runner/pool/pool.go
+++ b/runner/pool/pool.go
@@ -610,6 +610,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) addInstanceToProvider(instance params.Instance) error
 		CallbackURL:   instance.CallbackURL,
 		InstanceToken: jwtToken,
 		OSArch:        pool.OSArch,
+		OSType:        pool.OSType,
 		Flavor:        pool.Flavor,
 		Image:         pool.Image,
 		ExtraSpecs:    pool.ExtraSpecs,
diff --git a/runner/providers/external/external.go b/runner/providers/external/external.go
index dcf3c8b3..f5ee282f 100644
--- a/runner/providers/external/external.go
+++ b/runner/providers/external/external.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ type external struct {
 	execPath     string
 }
 
-func (e *external) validateCreateResult(inst params.Instance, bootstrapParams params.BootstrapInstance) error {
+func (e *external) validateCreateResult(inst params.Instance) error {
 	if inst.ProviderID == "" {
 		return garmErrors.NewProviderError("missing provider ID after create call")
 	}
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (e *external) CreateInstance(ctx context.Context, bootstrapParams params.Bo
 		return params.Instance{}, garmErrors.NewProviderError("failed to decode response from binary: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := e.validateCreateResult(param, bootstrapParams); err != nil {
+	if err := e.validateCreateResult(param); err != nil {
 		return params.Instance{}, garmErrors.NewProviderError("failed to validate result: %s", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/runner/providers/lxd/lxd.go b/runner/providers/lxd/lxd.go
index fe9ca4c3..2ee1dbab 100644
--- a/runner/providers/lxd/lxd.go
+++ b/runner/providers/lxd/lxd.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package lxd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/config"
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ func (l *LXD) getProfiles(flavor string) ([]string, error) {
 	return ret, nil
 }
 
-func (l *LXD) getTools(image *api.Image, tools []*github.RunnerApplicationDownload) (github.RunnerApplicationDownload, error) {
+func (l *LXD) getTools(image *api.Image, tools []*github.RunnerApplicationDownload, assumedOSType params.OSType) (github.RunnerApplicationDownload, error) {
 	if image == nil {
 		return github.RunnerApplicationDownload{}, fmt.Errorf("nil image received")
 	}
@@ -170,7 +171,8 @@ func (l *LXD) getTools(image *api.Image, tools []*github.RunnerApplicationDownlo
 
 	osType, err := util.OSToOSType(osName)
 	if err != nil {
-		return github.RunnerApplicationDownload{}, errors.Wrap(err, "fetching OS type")
+		log.Printf("failed to determine OS type from image, assuming %s", assumedOSType)
+		osType = assumedOSType
 	}
 
 	// Validate image OS. Linux only for now.
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@ func (l *LXD) getCreateInstanceArgs(bootstrapParams params.BootstrapInstance) (a
 		return api.InstancesPost{}, errors.Wrap(err, "getting image details")
 	}
 
-	tools, err := l.getTools(image, bootstrapParams.Tools)
+	tools, err := l.getTools(image, bootstrapParams.Tools, bootstrapParams.OSType)
 	if err != nil {
 		return api.InstancesPost{}, errors.Wrap(err, "getting tools")
 	}