diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel84/distro_v2.go b/internal/distro/rhel84/distro_v2.go
index 8a8dc1b2c..0e27e6ff2 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel84/distro_v2.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel84/distro_v2.go
@@ -336,11 +336,11 @@ func (t *imageTypeS2) ostreeTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rp
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
index c91ef6192..59b02d5ae 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel85/pipelines.go
@@ -270,11 +270,11 @@ func ec2BaseTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 	}))
 
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -678,11 +678,11 @@ func osPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, bpPackag
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -765,11 +765,11 @@ func ostreeTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel86/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel86/pipelines.go
index 5c58a0297..f9a2b9a5c 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel86/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel86/pipelines.go
@@ -277,11 +277,11 @@ func ec2BaseTreePipeline(
 	}))
 
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -848,11 +848,11 @@ func osPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, bpPackag
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -935,11 +935,11 @@ func ostreeTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel90/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel90/pipelines.go
index 235533b2b..87e83659a 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel90/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel90/pipelines.go
@@ -269,11 +269,11 @@ func ec2BaseTreePipeline(
 	}))
 
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -853,11 +853,11 @@ func osPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig,
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -940,11 +940,11 @@ func ostreeTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel90beta/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel90beta/pipelines.go
index 1bfd9a9ea..4048f5642 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel90beta/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel90beta/pipelines.go
@@ -255,11 +255,11 @@ func ec2BaseTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 	}))
 
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -764,11 +764,11 @@ func osPipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, bpPackag
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
@@ -846,11 +846,11 @@ func ostreeTreePipeline(repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec,
 
 	// These are the current defaults for the sysconfig stage. This can be changed to be image type exclusive if different configs are needed.
 	p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSysconfigStage(&osbuild.SysconfigStageOptions{
-		Kernel: osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
+		Kernel: &osbuild.SysconfigKernelOptions{
 			UpdateDefault: true,
 			DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 		},
-		Network: osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+		Network: &osbuild.SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 			Networking: true,
 			NoZeroConf: true,
 		},
diff --git a/internal/osbuild2/stage_test.go b/internal/osbuild2/stage_test.go
index 52a40c4ec..a04414bc7 100644
--- a/internal/osbuild2/stage_test.go
+++ b/internal/osbuild2/stage_test.go
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ func TestStage_UnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
 				Options: &SysconfigStageOptions{},
 			},
 			args: args{
-				data: []byte(`{"type":"org.osbuild.sysconfig","options":{"kernel":{},"network":{}}}`),
+				data: []byte(`{"type":"org.osbuild.sysconfig","options":{}}`),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -512,11 +512,11 @@ func TestStage_UnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
 			fields: fields{
 				Type: "org.osbuild.sysconfig",
 				Options: &SysconfigStageOptions{
-					Kernel: SysconfigKernelOptions{
+					Kernel: &SysconfigKernelOptions{
 						UpdateDefault: true,
 						DefaultKernel: "kernel",
 					},
-					Network: SysconfigNetworkOptions{
+					Network: &SysconfigNetworkOptions{
 						Networking: true,
 						NoZeroConf: true,
 					},
diff --git a/internal/osbuild2/sysconfig_stage.go b/internal/osbuild2/sysconfig_stage.go
index 32258ff69..9a9300e0c 100644
--- a/internal/osbuild2/sysconfig_stage.go
+++ b/internal/osbuild2/sysconfig_stage.go
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 package osbuild2
 
 type SysconfigStageOptions struct {
-	Kernel         SysconfigKernelOptions  `json:"kernel,omitempty"`
-	Network        SysconfigNetworkOptions `json:"network,omitempty"`
-	NetworkScripts *NetworkScriptsOptions  `json:"network-scripts,omitempty"`
+	Kernel         *SysconfigKernelOptions  `json:"kernel,omitempty"`
+	Network        *SysconfigNetworkOptions `json:"network,omitempty"`
+	NetworkScripts *NetworkScriptsOptions   `json:"network-scripts,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (SysconfigStageOptions) isStageOptions() {}