diff --git a/cmd/gen-manifests/main.go b/cmd/gen-manifests/main.go
index 7e59a1d27..ab5a37dcd 100644
--- a/cmd/gen-manifests/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gen-manifests/main.go
@@ -129,11 +129,6 @@ func makeManifestJob(name string, imgType distro.ImageType, cr composeRequest, d
 			ParentRef: cr.OSTree.Parent,
 			RHSM:      cr.OSTree.RHSM,
 		}
-	} else {
-		// use default OSTreeRef for image type
-		options.OSTree = &ostree.ImageOptions{
-			ImageRef: imgType.OSTreeRef(),
-		}
 	}
 
 	// add RHSM fact to detect changes
diff --git a/cmd/osbuild-dnf-json-tests/main_test.go b/cmd/osbuild-dnf-json-tests/main_test.go
index 62f255be1..1055d1e2a 100644
--- a/cmd/osbuild-dnf-json-tests/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/osbuild-dnf-json-tests/main_test.go
@@ -58,9 +58,7 @@ func TestCrossArchDepsolve(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 						distro.ImageOptions{
 							OSTree: &ostree.ImageOptions{
-								URL:           "foo",
-								ImageRef:      "bar",
-								ParentRef: "baz",
+								URL: "https://example.com", // required by some image types
 							},
 						},
 						repos[archStr], 0)
diff --git a/cmd/osbuild-package-sets/main.go b/cmd/osbuild-package-sets/main.go
index 4e7a2339d..b4baef70a 100644
--- a/cmd/osbuild-package-sets/main.go
+++ b/cmd/osbuild-package-sets/main.go
@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ func main() {
 	encoder.SetIndent("", "  ")
 	options := distro.ImageOptions{
 		OSTree: &ostree.ImageOptions{
-			URL:       "foo",
-			ImageRef:  "bar",
-			ParentRef: "baz",
+			URL: "https://example.com", // required by some image types
 		},
 	}
 	manifest, _, err := image.Manifest(&blueprint.Blueprint{}, options, nil, 0)
diff --git a/cmd/osbuild-pipeline/main.go b/cmd/osbuild-pipeline/main.go
index 07e13a004..6e6bf1498 100644
--- a/cmd/osbuild-pipeline/main.go
+++ b/cmd/osbuild-pipeline/main.go
@@ -173,11 +173,6 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if composeRequest.OSTree.Ref == "" {
-		// use default OSTreeRef for image type
-		composeRequest.OSTree.Ref = imageType.OSTreeRef()
-	}
-
 	options := distro.ImageOptions{
 		Size: imageType.Size(0),
 		OSTree: &ostree.ImageOptions{
diff --git a/internal/distro/distro_test.go b/internal/distro/distro_test.go
index 0110f197b..596de58ee 100644
--- a/internal/distro/distro_test.go
+++ b/internal/distro/distro_test.go
@@ -56,9 +56,7 @@ func TestImageType_PackageSetsChains(t *testing.T) {
 					}
 					options := distro.ImageOptions{
 						OSTree: &ostree.ImageOptions{
-							URL:       "foo",
-							ImageRef:  "bar",
-							ParentRef: "baz",
+							URL: "https://example.com", // required by some image types
 						},
 					}
 					manifest, _, err := imageType.Manifest(&bp, options, nil, 0)
@@ -147,9 +145,7 @@ func TestImageTypePipelineNames(t *testing.T) {
 
 					// Add ostree options for image types that require them
 					options.OSTree = &ostree.ImageOptions{
-						ImageRef:  imageType.OSTreeRef(),
-						URL:       "https://example.com/repo",
-						ParentRef: "ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff",
+						URL: "https://example.com",
 					}
 
 					// Pipelines that require package sets will fail if none
@@ -461,9 +457,7 @@ func TestPipelineRepositories(t *testing.T) {
 
 							// Add ostree options for image types that require them
 							options.OSTree = &ostree.ImageOptions{
-								ImageRef:  imageType.OSTreeRef(),
-								URL:       "https://example.com/repo",
-								ParentRef: "ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff",
+								URL: "https://example.com",
 							}
 
 							repos := tCase.repos
diff --git a/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go b/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go
index 1c5117095..0e6f7a5b6 100644
--- a/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go
+++ b/internal/distro/distro_test_common/distro_test_common.go
@@ -112,11 +112,6 @@ func TestDistro_Manifest(t *testing.T, pipelinePath string, prefix string, regis
 					}
 				}
 			}
-			if ostreeOptions == nil { // set image type default if not specified in request
-				ostreeOptions = &ostree.ImageOptions{
-					ImageRef: imageType.OSTreeRef(),
-				}
-			}
 
 			options := distro.ImageOptions{
 				Size:   imageType.Size(0),
@@ -217,9 +212,7 @@ var knownKernels = []string{"kernel", "kernel-debug", "kernel-rt"}
 // Returns the number of known kernels in the package list
 func kernelCount(imgType distro.ImageType, bp blueprint.Blueprint) int {
 	ostreeOptions := &ostree.ImageOptions{
-		URL:       "foo",
-		ImageRef:  "bar",
-		ParentRef: "baz",
+		URL: "https://example.com", // required by some image types
 	}
 	manifest, _, err := imgType.Manifest(&bp, distro.ImageOptions{OSTree: ostreeOptions}, nil, 0)
 	if err != nil {