diff --git a/bosh-stemcell/spec/stemcells/warden_spec.rb b/bosh-stemcell/spec/stemcells/warden_spec.rb
index df2d074f2a..897d5644ad 100644
--- a/bosh-stemcell/spec/stemcells/warden_spec.rb
+++ b/bosh-stemcell/spec/stemcells/warden_spec.rb
@@ -58,4 +58,34 @@
       its(:content) { should include('"UseMonitIptablesFirewall": true') }
     end
   end
+
+  context "systemd unit cleanup for warden containers" do
+    # The Docker CPI runs warden stemcells with `exec /sbin/init`. base_warden
+    # strips non-essential stock systemd units from the boot sequence so they
+    # don't contend with the monit-managed bpm jobs in the BOSH director
+    # container (symptom: postgres role never created, bosh/0 never converges).
+    # Keep-list mirrors the historical Docker CPI allow-list. See
+    # base_warden/apply.sh and cloudfoundry/bosh-docker-cpi-release#60.
+    keep_patterns = %w[
+      *bosh-agent* *dbus* *journald* *logrotate* *runit* *ssh*
+      *systemd-user-sessions* *systemd-tmpfiles*
+    ]
+    not_name = keep_patterns.map { |g| "-not -name '#{g}'" }.join(" ")
+    wants = "find /etc/systemd/system /lib/systemd/system -type l -path '*.wants/*'"
+
+    describe "non-essential units are removed from the boot sequence" do
+      describe command("#{wants} #{not_name}") do
+        its(:exit_status) { should eq 0 }
+        its(:stdout) { should eq "" }
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "essential units are preserved (guards against an over-broad prune)" do
+      describe command(wants) do
+        its(:exit_status) { should eq 0 }
+        its(:stdout) { should include("runit.service") }
+        its(:stdout) { should include("ssh.service") }
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/stemcell_builder/stages/base_warden/apply.sh b/stemcell_builder/stages/base_warden/apply.sh
index 7d1844495a..b19949d5fd 100755
--- a/stemcell_builder/stages/base_warden/apply.sh
+++ b/stemcell_builder/stages/base_warden/apply.sh
@@ -85,3 +85,33 @@ JSON
 
 # Mask systemd-binfmt.service which fails under Rosetta emulation
 run_in_chroot "$chroot" "systemctl mask systemd-binfmt.service"
+
+# Trim non-essential systemd units from the boot sequence.
+#
+# When the Docker CPI runs a warden stemcell with `exec /sbin/init`, full stock
+# systemd comes up and its units contend with the monit-managed bpm jobs in the
+# BOSH director container (symptom: the postgres role is never created and
+# bosh/0 never converges). The Docker CPI used to strip these units at
+# container-create time, but that allow-list prune was removed in
+# cloudfoundry/bosh-docker-cpi-release#60 on the assumption the stemcell would
+# take it over. The jammy stemcell only ever picked up the systemd-binfmt mask
+# above, so we reproduce the CPI's full allow-list here.
+#
+# This removes the `.wants` symlinks (equivalent to `systemctl disable`): units
+# are dropped from the boot sequence but can still start as dependencies of a
+# kept unit. The keep patterns mirror the historical CPI list exactly. Deriving
+# the set at build time keeps it correct as the stemcell's package set changes.
+run_in_chroot "$chroot" "
+find /etc/systemd/system /lib/systemd/system \
+  -type l \
+  -path '*.wants/*' \
+  -not -name '*bosh-agent*' \
+  -not -name '*dbus*' \
+  -not -name '*journald*' \
+  -not -name '*logrotate*' \
+  -not -name '*runit*' \
+  -not -name '*ssh*' \
+  -not -name '*systemd-user-sessions*' \
+  -not -name '*systemd-tmpfiles*' \
+  -delete
+"