diff --git a/hshbase/init.sls b/hshbase/init.sls
index c4f6ed6a3bec22e7cec80f343dfee757e88a46c2..25cf01fac93171cac0928f90852ed8df5bce4168 100644
--- a/hshbase/init.sls
+++ b/hshbase/init.sls
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 # Include all submodules by default - they ca be disable in pillar, if necessary
 include:
+  - .packages
   - .pythonpackages
   - .apt
   - .openvmtools
diff --git a/hshbase/packages.sls b/hshbase/packages.sls
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1366cd88ee5977f573066a7eebcb2f8fc2783d91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hshbase/packages.sls
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Always ships this packages - we need them for grains
+{% if grains['os'] == 'Debian' or grains['os'] == 'Ubuntu' %}
+hsh_python_packages_salt:
+  pkg.installed:
+    - pkgs:
+      - git
+      - rsync
+      - top
+      - nload
+      - etckeeper
+      - lsof
+      - traceroute
+
+{% elif grains['os'] == 'FreeBSD' %}
+hsh_python_packages_salt:
+  pkg.installed:
+    - pkgs:
+      - git
+      - rsync
+      - top
+      - nload
+      - etckeeper
+      - lsof
+      - traceroute
+
+{% endif %}