diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/Makefile b/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
index 6bd8f71138..5250633d4e 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ ifeq ($(ARCH), aarch64)
     FIRMWAREPATH_NV := $(PREFIXDEPS)/share/$(EDK2_NAME)/AAVMF_CODE.fd
 endif
 
+# The CPU-only NVIDIA runtime class does not need UEFI firmware (no OVMF/AAVMF).
+# Use dedicated empty variables so it does not inherit the generic firmware
+# paths; parity with src/runtime/Makefile FIRMWAREPATH_NV_CPU.
+FIRMWAREPATH_NV_CPU :=
+FIRMWAREVOLUMEPATH_NV_CPU :=
+
 KERNELVERITYPARAMS ?= ""
 
 # TDX
@@ -704,7 +710,9 @@ USER_VARS += KERNELPATH
 USER_VARS += KERNELVIRTIOFSPATH
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREPATH
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREPATH_NV
+USER_VARS += FIRMWAREPATH_NV_CPU
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREVOLUMEPATH
+USER_VARS += FIRMWAREVOLUMEPATH_NV_CPU
 USER_VARS += MACHINEACCELERATORS
 USER_VARS += CPUFEATURES
 USER_VARS += DEFMACHINETYPE_CLH
diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu-nvidia-cpu-runtime-rs.toml.in b/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu-nvidia-cpu-runtime-rs.toml.in
index e14cc533f9..899e469169 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu-nvidia-cpu-runtime-rs.toml.in
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu-nvidia-cpu-runtime-rs.toml.in
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ kernel_verity_params = "@KERNELVERITYPARAMS_NV@"
 
 # Path to the firmware.
 # If you want that qemu uses the default firmware leave this option empty
-firmware = "@FIRMWAREPATH@"
+firmware = "@FIRMWAREPATH_NV_CPU@"
 
 # Path to the firmware volume.
 # firmware TDVF or OVMF can be split into FIRMWARE_VARS.fd (UEFI variables
 # as configuration) and FIRMWARE_CODE.fd (UEFI program image). UEFI variables
 # can be customized per each user while UEFI code is kept same.
-firmware_volume = "@FIRMWAREVOLUMEPATH@"
+firmware_volume = "@FIRMWAREVOLUMEPATH_NV_CPU@"
 
 # Machine accelerators
 # comma-separated list of machine accelerators to pass to the hypervisor.
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/shim-components.json b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/shim-components.json
index 3ef05a82b2..085aa8ed06 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/shim-components.json
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/shim-components.json
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
     },
     "qemu-nvidia-cpu-runtime-rs": {
       "x86_64":  ["shim-v2-rust", "qemu", "virtiofsd", "kernel-nvidia-gpu", "rootfs-image-nvidia"],
-      "aarch64": ["shim-v2-rust", "qemu", "virtiofsd", "kernel-nvidia-gpu", "rootfs-image-nvidia", "ovmf"]
+      "aarch64": ["shim-v2-rust", "qemu", "virtiofsd", "kernel-nvidia-gpu", "rootfs-image-nvidia"]
     },
     "qemu-nvidia-gpu-snp": {
       "x86_64": ["shim-v2-go", "qemu-snp-experimental", "kernel-nvidia-gpu", "rootfs-image-nvidia-gpu-confidential", "ovmf-sev"]