diff --git a/images/linux-amzn2/github_agent.linux.pkr.hcl b/images/linux-amzn2/github_agent.linux.pkr.hcl
index 566423d03f..a930814fa3 100644
--- a/images/linux-amzn2/github_agent.linux.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/linux-amzn2/github_agent.linux.pkr.hcl
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ packer {
   }
 }
 
-variable "action_runner_url" {
-  description = "The URL to the tarball of the action runner"
+variable "runner_version" {
+  description = "The version (no v prefix) of the runner software to install https://github.com/actions/runner/releases"
   type        = string
-  default     = "https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.284.0/actions-runner-linux-x64-2.284.0.tar.gz"
+  default     = "2.286.0"
 }
 
 variable "region" {
@@ -19,10 +19,41 @@ variable "region" {
   default     = "eu-west-1"
 }
 
+variable "security_group_id" {
+  description = "The ID of the security group Packer will associate with the builder to enable access"
+  type        = string
+  default     = null
+}
+
+variable "subnet_id" {
+  description = "If using VPC, the ID of the subnet, such as subnet-12345def, where Packer will launch the EC2 instance. This field is required if you are using an non-default VPC"
+  type        = string
+  default     = null
+}
+
+variable "instance_type" {
+  description = "The instance type Packer will use for the builder"
+  type        = string
+  default     = "m3.medium"
+}
+
+variable "root_volume_size_gb" {
+  type    = number
+  default = 8
+}
+
+variable "tags" {
+  description = "Additional tags to add globally"
+  type        = map(string)
+  default     = {}
+}
+
 source "amazon-ebs" "githubrunner" {
-  ami_name      = "github-runner-amzn2-x86_64-${formatdate("YYYYMMDDhhmm", timestamp())}"
-  instance_type = "m3.medium"
-  region        = var.region
+  ami_name          = "github-runner-amzn2-x86_64-${formatdate("YYYYMMDDhhmm", timestamp())}"
+  instance_type     = var.instance_type
+  region            = var.region
+  security_group_id = var.security_group_id
+  subnet_id         = var.subnet_id
   source_ami_filter {
     filters = {
       name                = "amzn2-ami-hvm-2.*-x86_64-ebs"
@@ -33,10 +64,18 @@ source "amazon-ebs" "githubrunner" {
     owners      = ["137112412989"]
   }
   ssh_username = "ec2-user"
-  tags = {
-    OS_Version    = "amzn2"
-    Release       = "Latest"
-    Base_AMI_Name = "{{ .SourceAMIName }}"
+  tags = merge(
+    var.tags,
+    {
+      OS_Version    = "amzn2"
+      Release       = "Latest"
+      Base_AMI_Name = "{{ .SourceAMIName }}"
+  })
+
+  launch_block_device_mappings {
+    device_name = "/dev/xvda"
+    volume_size = "${var.root_volume_size_gb}"
+    volume_type = "gp3"
   }
 }
 
@@ -58,16 +97,24 @@ build {
     ]
   }
 
-  provisioner "shell" {
-    environment_vars = [
-      "RUNNER_TARBALL_URL=${var.action_runner_url}"
-    ]
-    inline = [templatefile("../install-runner.sh", {
+  provisioner "file" {
+    content = templatefile("../install-runner.sh", {
       install_runner = templatefile("../../modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh", {
         ARM_PATCH                       = ""
         S3_LOCATION_RUNNER_DISTRIBUTION = ""
       })
-    })]
+    })
+    destination = "/tmp/install-runner.sh"
+  }
+
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    environment_vars = [
+      "RUNNER_TARBALL_URL=https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v${var.runner_version}/actions-runner-linux-x64-${var.runner_version}.tar.gz"
+    ]
+    inline = [
+      "sudo chmod +x /tmp/install-runner.sh",
+      "sudo RUNNER_TARBALL_URL=$RUNNER_TARBALL_URL /tmp/install-runner.sh"
+    ]
   }
 
   provisioner "file" {
diff --git a/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh b/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh
index 9ca7d4913e..3739973c74 100644
--- a/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh
+++ b/modules/runners/templates/install-runner.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ file_name="actions-runner.tar.gz"
 
 echo "Creating actions-runner directory for the GH Action installtion"
 cd /opt/
-mkdir actions-runner && cd actions-runner
+mkdir -p actions-runner && cd actions-runner
 
 if [[ -n "$RUNNER_TARBALL_URL" ]]; then
   echo "Downloading the GH Action runner from $RUNNER_TARBALL_URL to $file_name"