diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 5d6b50c0288c7c484e3a093df95e02e3ac3b0ac6..0c95080be0587733bcf67cad2ee6bfd302140efd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ Added
 Changed
 -------
 
+- Remove the pacstrap directory early to lower the maximum size of the working directory.
+
 Deprecated
 ----------
 
diff --git a/archiso/mkarchiso b/archiso/mkarchiso
index 553d0d2a7bd7a4e4eb652cd0e99a3ecf163e3d46..de7bf0162485dcea60ee976a887d5cd6da10af3a 100755
--- a/archiso/mkarchiso
+++ b/archiso/mkarchiso
@@ -1704,6 +1704,13 @@ _build_bootstrap_image() {
 
 # Build ISO
 _build_iso_image() {
+    # Remove the pacstrap directory early to lower the maximum size of the working directory.
+    # The creation of the airootfs image has already been completed.
+    if (( rm_work_dir )); then
+        _msg_info 'Removing pacstrap directory...'
+        rm -rf -- "${work_dir:?}/${arch}/airootfs"
+    fi
+
     local xorriso_options=() xorrisofs_options=()
     local bootmode