diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4562ecc76..ba43b72af 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,3 +23,8 @@ TODO
 # GitGuardian
 .cache_ggshield
 .gitguardian.yaml
+
+# AI coding agents
+# Claude
+.claude/
+/skills-lock.json
diff --git a/pkg/controller/worker/machines.go b/pkg/controller/worker/machines.go
index 9c7b807f5..1f061639e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/worker/machines.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/worker/machines.go
@@ -210,6 +210,20 @@ func (w *WorkerDelegate) generateMachineConfig(ctx context.Context) error {
 			// specifying the volume type requires a custom volume size to be specified too.
 			if pool.Volume != nil && pool.Volume.Type != nil {
 				machineClassSpec["rootDiskType"] = *pool.Volume.Type
+			} else if machineTypeFromCloudProfile.Storage != nil &&
+				machineTypeFromCloudProfile.Storage.Type != "" &&
+				machineTypeFromCloudProfile.Storage.Type != "default" {
+				// Use the storage type from the cloud profile as the default if not explicitly set in the shoot spec.
+				// This is required e.g. for KVM machines that need a "premium" disk type for boot disks.
+				machineClassSpec["rootDiskType"] = machineTypeFromCloudProfile.Storage.Type
+				if machineTypeFromCloudProfile.Storage.StorageSize != nil {
+					cloudProfileVolumeSize, err := worker.DiskSize(machineTypeFromCloudProfile.Storage.StorageSize.String())
+					if err == nil && cloudProfileVolumeSize > 0 {
+						if _, alreadySet := machineClassSpec["rootDiskSize"]; !alreadySet {
+							machineClassSpec["rootDiskSize"] = cloudProfileVolumeSize
+						}
+					}
+				}
 			}
 
 			if machineImage.ID != "" {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/worker/machines_test.go b/pkg/controller/worker/machines_test.go
index 76482c930..4310cc116 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/worker/machines_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/worker/machines_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package worker_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"embed"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -1374,6 +1375,69 @@ var _ = Describe("Machines", func() {
 				Expect(result[1].ClusterAutoscalerAnnotations[extensionsv1alpha1.ScaleDownUnreadyTimeAnnotation]).To(Equal("3m0s"))
 				Expect(result[1].ClusterAutoscalerAnnotations[extensionsv1alpha1.ScaleDownUtilizationThresholdAnnotation]).To(Equal("0.5"))
 			})
+
+			It("should use storage type and size from cloud profile machine type as default when no pool volume is specified", func() {
+				premiumStorageSize := resource.MustParse("64Gi")
+				clusterWithPremiumMachineType := &extensionscontroller.Cluster{
+					CloudProfile: cluster.CloudProfile.DeepCopy(),
+					Shoot:        cluster.Shoot,
+					Seed:         cluster.Seed,
+				}
+				clusterWithPremiumMachineType.CloudProfile.Spec.MachineTypes = []gardencorev1beta1.MachineType{
+					{
+						Name:         machineType,
+						Capabilities: capabilitiesAmd,
+						Storage: &gardencorev1beta1.MachineTypeStorage{
+							Class:       "standard",
+							StorageSize: &premiumStorageSize,
+							Type:        "premium",
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Name:         machineTypeArm,
+						Architecture: ptr.To(archARM),
+						Capabilities: capabilitiesArm,
+					},
+				}
+
+				workerDelegate, _ = NewWorkerDelegate(c, scheme, chartApplier, w, clusterWithPremiumMachineType, nil)
+
+				var capturedMachineClasses []map[string]interface{}
+				expectedUserDataSecretRefRead()
+				chartApplier.
+					EXPECT().
+					ApplyFromEmbeddedFS(
+						ctx,
+						charts.InternalChart,
+						filepath.Join("internal", "machineclass"),
+						namespace,
+						"machineclass",
+						gomock.AssignableToTypeOf(kubernetes.Values(nil)),
+					).
+					DoAndReturn(func(_ context.Context, _ embed.FS, _, _, _ string, opts ...kubernetes.ApplyOption) error {
+						applyOpts := &kubernetes.ApplyOptions{}
+						for _, o := range opts {
+							o.MutateApplyOptions(applyOpts)
+						}
+						if values, ok := applyOpts.Values.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+							if classes, ok := values["machineClasses"].([]map[string]interface{}); ok {
+								capturedMachineClasses = classes
+							}
+						}
+						return nil
+					})
+
+				err := workerDelegate.DeployMachineClasses(ctx)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+				Expect(capturedMachineClasses).NotTo(BeEmpty())
+				for _, class := range capturedMachineClasses {
+					if class["machineType"] == machineType {
+						Expect(class).To(HaveKeyWithValue("rootDiskType", "premium"), "expected rootDiskType to be set from cloud profile storage type")
+						Expect(class).To(HaveKeyWithValue("rootDiskSize", 64), "expected rootDiskSize to be set from cloud profile storage size")
+					}
+				}
+			})
 		},
 			Entry("with capabilities and using imageIDs", true, false),
 			Entry("with capabilities and using ImageNames", true, true),