diff --git a/base_images/fedora-cloud-init.service b/base_images/fedora-cloud-init.service
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d2197d8..00000000
--- a/base_images/fedora-cloud-init.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-[Unit]
-Description=Initial cloud-init job (metadata service crawler)
-DefaultDependencies=no
-Wants=cloud-init-local.service
-After=cloud-init-local.service
-Wants=google-network-daemon.service
-After=google-network-daemon.service
-Before=systemd-user-sessions.service
-
-[Service]
-Type=oneshot
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/cloud-init init
-RemainAfterExit=yes
-TimeoutSec=0
-
-# Output needs to appear in instance console output
-StandardOutput=journal+console
-
-[Install]
-WantedBy=cloud-init.target
diff --git a/base_images/fedora_base-setup.sh b/base_images/fedora_base-setup.sh
index f30a23d3..623a38d3 100644
--- a/base_images/fedora_base-setup.sh
+++ b/base_images/fedora_base-setup.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,20 @@ install_automation_tooling
 if ! ((CONTAINER)); then
     custom_cloud_init
 
+    # Be kind to humans, indicate where generated files came from
+    sourcemsg="### File generated during VM Image build by $(basename $SCRIPT_FILEPATH)"
+
+    if ((OS_RELEASE_VER<35)); then
+        # The packaged cloud-init.service unit has a dependency loop
+        # vs google-network-daemon.service.  Fix this by forcing cloud-init
+        # to run after.
+        CLOUD_SERVICE_PATH="systemd/system/cloud-init.service"
+        echo "$sourcemsg" > /etc/$CLOUD_SERVICE_PATH
+        sed -r -e \
+            's/Before=network-online.target/After=google-network-daemon.service' \
+            /lib/$CLOUD_SERVICE_PATH >> /etc/$CLOUD_SERVICE_PATH
+    fi
+
     # ref: https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/startupscript
     # The mechanism used by Cirrus-CI to execute tasks on the system is through an
     # "agent" process launched as a GCP startup-script (from the metadata service).
@@ -50,9 +64,10 @@ if ! ((CONTAINER)); then
     # run with the proper contexts.
     METADATA_SERVICE_CTX=unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0
     METADATA_SERVICE_PATH=systemd/system/google-startup-scripts.service
+    echo "$sourcemsg" > /etc/systemd/system/cloud-init.service
     sed -r -e \
         "s/^Type=oneshot/Type=oneshot\nSELinuxContext=$METADATA_SERVICE_CTX/" \
-        /lib/$METADATA_SERVICE_PATH > /etc/$METADATA_SERVICE_PATH
+        /lib/$METADATA_SERVICE_PATH >> /etc/$METADATA_SERVICE_PATH
 fi
 
 if [[ "$OS_RELEASE_ID" == "fedora" ]] && ((OS_RELEASE_VER>=33)); then