diff --git a/elements/cloud-init-datasources/install.d/05-set-cloud-init-sources b/elements/cloud-init-datasources/install.d/05-set-cloud-init-sources
index 0f3d6662..0d833c7f 100755
--- a/elements/cloud-init-datasources/install.d/05-set-cloud-init-sources
+++ b/elements/cloud-init-datasources/install.d/05-set-cloud-init-sources
@@ -14,14 +14,16 @@ if [ -z "$DIB_CLOUD_INIT_DATASOURCES" ] ; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# DatasourceNone doesn't exist in Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise)
-# which uses cloud-init version 0.6.3
-if [ "$(lsb_release -cs)" = 'precise' ] ; then
-    cat > /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/91-dib-cloud-init-datasources.cfg <<EOF
+if [ -d /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d ]; then
+    # DatasourceNone doesn't exist in Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise)
+    # which uses cloud-init version 0.6.3
+    if [ "$(lsb_release -cs)" = 'precise' ] ; then
+        cat > /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/91-dib-cloud-init-datasources.cfg <<EOF
 datasource_list: [  $DIB_CLOUD_INIT_DATASOURCES ]
 EOF
-else
-    cat > /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/91-dib-cloud-init-datasources.cfg <<EOF
+    else
+        cat > /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/91-dib-cloud-init-datasources.cfg <<EOF
 datasource_list: [  $DIB_CLOUD_INIT_DATASOURCES, None ]
 EOF
+    fi
 fi
diff --git a/elements/simple-init/element-deps b/elements/simple-init/element-deps
index d78d4eeb..b969ed87 100644
--- a/elements/simple-init/element-deps
+++ b/elements/simple-init/element-deps
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+cloud-init-datasources
 dib-init-system
 install-types
 source-repositories
diff --git a/elements/simple-init/environment.d/50-disable-cloud-init b/elements/simple-init/environment.d/50-disable-cloud-init
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ccd3f2ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/simple-init/environment.d/50-disable-cloud-init
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export DIB_CLOUD_INIT_DATASOURCES="None"