diff --git a/include/multipass/utils.h b/include/multipass/utils.h
index ea1bf80805..f1620abe09 100644
--- a/include/multipass/utils.h
+++ b/include/multipass/utils.h
@@ -65,8 +65,6 @@ std::string timestamp();
 bool is_running(const VirtualMachine::State& state);
 void wait_until_ssh_up(VirtualMachine* virtual_machine, std::chrono::milliseconds timeout,
                        std::function<void()> const& process_vm_events = []() { });
-void wait_for_cloud_init(VirtualMachine* virtual_machine, std::chrono::milliseconds timeout,
-                         std::function<void()> const& process_vm_events = []() { });
 
 enum class TimeoutAction
 {
diff --git a/include/multipass/virtual_machine.h b/include/multipass/virtual_machine.h
index 6d02bc82c7..982476a46e 100644
--- a/include/multipass/virtual_machine.h
+++ b/include/multipass/virtual_machine.h
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ class VirtualMachine
     virtual std::string ipv4() = 0;
     virtual std::string ipv6() = 0;
     virtual void wait_until_ssh_up(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) = 0;
-    virtual void wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) = 0;
     virtual void update_state() = 0;
 
     VirtualMachine::State state;
diff --git a/src/daemon/daemon.cpp b/src/daemon/daemon.cpp
index 1e10d33ed4..495009d692 100644
--- a/src/daemon/daemon.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/daemon.cpp
@@ -750,10 +750,6 @@ try // clang-format on
     vm->start();
     vm->wait_until_ssh_up(std::chrono::minutes(5));
 
-    reply.set_create_message("Waiting for initialization to complete");
-    server->Write(reply);
-    vm->wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::minutes(5));
-
     reply.set_vm_instance_name(name);
     server->Write(reply);
 
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp
index 89370bb75c..2933163622 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.cpp
@@ -384,11 +384,6 @@ void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::wait_until_ssh_up(std::chrono::milliseconds time
     mp::utils::wait_until_ssh_up(this, timeout);
 }
 
-void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout)
-{
-    mp::utils::wait_for_cloud_init(this, timeout);
-}
-
 void mp::LibVirtVirtualMachine::update_state()
 {
     monitor->persist_state_for(vm_name);
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h
index f9d7ba77dc..f66b8d141c 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/libvirt/libvirt_virtual_machine.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ class LibVirtVirtualMachine final : public VirtualMachine
     std::string ipv4() override;
     std::string ipv6() override;
     void wait_until_ssh_up(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) override;
-    void wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) override;
     void update_state() override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp
index 1fe462b445..43e7a3c954 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.cpp
@@ -498,10 +498,3 @@ void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::wait_until_ssh_up(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout
         delete_memory_snapshot = false;
     }
 }
-
-void mp::QemuVirtualMachine::wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout)
-{
-    auto process_vm_events = [this] { ensure_vm_is_running(); };
-
-    mp::utils::wait_for_cloud_init(this, timeout, process_vm_events);
-}
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h
index 671c13e2a3..b3bb194cd2 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_virtual_machine.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ class QemuVirtualMachine final : public VirtualMachine
     std::string ipv4() override;
     std::string ipv6() override;
     void wait_until_ssh_up(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) override;
-    void wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) override;
     void update_state() override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.cpp b/src/utils/utils.cpp
index 1c8f050b68..218cfa3f05 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/utils.cpp
@@ -168,28 +168,6 @@ void mp::utils::wait_until_ssh_up(VirtualMachine* virtual_machine, std::chrono::
     mp::utils::try_action_for(on_timeout, timeout, action);
 }
 
-void mp::utils::wait_for_cloud_init(mp::VirtualMachine* virtual_machine, std::chrono::milliseconds timeout,
-                                    std::function<void()> const& process_vm_events)
-{
-    auto action = [virtual_machine, &process_vm_events] {
-        process_vm_events();
-        try
-        {
-            mp::SSHSession session{virtual_machine->ssh_hostname(), virtual_machine->ssh_port(),
-                                   virtual_machine->ssh_username(), virtual_machine->key_provider};
-            auto ssh_process = session.exec({"[ -e /var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finished ]"});
-            return ssh_process.exit_code() == 0 ? mp::utils::TimeoutAction::done : mp::utils::TimeoutAction::retry;
-        }
-        catch (const std::exception& e)
-        {
-            mpl::log(mpl::Level::warning, virtual_machine->vm_name, e.what());
-            return mp::utils::TimeoutAction::retry;
-        }
-    };
-    auto on_timeout = [] { throw std::runtime_error("timed out waiting for initialization to complete"); };
-    mp::utils::try_action_for(on_timeout, timeout, action);
-}
-
 mp::Path mp::utils::make_dir(const QDir& a_dir, const QString& name)
 {
     if (!a_dir.mkpath(name))
diff --git a/tests/stub_virtual_machine.h b/tests/stub_virtual_machine.h
index 44d45222cc..cafa960495 100644
--- a/tests/stub_virtual_machine.h
+++ b/tests/stub_virtual_machine.h
@@ -84,10 +84,6 @@ struct StubVirtualMachine final : public multipass::VirtualMachine
     {
     }
 
-    void wait_for_cloud_init(std::chrono::milliseconds) override
-    {
-    }
-
     void update_state() override
     {
     }