diff --git a/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml b/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml
index f7512d0982..50f69e5a91 100644
--- a/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml
+++ b/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   ignore_errors: true
 
 - name: spin it up
-  local_action: ec2 keypair={{ keypair }} image={{ image }} type={{ instance_type }} wait=true group={{ security_group }} ec2_access_key={{ persist_access_key }} ec2_secret_key={{ persist_secret_key }} ec2_url={{ os_ec2_url }} user_data={{ ec2_userdata }}
+  local_action: ec2 keypair={{ keypair }} image={{ image }} type={{ instance_type }} wait=true group={{ security_group }} ec2_access_key={{ persist_access_key }} ec2_secret_key={{ persist_secret_key }} ec2_url={{ os_ec2_url }}
   register: inst_res
   when: host_is_up|failed
 
diff --git a/vars/global.yml b/vars/global.yml
index 210bf5dcbc..fa760d29d6 100644
--- a/vars/global.yml
+++ b/vars/global.yml
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ f17_qcow_id: ami-00000001
 f19_qcow_id: ami-00000020
 # Fedora-20-TC4-x86_64
 f20_qcow_id: ami-00000038
-# This disables the anoying requirement of logging in as fedora user on cloud images
-ec2_userdata: '{"#cloud-config":"","disable_root":"0"}'
 # Set a default hostname base to transient. Override in host vars or command line.
 hostbase: transient
 # root_auth_users for cloud instances is '' by default