diff --git a/debian/scripts/networking.sh b/debian/scripts/networking.sh
index 3ca4ee0c..74169ff9 100644
--- a/debian/scripts/networking.sh
+++ b/debian/scripts/networking.sh
@@ -41,10 +41,6 @@ rm -f /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/subiquity-disable-cloudinit-networking.cfg
 rm -f /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-installer.cfg
 rm -f /etc/cloud/ds-identify.cfg
 
-rm -f /var/log/cloud-init*.log
-rm -rf /var/lib/cloud/instances \
-    /var/lib/cloud/instance
-
 # Install a dpkg-query wrapper to bypass MAAS netplan.io check
 cat > /usr/local/bin/dpkg-query <<EOF
 #!/bin/sh
diff --git a/scripts/fuse-tar-root b/scripts/fuse-tar-root
index 1da4e3f6..b55c762a 100644
--- a/scripts/fuse-tar-root
+++ b/scripts/fuse-tar-root
@@ -27,6 +27,17 @@ BOOT_MOUNT=${TMP_DIR}/boot
 echo 'Mounting root partition...'
 mount_part "${ROOT_PARTITION}" "${ROOT_MOUNT}"
 
+if [ -f "$ROOT_MOUNT/etc/machine-id" ]; then
+    echo 'reseting machine-id...'
+    : >| "$ROOT_MOUNT/etc/machine-id"
+fi
+
+if [ -f "$ROOT_MOUNT/var/lib/cloud/instance" ]; then
+    echo 'cleaning cloud-init state...'
+    rm -f "$ROOT_MOUNT/var/log/cloud-init*.log" \
+        "$ROOT_MOUNT/var/lib/cloud/instance"
+    rm -rf "$ROOT_MOUNT/var/lib/cloud/instances"
+fi
 
 if [ -d curtin ] || [ -d "$CURTIN_HOOKS" ]; then
     echo 'Adding Curtin hooks...'
@@ -35,7 +46,10 @@ fi
 
 echo "Creating MAAS image ${OUTPUT}..."
 TARFILE=${OUTPUT%*.gz}
-tar -Scpf "${TARFILE}" --acls --selinux --xattrs -C "$ROOT_MOUNT" .
+tar -Scpf "${TARFILE}" --acls --selinux --xattrs \
+    --one-file-system \
+    --exclude-backups \
+    -C "$ROOT_MOUNT" .
 
 if [ "${DETECT_BLS_BOOT}" -eq 1 ]; then
     echo "auto-detecting 'bls_boot' partition"
diff --git a/ubuntu/scripts/cloudimg/cleanup.sh b/ubuntu/scripts/cloudimg/cleanup.sh
index 4a3a2574..4c0247fd 100644
--- a/ubuntu/scripts/cloudimg/cleanup.sh
+++ b/ubuntu/scripts/cloudimg/cleanup.sh
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@
 # cloud-init put networking in place on initial boot. Let's remove that, to
 # allow MAAS to configure the networking on deploy.
 rm /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml
-: >| /etc/machine-id
-rm -f /var/log/cloud-init*.log
-rm -rf /var/lib/cloud/instances \
-    /var/lib/cloud/instance
 
 # Everything in /run/packer_backup should be restored.
 find /run/packer_backup
diff --git a/ubuntu/scripts/networking.sh b/ubuntu/scripts/networking.sh
index 180adb2c..c1cc45db 100644
--- a/ubuntu/scripts/networking.sh
+++ b/ubuntu/scripts/networking.sh
@@ -31,8 +31,3 @@ rm -f /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/subiquity-disable-cloudinit-networking.cfg
 rm -f /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-installer.cfg
 rm -f /etc/cloud/ds-identify.cfg
 rm -f /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml
-: >| /etc/machine-id
-
-rm -f /var/log/cloud-init*.log
-rm -rf /var/lib/cloud/instances \
-    /var/lib/cloud/instance