diff --git a/config.tf b/config.tf
index b868cde1f17..fb3ff432af1 100644
--- a/config.tf
+++ b/config.tf
@@ -332,9 +332,9 @@ variable "tectonic_kubelet_debug_config" {
   description = "(internal) debug flags for the kubelet (used in CI only)"
 }
 
-variable "tectonic_ignition_masters" {
-  type    = "list"
-  default = []
+variable "tectonic_ignition_master" {
+  type    = "string"
+  default = ""
 
   description = <<EOF
 (internal) Ignition config file paths. This is automatically generated by the installer.
diff --git a/installer/pkg/config-generator/ignition.go b/installer/pkg/config-generator/ignition.go
index 729067a5a3a..5a798b8ea59 100644
--- a/installer/pkg/config-generator/ignition.go
+++ b/installer/pkg/config-generator/ignition.go
@@ -19,18 +19,9 @@ const (
 
 // GenerateIgnConfig generates Ignition configs for the workers and masters.
 func (c *ConfigGenerator) GenerateIgnConfig(clusterDir string) error {
-	var masters config.NodePool
-	var workers config.NodePool
+	pools := map[string]config.NodePool{}
 	for _, pool := range c.NodePools {
-		switch pool.Name {
-		case "master":
-			masters = pool
-		case "worker":
-			workers = pool
-		case "etcd": // FIXME: ignore these until openshift/release stops defining them
-		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("unrecognized role: %s", pool.Name)
-		}
+		pools[pool.Name] = pool
 	}
 
 	ca, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(clusterDir, caPath))
@@ -38,38 +29,33 @@ func (c *ConfigGenerator) GenerateIgnConfig(clusterDir string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	workerCfg, err := parseIgnFile(workers.IgnitionFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse Ignition config for workers: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// XXX(crawford): The SSH key should only be added to the bootstrap
-	//                node. After that, MCO should be responsible for
-	//                distributing SSH keys.
-	c.embedUserBlock(&workerCfg)
-	c.appendCertificateAuthority(&workerCfg, ca)
-	c.embedAppendBlock(&workerCfg, "worker", "")
-
-	if err = ignCfgToFile(workerCfg, filepath.Join(clusterDir, config.IgnitionPathWorker)); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	masterCfg, err := parseIgnFile(masters.IgnitionFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse Ignition config for masters: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	for i := 0; i < masters.Count; i++ {
-		ignCfg := masterCfg
+	for _, role := range []struct {
+		name string
+		path string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "master",
+			path: config.IgnitionPathMaster,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "worker",
+			path: config.IgnitionPathWorker,
+		},
+	} {
+		pool := pools[role.name]
+		ignCfg, err := parseIgnFile(pool.IgnitionFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse Ignition config for %s: %v", role.name, err)
+		}
 
 		// XXX(crawford): The SSH key should only be added to the bootstrap
 		//                node. After that, MCO should be responsible for
 		//                distributing SSH keys.
 		c.embedUserBlock(&ignCfg)
 		c.appendCertificateAuthority(&ignCfg, ca)
-		c.embedAppendBlock(&ignCfg, "master", fmt.Sprintf("etcd_index=%d", i))
+		c.embedAppendBlock(&ignCfg, role.name)
 
-		if err = ignCfgToFile(ignCfg, filepath.Join(clusterDir, fmt.Sprintf(config.IgnitionPathMaster, i))); err != nil {
+		if err = ignCfgToFile(ignCfg, filepath.Join(clusterDir, role.path)); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -99,9 +85,9 @@ func parseIgnFile(filePath string) (ignconfigtypes.Config, error) {
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
-func (c *ConfigGenerator) embedAppendBlock(ignCfg *ignconfigtypes.Config, role string, query string) {
+func (c *ConfigGenerator) embedAppendBlock(ignCfg *ignconfigtypes.Config, role string) {
 	appendBlock := ignconfigtypes.ConfigReference{
-		Source:       c.getTNCURL(role, query),
+		Source:       c.getTNCURL(role, ""),
 		Verification: ignconfigtypes.Verification{Hash: nil},
 	}
 	ignCfg.Ignition.Config.Append = append(ignCfg.Ignition.Config.Append, appendBlock)
diff --git a/installer/pkg/config/cluster.go b/installer/pkg/config/cluster.go
index 27ce4d0412f..7e7eb7abf64 100644
--- a/installer/pkg/config/cluster.go
+++ b/installer/pkg/config/cluster.go
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	// IgnitionPathMaster is the relative path to the ign master cfg from the tf working directory
-	// This is a format string so that the index can be populated later
-	IgnitionPathMaster = "master-%d.ign"
+	IgnitionPathMaster = "master.ign"
 	// IgnitionPathWorker is the relative path to the ign worker cfg from the tf working directory
 	IgnitionPathWorker = "worker.ign"
 	// PlatformAWS is the platform for a cluster launched on AWS.
@@ -79,8 +78,8 @@ type Cluster struct {
 	BaseDomain      string `json:"tectonic_base_domain,omitempty" yaml:"baseDomain,omitempty"`
 	CA              `json:",inline" yaml:"CA,omitempty"`
 	ContainerLinux  `json:",inline" yaml:"containerLinux,omitempty"`
-	IgnitionMasters []string `json:"tectonic_ignition_masters,omitempty" yaml:"-"`
-	IgnitionWorker  string   `json:"tectonic_ignition_worker,omitempty" yaml:"-"`
+	IgnitionMaster  string `json:"tectonic_ignition_master,omitempty" yaml:"-"`
+	IgnitionWorker  string `json:"tectonic_ignition_worker,omitempty" yaml:"-"`
 	Internal        `json:",inline" yaml:"-"`
 	libvirt.Libvirt `json:",inline" yaml:"libvirt,omitempty"`
 	LicensePath     string `json:"tectonic_license_path,omitempty" yaml:"licensePath,omitempty"`
@@ -113,10 +112,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) TFVars() (string, error) {
 	c.Master.Count = c.NodeCount(c.Master.NodePools)
 	c.Worker.Count = c.NodeCount(c.Worker.NodePools)
 
-	for i := 0; i < c.Master.Count; i++ {
-		c.IgnitionMasters = append(c.IgnitionMasters, fmt.Sprintf(IgnitionPathMaster, i))
-	}
-
+	c.IgnitionMaster = IgnitionPathMaster
 	c.IgnitionWorker = IgnitionPathWorker
 
 	// fill in master ips
diff --git a/installer/pkg/workflow/fixtures/terraform.tfvars b/installer/pkg/workflow/fixtures/terraform.tfvars
index e87d24cfcec..af3148ea864 100644
--- a/installer/pkg/workflow/fixtures/terraform.tfvars
+++ b/installer/pkg/workflow/fixtures/terraform.tfvars
@@ -16,10 +16,7 @@
   "tectonic_base_domain": "tectonic-ci.de",
   "tectonic_container_linux_channel": "beta",
   "tectonic_container_linux_version": "latest",
-  "tectonic_ignition_masters": [
-    "master-0.ign",
-    "master-1.ign"
-  ],
+  "tectonic_ignition_master": "master.ign",
   "tectonic_ignition_worker": "worker.ign",
   "tectonic_libvirt_network_if": "osbr0",
   "tectonic_libvirt_resolver": "8.8.8.8",
diff --git a/modules/aws/master/main.tf b/modules/aws/master/main.tf
index ccab9e9c406..c882f43355a 100644
--- a/modules/aws/master/main.tf
+++ b/modules/aws/master/main.tf
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ resource "aws_instance" "master" {
   iam_instance_profile = "${aws_iam_instance_profile.master.name}"
   instance_type        = "${var.ec2_type}"
   subnet_id            = "${element(var.subnet_ids, count.index)}"
-  user_data            = "${file(format("%s/%s", path.cwd, var.user_data_igns[count.index]))}"
+  user_data            = "${file(format("%s/%s", path.cwd, var.user_data_ign))}"
 
   vpc_security_group_ids      = ["${var.master_sg_ids}"]
   associate_public_ip_address = "${var.public_endpoints}"
diff --git a/modules/aws/master/variables.tf b/modules/aws/master/variables.tf
index 988440f8bb5..7f9f019bb46 100644
--- a/modules/aws/master/variables.tf
+++ b/modules/aws/master/variables.tf
@@ -109,6 +109,6 @@ variable "kubeconfig_content" {
   default = ""
 }
 
-variable "user_data_igns" {
-  type = "list"
+variable "user_data_ign" {
+  type = "string"
 }
diff --git a/steps/masters/aws/main.tf b/steps/masters/aws/main.tf
index d728a670d03..bd3c4c12d98 100644
--- a/steps/masters/aws/main.tf
+++ b/steps/masters/aws/main.tf
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ module "masters" {
   root_volume_type        = "${var.tectonic_aws_master_root_volume_type}"
   subnet_ids              = "${local.subnet_ids}"
   ec2_ami                 = "${var.tectonic_aws_ec2_ami_override}"
-  user_data_igns          = "${var.tectonic_ignition_masters}"
+  user_data_ign           = "${var.tectonic_ignition_master}"
 }
 
 resource "aws_route53_record" "etcd_a_nodes" {
diff --git a/steps/masters/libvirt/main.tf b/steps/masters/libvirt/main.tf
index d143bc6d738..627a5cf736a 100644
--- a/steps/masters/libvirt/main.tf
+++ b/steps/masters/libvirt/main.tf
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ resource "libvirt_volume" "master" {
 }
 
 resource "libvirt_ignition" "master" {
-  count   = "${var.tectonic_master_count}"
-  name    = "master-${count.index}.ign"
-  content = "${file(format("%s/%s", path.cwd, var.tectonic_ignition_masters[count.index]))}"
+  name    = "master.ign"
+  content = "${file(format("%s/%s", path.cwd, var.tectonic_ignition_master))}"
 }
 
 resource "libvirt_domain" "master" {
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ resource "libvirt_domain" "master" {
   memory = "2048"
   vcpu   = "2"
 
-  coreos_ignition = "${libvirt_ignition.master.*.id[count.index]}"
+  coreos_ignition = "${libvirt_ignition.master.id}"
 
   disk {
     volume_id = "${element(libvirt_volume.master.*.id, count.index)}"