diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield-byo-bastion.json b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield-byo-bastion.json
index efb6856ae..87c90c92a 100644
--- a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield-byo-bastion.json
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield-byo-bastion.json
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "25"
     },
+    "MasterUserData": {
+      "Type": "String"
+    },
     "MasterEtcdVolSize": {
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "25"
@@ -96,6 +99,9 @@
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "gp2"
     },
+    "NodeUserData": {
+      "Type": "String"
+    },
     "NodeEmptyVolSize": {
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "25"
diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield.json b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield.json
index 6501cd801..a78b6bcda 100644
--- a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield.json
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/brownfield.json
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "gp2"
     },
+    "BastionUserData": {
+      "Type": "String"
+    },
     "MasterRootVolSize": {
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "10"
@@ -64,6 +67,9 @@
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "gp2"
     },
+    "MasterUserData": {
+      "Type": "String"
+    },
     "MasterDockerVolType": {
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "gp2"
@@ -100,6 +106,9 @@
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "30"
     },
+    "NodeUserData": {
+      "Type": "String"
+    },
     "NodeDockerVolSize": {
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "25"
@@ -714,6 +723,7 @@
        "Type" : "AWS::EC2::Instance",
        "Properties" : {
           "ImageId" : {"Ref": "AmiId"},
+          "UserData": {"Ref": "BastionUserData"},
           "KeyName" : {"Ref": "KeyName"},
 	      "InstanceType": {"Ref": "BastionInstanceType"},
 		  "SecurityGroupIds": [{ "Fn::GetAtt" : ["BastionSg", "GroupId"] }],
diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/greenfield.json b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/greenfield.json
index 4ba58a766..f76323427 100644
--- a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/greenfield.json
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/greenfield.json
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "gp2"
     },
+    "BastionUserData": {
+      "Type": "String"
+    },
     "MasterRootVolSize": {
       "Type": "String",
       "Default": "10"
@@ -917,6 +920,7 @@
        "Type" : "AWS::EC2::Instance",
        "Properties" : {
           "ImageId" : {"Ref": "AmiId"},
+          "UserData": {"Ref": "BastionUserData"},
           "KeyName" : {"Ref": "KeyName"},
 	      "InstanceType": {"Ref": "BastionInstanceType"},
 		  "SecurityGroupIds": [{ "Fn::GetAtt" : ["BastionSg", "GroupId"] }],
diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_bastion.yml b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_bastion.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..750a4ade9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_bastion.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#cloud-config
+users:
+- default
+
+system_info:
+  default_user:
+    name: ec2-user
diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_master.yml b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_master.yml
index ce8a6724a..8490c60bd 100644
--- a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_master.yml
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_master.yml
@@ -23,3 +23,10 @@ write_files:
     EXTRA_DOCKER_STORAGE_OPTIONS="--storage-opt dm.basesize=3G"
   path: /etc/sysconfig/docker-storage-setup
   owner: root:root
+
+users:
+- default
+
+system_info:
+  default_user:
+    name: ec2-user
diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_node.yml b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_node.yml
index 863a968be..2711d037b 100644
--- a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_node.yml
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/files/user_data_node.yml
@@ -23,3 +23,11 @@ write_files:
     EXTRA_DOCKER_STORAGE_OPTIONS="--storage-opt dm.basesize=3G"
   path: /etc/sysconfig/docker-storage-setup
   owner: root:root
+
+users:
+- default
+
+system_info:
+  default_user:
+    name: ec2-user
+
diff --git a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/tasks/main.yaml b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/tasks/main.yaml
index 276fdadc8..28242601e 100644
--- a/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/reference-architecture/aws-ansible/playbooks/roles/cloudformation-infra/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
       MasterInstanceType: "{{ master_instance_type }}"
       AmiId: "{{ ami }}"
       BastionInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
+      BastionUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_bastion.yml') | b64encode }}" 
       MasterRootVolSize: 10
       BastionRootVolType: gp2
       MasterRootVolType: gp2
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@
       MasterDockerVolType: gp2
       MasterEtcdVolSize: "{{ etcd_storage }}"
       MasterEtcdVolType: gp2
-      MasterUserData: "{{ lookup('template', 'files/user_data_master.yml') | b64encode }}" 
+      MasterUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_master.yml') | b64encode }}" 
       InfraInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
       InfraRootVolSize: 25
       InfraRootVolType: gp2
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
       InfraDockerVolType: gp2
       NodeEmptyVolSize: "{{ emptydir_storage }}"
       NodeEmptyVolType: gp2
-      NodeUserData: "{{ lookup('template', 'files/user_data_node.yml') | b64encode }}"
+      NodeUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_node.yml') | b64encode }}"
       AppNodeInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
       NodeRootVolSize: 25
       NodeRootVolType: gp2
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@
       MasterInstanceType: "{{ master_instance_type }}"
       AmiId: "{{ ami }}"
       BastionInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
+      BastionUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_bastion.yml') | b64encode }}" 
       MasterRootVolSize: 10
       BastionRootVolType: gp2
       MasterRootVolType: gp2
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@
       MasterDockerVolType: gp2
       MasterEtcdVolSize: "{{ etcd_storage }}"
       MasterEtcdVolType: gp2
-      MasterUserData: "{{ lookup('template', 'files/user_data_master.yml') | b64encode }}" 
+      MasterUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_master.yml') | b64encode }}" 
       InfraInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
       InfraRootVolSize: 25
       InfraRootVolType: gp2
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@
       InfraDockerVolType: gp2
       NodeEmptyVolSize: "{{ emptydir_storage }}"
       NodeEmptyVolType: gp2
-      NodeUserData: "{{ lookup('template', 'files/user_data_node.yml') | b64encode }}"
+      NodeUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_node.yml') | b64encode }}"
       AppNodeInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
       NodeRootVolSize: 25
       NodeRootVolType: gp2
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@
       MasterDockerVolType: gp2
       MasterEtcdVolSize: "{{ etcd_storage }}"
       MasterEtcdVolType: gp2
-      MasterUserData: "{{ lookup('template', 'files/user_data_master.yml') | b64encode }}" 
+      MasterUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_master.yml') | b64encode }}" 
       InfraInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
       InfraRootVolSize: 25
       InfraRootVolType: gp2
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@
       InfraDockerVolType: gp2
       NodeEmptyVolSize: "{{ emptydir_storage }}"
       NodeEmptyVolType: gp2
-      NodeUserData: "{{ lookup('template', 'files/user_data_node.yml') | b64encode }}"
+      NodeUserData: "{{ lookup('file', 'user_data_node.yml') | b64encode }}"
       AppNodeInstanceType: "{{ node_instance_type }}"
       NodeRootVolSize: 25
       NodeRootVolType: gp2