diff --git a/backend/src/init.rs b/backend/src/init.rs
index a8d71fef8..03a7694bb 100644
--- a/backend/src/init.rs
+++ b/backend/src/init.rs
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ pub async fn init(cfg: &RpcContextConfig, product_key: &str) -> Result<(), Error
         tokio::fs::create_dir_all(&tmp_dir).await?;
     }
     let tmp_docker = cfg.datadir().join("package-data/tmp/docker");
-    if should_rebuild {
-        if tokio::fs::metadata(&tmp_docker).await.is_ok() {
+    let tmp_docker_exists = tokio::fs::metadata(&tmp_docker).await.is_ok();
+    if should_rebuild || !tmp_docker_exists {
+        if tmp_docker_exists {
             tokio::fs::remove_dir_all(&tmp_docker).await?;
         }
         Command::new("cp")
@@ -60,11 +61,10 @@ pub async fn init(cfg: &RpcContextConfig, product_key: &str) -> Result<(), Error
         tracing::info!("Loading System Docker Images");
         crate::install::load_images("/var/lib/embassy/system-images").await?;
         tracing::info!("Loaded System Docker Images");
-        
+
         tracing::info!("Loading Package Docker Images");
         crate::install::load_images(cfg.datadir().join(PKG_DOCKER_DIR)).await?;
         tracing::info!("Loaded Package Docker Images");
-
     }
 
     crate::ssh::sync_keys_from_db(&secret_store, "/root/.ssh/authorized_keys").await?;
diff --git a/build/write-image.sh b/build/write-image.sh
index e76f41c03..38a3e4fb3 100755
--- a/build/write-image.sh
+++ b/build/write-image.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ sudo mv /tmp/eos-mnt/config.txt.tmp /tmp/eos-mnt/config.txt
 # Unmount the boot partition and mount embassy partition
 sudo umount /tmp/eos-mnt
 sudo mount ${OUTPUT_DEVICE}p2 /tmp/eos-mnt
-sudo touch /tmp/eos-mnt/system-rebuild # rebuild docker state on first startup
 if [ "$NO_KEY" != "1" ]; then sudo cp product_key.txt /tmp/eos-mnt; else echo "This image is being written with no product key"; fi
 sudo umount /tmp/eos-mnt