diff --git a/backend/embassy-init.service b/backend/embassy-init.service
index 386c4dc37..05d11b575 100644
--- a/backend/embassy-init.service
+++ b/backend/embassy-init.service
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=Embassy Init
-After=network.target ntp.service
+After=network.target
 Requires=network.target
-Wants=avahi-daemon.service nginx.service tor.service ntp.service
+Wants=avahi-daemon.service nginx.service tor.service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
diff --git a/backend/src/init.rs b/backend/src/init.rs
index bfc97ed2b..f5452a574 100644
--- a/backend/src/init.rs
+++ b/backend/src/init.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::time::Duration;
+
 use tokio::process::Command;
 
 use crate::context::rpc::RpcContextConfig;
@@ -8,6 +10,19 @@ use crate::Error;
 
 pub const SYSTEM_REBUILD_PATH: &str = "/embassy-os/system-rebuild";
 
+pub async fn check_time_is_synchronized() -> Result<bool, Error> {
+    Ok(String::from_utf8(
+        Command::new("timedatectl")
+            .arg("show")
+            .arg("-p")
+            .arg("NTPSynchronized")
+            .invoke(crate::ErrorKind::Unknown)
+            .await?,
+    )?
+    .trim()
+        == "NTPSynchronized=yes")
+}
+
 pub async fn init(cfg: &RpcContextConfig, product_key: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let should_rebuild = tokio::fs::metadata(SYSTEM_REBUILD_PATH).await.is_ok();
     let secret_store = cfg.secret_store().await?;
@@ -100,6 +115,18 @@ pub async fn init(cfg: &RpcContextConfig, product_key: &str) -> Result<(), Error
     };
     info.save(&mut handle).await?;
 
+    let mut warn_time_not_synced = true;
+    for _ in 0..60 {
+        if check_time_is_synchronized().await? {
+            warn_time_not_synced = false;
+            break;
+        }
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+    }
+    if warn_time_not_synced {
+        tracing::warn!("Timed out waiting for system time to synchronize");
+    }
+
     crate::version::init(&mut handle).await?;
 
     if should_rebuild {
diff --git a/build/initialization.sh b/build/initialization.sh
index 79b505390..7be48b269 100755
--- a/build/initialization.sh
+++ b/build/initialization.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ apt-get install -y \
 	ecryptfs-utils \
 	cifs-utils \
 	samba-common-bin \
-	ntp \
 	network-manager \
 	vim \
 	jq \
@@ -90,9 +89,9 @@ rm -rf /var/lib/tor/*
 raspi-config nonint enable_overlayfs
 
 # create a copy of the cmdline *without* the quirk string, so that it can be easily amended
-sudo sed -i 's/usb-storage.quirks=152d:0562:u,14cd:121c:u,0781:cfcb:u //g' /boot/cmdline.txt
-sudo cp /boot/cmdline.txt /boot/cmdline.txt.orig
-sudo sed -i 's/^/usb-storage.quirks=152d:0562:u,14cd:121c:u,0781:cfcb:u /g' /boot/cmdline.txt
+sed -i 's/usb-storage.quirks=152d:0562:u,14cd:121c:u,0781:cfcb:u //g' /boot/cmdline.txt
+cp /boot/cmdline.txt /boot/cmdline.txt.orig
+sed -i 's/^/usb-storage.quirks=152d:0562:u,14cd:121c:u,0781:cfcb:u /g' /boot/cmdline.txt
 
 systemctl disable initialization.service
 sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager