diff --git a/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/main.yml
index 8be5634c3..448cf3640 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/main.yml
@@ -30,3 +30,8 @@
 
 - include_tasks: misc.yml
   when: packer_builder_type and packer_builder_type != ""
+
+- include_tasks: vmware-redhat.yaml
+  when: 
+  - packer_builder_type is search('vmware') or packer_builder_type is search('vsphere')
+  - ansible_os_family == "RedHat"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware-redhat.yaml b/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware-redhat.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..428d43abf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware-redhat.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+- name: Get package facts
+  ansible.builtin.package_facts:
+    manager: "auto"
+
+- name: Set cloud-init version
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    cloud_init_version: "{{ ansible_facts.packages['cloud-init'][0].version }}"
+
+# this program used by ds-identify to determine whether or not the
+# VMwareGuestInfo datasource is useable.
+- name: Directly install GuestInfo
+  when: cloud_init_version is version('21.3', '<')
+  block:
+
+    - name: Copy vmware guestinfo datasource
+      copy:
+        src: "{{ item }}"
+        dest: /tmp/
+        owner: root
+        group: root
+        mode: 0755
+      with_items:
+        - cloud-init-vmware.sh
+        - DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.py
+
+    - name: Create ds-check program to verify VMwareGuestInfo datasource
+      copy:
+        src: files/dscheck_VMwareGuestInfo.sh
+        dest: /usr/bin/dscheck_VMwareGuestInfo
+        owner: root
+        group: root
+        mode: 0755
+
+    - name: Execute cloud-init-vmware.sh
+      shell: bash -o errexit -o pipefail /tmp/cloud-init-vmware.sh
+      environment:
+        VMWARE_DS_PATH: '/tmp/DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.py'
+
+    - name: Remove cloud-init-vmware.sh
+      file:
+        path: /tmp/cloud-init-vmware.sh
+        state: absent
+
+    # sets the datasource_list to VMwareGuestInfo for all OS
+    # ensure that VMwareGuestInfo overrides existing datasource drop-ins if it exists.
+    - name: Copy cloud-init config file for vmware
+      copy:
+        src: files/etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.cfg
+        dest: /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.cfg
+        owner: root
+        group: root
+        mode: 0644
diff --git a/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware.yml b/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware.yml
index fe325302d..80b0225b5 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/providers/tasks/vmware.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
       - cloud-initramfs-dyn-netconf
   when: ansible_os_family == "Debian"
 
+
 - name: Install cloud-init packages
   yum:
     name: "{{ packages }}"
@@ -58,63 +59,17 @@
     packages: "cloud-init cloud-utils python3-netifaces"
   when: ansible_os_family == "VMware Photon OS"
 
-# pip on CentOS needs to be upgraded, but since it's still
-# Python 2.7, need < 21.0
-- name: Upgrade pip
-  pip:
-    name: pip<21.0
-    extra_args: "{{ '--no-index --find-links=' + pip_packages_remote_filesystem_repo_path if offline_mode_enabled }}"
-    state: forcereinstall
-  when: ansible_os_family == "RedHat" and ansible_distribution_major_version == '7'
-
-- name: Copy vmware guestinfo datasource
-  copy:
-    src: "{{ item }}"
-    dest: /tmp/
-    owner: root
-    group: root
-    mode: 0755
-  with_items:
-    - cloud-init-vmware.sh
-    - DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.py
-
-- name: Copy cloud-init config file for vmware
-  copy:
-    src: files/etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.cfg
-    dest: /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.cfg
-    owner: root
-    group: root
-    mode: 0644
-
 - name: Remove subiquity-disable-cloudinit-networking.cfg
   file:
     path: /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/subiquity-disable-cloudinit-networking.cfg
     state: absent
+  when: ansible_os_family != "Flatcar"
 
 - name: Remove 99-installer.cfg
   file:
     path: /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-installer.cfg
     state: absent
-
-# this program used by ds-identify to determine whether or not the
-# VMwareGuestInfo datasource is useable.
-- name: Create ds-check program to verify VMwareGuestInfo datasource
-  copy:
-    src: files/dscheck_VMwareGuestInfo.sh
-    dest: /usr/bin/dscheck_VMwareGuestInfo
-    owner: root
-    group: root
-    mode: 0755
-
-- name: Execute cloud-init-vmware.sh
-  shell: bash -o errexit -o pipefail /tmp/cloud-init-vmware.sh
-  environment:
-    VMWARE_DS_PATH: '/tmp/DataSourceVMwareGuestInfo.py'
-
-- name: Remove cloud-init-vmware.sh
-  file:
-    path: /tmp/cloud-init-vmware.sh
-    state: absent
+  when: ansible_os_family != "Flatcar"
 
 - name: >-
     Remove cloud-init /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/99-disable-networking-config.cfg
@@ -146,6 +101,7 @@
     owner: root
     group: root
     mode: 0644
+  when: ansible_os_family != "Flatcar"
 
 - name: Get a list of services
   service_facts:
@@ -158,15 +114,15 @@
   when: ('ufw.service' in ansible_facts.services) and (ansible_os_family == "Debian")
 
 # See https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/82229
-# From systemd docs: 
-# "If a valid D-Bus machine ID is already configured for the system, 
+# From systemd docs:
+# "If a valid D-Bus machine ID is already configured for the system,
 # the D-Bus machine ID is copied and used to initialize the machine ID in /etc/machine-id"
 # This needs to be reset/truncated as well on Ubuntu.
 - name: Truncate D-Bus machine-id
   file:
     path: /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
     state: absent
-  when: ansible_os_family == "Debian" 
+  when: ansible_os_family == "Debian"
 
 - name: Link D-Bus machine-id to /etc/machine-id
   file: