diff --git a/src/providers/proxmoxve/cloudconfig.rs b/src/providers/proxmoxve/cloudconfig.rs
index 3535e264..a213e50b 100644
--- a/src/providers/proxmoxve/cloudconfig.rs
+++ b/src/providers/proxmoxve/cloudconfig.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use slog_scope::warn;
 use std::{
     collections::HashMap,
     fs::File,
+    io::{BufRead, BufReader},
     net::{AddrParseError, IpAddr},
     path::Path,
     str::FromStr,
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ use std::{
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct ProxmoxVECloudConfig {
     pub meta_data: ProxmoxVECloudMetaData,
-    pub user_data: ProxmoxVECloudUserData,
+    pub user_data: Option<ProxmoxVECloudUserData>,
     pub vendor_data: ProxmoxVECloudVendorData,
     pub network_config: ProxmoxVECloudNetworkConfig,
 }
@@ -81,9 +82,26 @@ pub struct ProxmoxVECloudNetworkConfigSubnet {
 
 impl ProxmoxVECloudConfig {
     pub fn try_new(path: &Path) -> Result<Self> {
+        let user_data_file = BufReader::new(File::open(path.join("user-data"))?);
+        let mut user_data = None;
+
+        if let Some(first_line) = user_data_file.lines().next() {
+            if let Ok(first_line) = first_line {
+                if first_line.starts_with("#cloud-config") {
+                    user_data = serde_yaml::from_reader(File::open(path.join("user-data"))?)?;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if user_data.is_none() {
+            warn!(
+                "user-data does not have the expected header `#cloud-config`, ignoring this file"
+            );
+        }
+
         Ok(Self {
+            user_data,
             meta_data: serde_yaml::from_reader(File::open(path.join("meta-data"))?)?,
-            user_data: serde_yaml::from_reader(File::open(path.join("user-data"))?)?,
             vendor_data: serde_yaml::from_reader(File::open(path.join("vendor-data"))?)?,
             network_config: serde_yaml::from_reader(File::open(path.join("network-config"))?)?,
         })
@@ -119,16 +137,22 @@ impl MetadataProvider for ProxmoxVECloudConfig {
     }
 
     fn hostname(&self) -> Result<Option<String>> {
-        Ok(Some(self.user_data.hostname.clone()))
+        Ok(self
+            .user_data
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|user_data| user_data.hostname.clone()))
     }
 
     fn ssh_keys(&self) -> Result<Vec<PublicKey>> {
-        Ok(self
-            .user_data
-            .ssh_authorized_keys
-            .iter()
-            .map(|key| PublicKey::from_str(key))
-            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?)
+        if let Some(user_data) = &self.user_data {
+            return Ok(user_data
+                .ssh_authorized_keys
+                .iter()
+                .map(|key| PublicKey::from_str(key))
+                .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?);
+        }
+
+        Ok(vec![])
     }
 
     fn networks(&self) -> Result<Vec<network::Interface>> {
diff --git a/src/providers/proxmoxve/tests.rs b/src/providers/proxmoxve/tests.rs
index 060ee8d7..ddef64b8 100644
--- a/src/providers/proxmoxve/tests.rs
+++ b/src/providers/proxmoxve/tests.rs
@@ -141,3 +141,13 @@ fn test_network_static() {
         ]
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_invalid_user_data() {
+    let config =
+        ProxmoxVECloudConfig::try_new(Path::new("tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data"))
+            .expect("cannot parse config");
+
+    assert_eq!(config.hostname().unwrap().is_none(), true);
+    assert_eq!(config.ssh_keys().unwrap(), vec![]);
+}
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/meta-data b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/meta-data
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd5926b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/meta-data
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+instance-id: 15a9919cb91024fbd1d70fa07f0efa749cbba03b
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/network-config b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/network-config
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e708ca1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/network-config
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+version: 1
+config:
+    - type: physical
+      name: eth0
+      mac_address: '01:23:45:67:89:00'
+      subnets:
+          - type: static
+            address: '192.168.1.1'
+            netmask: '255.255.255.0'
+            gateway: '192.168.1.254'
+          - type: static6
+            address: '2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:0/24'
+            gateway: '2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:9999'
+    - type: physical
+      name: eth1
+      mac_address: '01:23:45:67:89:99'
+      subnets:
+          - type: static
+            address: '192.168.42.1'
+            netmask: '255.255.255.0'
+            gateway: '192.168.42.254'
+          - type: static6
+            address: '2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:4242:0/24'
+            gateway: '2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:4242:9999'
+    - type: nameserver
+      address:
+      - '1.1.1.1'
+      - '8.8.8.8'
+      search:
+      - 'local.com'
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/user-data b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/user-data
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1baeda3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/user-data
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "some": {
+    "ignition": "config"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/vendor-data b/tests/fixtures/proxmoxve/invalid-user-data/vendor-data
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b