diff --git a/subiquity/cmd/server.py b/subiquity/cmd/server.py
index 24b8cb5d..ee46b029 100644
--- a/subiquity/cmd/server.py
+++ b/subiquity/cmd/server.py
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ import argparse
 import logging
 import os
 import sys
+import time
+
+from cloudinit import atomic_helper, safeyaml, stages
 
 from subiquitycore.log import setup_logger
+from subiquitycore.utils import run_command
 
 from .common import (
     LOGDIR,
@@ -104,6 +108,31 @@ def main():
     logger.info("Starting Subiquity server revision {}".format(version))
     logger.info("Arguments passed: {}".format(sys.argv))
 
+    if not opts.dry_run:
+        ci_start = time.time()
+        status_txt = run_command(["cloud-init", "status", "--wait"]).stdout
+        logger.debug("waited %ss for cloud-init", time.time() - ci_start)
+        if "status: done" in status_txt:
+            logger.debug("loading cloud config")
+            init = stages.Init()
+            init.read_cfg()
+            init.fetch(existing="trust")
+            cloud = init.cloudify()
+            autoinstall_path = '/autoinstall.yaml'
+            if 'autoinstall' in cloud.cfg:
+                if not os.path.exists(autoinstall_path):
+                    atomic_helper.write_file(
+                        autoinstall_path,
+                        safeyaml.dumps(
+                            cloud.cfg['autoinstall']).encode('utf-8'),
+                        mode=0o600)
+            if os.path.exists(autoinstall_path):
+                opts.autoinstall = autoinstall_path
+        else:
+            logger.debug(
+                "cloud-init status: %r, assumed disabled",
+                status_txt)
+
     server = SubiquityServer(opts, block_log_dir)
 
     server.note_file_for_apport(
diff --git a/subiquity/cmd/tui.py b/subiquity/cmd/tui.py
index 78a691cb..33f55638 100755
--- a/subiquity/cmd/tui.py
+++ b/subiquity/cmd/tui.py
@@ -20,12 +20,8 @@ import os
 import fcntl
 import subprocess
 import sys
-import time
-
-from cloudinit import atomic_helper, safeyaml, stages
 
 from subiquitycore.log import setup_logger
-from subiquitycore.utils import run_command
 
 from .common import (
     LOGDIR,
@@ -122,31 +118,6 @@ def main():
     logger.info("Starting Subiquity revision {}".format(version))
     logger.info("Arguments passed: {}".format(sys.argv))
 
-    if not opts.dry_run:
-        ci_start = time.time()
-        status_txt = run_command(["cloud-init", "status", "--wait"]).stdout
-        logger.debug("waited %ss for cloud-init", time.time() - ci_start)
-        if "status: done" in status_txt:
-            logger.debug("loading cloud config")
-            init = stages.Init()
-            init.read_cfg()
-            init.fetch(existing="trust")
-            cloud = init.cloudify()
-            autoinstall_path = '/autoinstall.yaml'
-            if 'autoinstall' in cloud.cfg:
-                if not os.path.exists(autoinstall_path):
-                    atomic_helper.write_file(
-                        autoinstall_path,
-                        safeyaml.dumps(
-                            cloud.cfg['autoinstall']).encode('utf-8'),
-                        mode=0o600)
-            if os.path.exists(autoinstall_path):
-                opts.autoinstall = autoinstall_path
-        else:
-            logger.debug(
-                "cloud-init status: %r, assumed disabled",
-                status_txt)
-
     if opts.ssh:
         from subiquity.ui.views.help import (
             ssh_help_texts, get_installer_password)