diff --git a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
index 8556422ae6..3553ea9694 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ func New(
 
 	// Only pull the osImageURL from OSTree when we are on RHCOS or FCOS
 	if os.IsCoreOSVariant() {
+		err := nodeUpdaterClient.Start()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		osImageURL, osVersion, err = nodeUpdaterClient.GetBootedOSImageURL()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error reading osImageURL from rpm-ostree: %v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree.go b/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree.go
index f1f433bcbf..5d56021e3a 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type imageInspection struct {
 // NodeUpdaterClient is an interface describing how to interact with the host
 // around content deployment
 type NodeUpdaterClient interface {
+	Start() error
 	GetStatus() (string, error)
 	GetBootedOSImageURL() (string, string, error)
 	Rebase(string, string) (bool, error)
@@ -99,6 +100,18 @@ func (r *RpmOstreeClient) GetBootedDeployment() (*RpmOstreeDeployment, error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("not currently booted in a deployment")
 }
 
+// Start ensures the daemon is running; the DBus activation timeout
+// is shorter than the systemd timeout.  xref
+// https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1888565#c3
+func (r *RpmOstreeClient) Start() error {
+	_, err := runGetOut("systemctl", "start", "rpm-ostreed")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to start rpm-ostreed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // GetStatus returns multi-line human-readable text describing system status
 func (r *RpmOstreeClient) GetStatus() (string, error) {
 	output, err := runGetOut("rpm-ostree", "status")
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree_test.go b/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree_test.go
index 2c74bc71cb..939644f14d 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree_test.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/rpm-ostree_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ func (r RpmOstreeClientMock) GetBootedOSImageURL() (string, string, error) {
 	return returnValues.OsImageURL, returnValues.Version, returnValues.Error
 }
 
+// Start is a mock
+func (r RpmOstreeClientMock) Start() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 // PullAndRebase is a mock
 func (r RpmOstreeClientMock) Rebase(string, string) (bool, error) {
 	return false, nil
diff --git a/templates/common/_base/units/machine-config-daemon-firstboot.service.yaml b/templates/common/_base/units/machine-config-daemon-firstboot.service.yaml
index 7851d983a3..164da140fa 100644
--- a/templates/common/_base/units/machine-config-daemon-firstboot.service.yaml
+++ b/templates/common/_base/units/machine-config-daemon-firstboot.service.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ contents: |
   After=machine-config-daemon-pull.service
   Before=crio.service crio-wipe.service
   Before=kubelet.service
+  Wants=rpm-ostreed.service
 
   [Service]
   Type=oneshot