diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ba1e47a12..4dad646cd 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20230726121419-3b25d923346b
 	sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api v1.6.3
 	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.17.2
+	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.4.0
 )
 
 require (
@@ -161,5 +162,4 @@ require (
 	sigs.k8s.io/cli-utils v0.28.0 // indirect
 	sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20221116044647-bc3834ca7abd // indirect
 	sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.4.1 // indirect
-	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.4.0 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 8afcc847d..e311fec40 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -19,17 +19,18 @@ package util
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
-	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
 	managementv3 "github.com/rancher/rancher/pkg/apis/management.cattle.io/v3"
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"github.com/rancher/yip/pkg/schema"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/elemental-operator/pkg/log"
 )
@@ -51,30 +52,33 @@ func MarshalCloudConfig(cloudConfig map[string]runtime.RawExtension) ([]byte, er
 		return []byte{}, nil
 	}
 
-	var err error
-	bytes := []byte("#cloud-config\n")
-
-	for k, v := range cloudConfig {
-		var jsonData []byte
-		if jsonData, err = v.MarshalJSON(); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", k, err)
-		}
+	// This creates a parent "root" key to facilitate parsing the schemaless map
+	mapSlice := yaml.JSONObjectToYAMLObject(map[string]interface{}{"root": cloudConfig})
+	if len(mapSlice) <= 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("Could not convert json cloudConfig object to yaml")
+	}
 
-		var structData interface{}
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(jsonData, &structData); err != nil {
-			log.Debugf("failed to decode %s (%s): %s", k, string(jsonData), err.Error())
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", k, err)
-		}
+	// Just marshal the value of the "root" key
+	yamlData, err := yaml.Marshal(mapSlice[0].Value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("marshalling yaml: %w", err)
+	}
 
-		var yamlData []byte
-		if yamlData, err = yaml.Marshal(structData); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+	// Determine whether this is a yip config or a cloud-init one.
+	// Since all fields are optional in yip, we test whether any stage has been defined,
+	// as an indication that this is indeed a yip config.
+	yipConfig := &schema.YipConfig{}
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(yamlData, yipConfig); err == nil {
+		if len(yipConfig.Stages) > 0 {
+			return yamlData, nil
 		}
-
-		bytes = append(bytes, append([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("%s:\n", k)), yamlData...)...)
 	}
 
-	return bytes, nil
+	// If it is not a yip config, then assume it's cloud-init.
+	cloudConfigBytes := []byte("#cloud-config\n")
+	cloudConfigBytes = append(cloudConfigBytes, yamlData...)
+
+	return cloudConfigBytes, nil
 }
 
 // GetSettingsValue find the given name in Rancher settings and returns its value if found
diff --git a/pkg/util/util_test.go b/pkg/util/util_test.go
index e187e8c61..17027eee9 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 
 	elementalv1 "github.com/rancher/elemental-operator/api/v1beta1"
 	"github.com/rancher/elemental-operator/pkg/test"
@@ -81,25 +80,20 @@ var _ = Describe("MarshalCloudConfig", func() {
 
 	It("should marshal an example cloud-init file correctly", func() {
 		data, err := MarshalCloudConfig(map[string]runtime.RawExtension{
-			"write_files": {Object: WriteFiles{}},
+			"write_files": {Raw: []byte(`{}`)},
 		})
 		Expect(err).To(BeNil())
-		Expect(data).To(Equal([]byte("#cloud-config\nwrite_files:\n{}\n")))
+		Expect(string(data)).To(Equal("#cloud-config\nwrite_files: {}\n"))
+	})
+	It("should marshal a yip file correctly", func() {
+		data, err := MarshalCloudConfig(map[string]runtime.RawExtension{
+			"stages": {Raw: []byte(`{"network":[{"name":"test","commands":["foo","bar"]}]}`)},
+		})
+		Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+		Expect(string(data)).To(Equal("stages:\n  network:\n  - commands:\n    - foo\n    - bar\n    name: test\n"))
 	})
 })
 
-type WriteFiles struct {
-}
-
-func (w WriteFiles) GetObjectKind() schema.ObjectKind {
-	return nil
-}
-func (w WriteFiles) DeepCopyObject() runtime.Object {
-	return nil
-}
-
-var _ runtime.Object = WriteFiles{}
-
 var _ = Describe("IsObjectOwned", func() {
 	obj := metav1.ObjectMeta{
 		OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{