diff --git a/roles/deploy_flask_app/files/run_app.yaml b/roles/deploy_flask_app/files/run_app.yaml
index b221927b..fc642d19 100644
--- a/roles/deploy_flask_app/files/run_app.yaml
+++ b/roles/deploy_flask_app/files/run_app.yaml
@@ -20,13 +20,6 @@
         - regex: ^(# *)?ClientAliveCountMax
           line: ClientAliveCountMax 3
 
-    - name: Install Podman
-      ansible.builtin.yum:
-        name:
-          - podman
-        update_cache: True
-        state: present
-
     - name: Pull image from private registry
       ansible.builtin.shell:
         cmd: >
diff --git a/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_bastion.yaml b/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_bastion.yaml
index 98789440..eb5ec09e 100644
--- a/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_bastion.yaml
+++ b/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_bastion.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     name: "{{ deploy_flask_app_bastion_host_required_packages }}"
     state: present
   become: true
+  when: deploy_flask_app_bastion_host_required_packages | length > 0
 
 - name: Generate ssh configuration for current user
   ansible.builtin.user:
diff --git a/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_infra.yaml b/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_infra.yaml
index 7b7ed634..5e6c684b 100644
--- a/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_infra.yaml
+++ b/roles/deploy_flask_app/tasks/setup_infra.yaml
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@
           - "{{ deploy_flask_app__group_id }}"
         wait: true
         count: "{{ deploy_flask_app_expected_instances }}"
+        user_data: |
+          #cloud-config
+          package_upgrade: true
+          package_update: true
+          packages:
+            - podman
         state: started
       register: deploy_flask_app_workers
       when: deploy_flask_app_expected_instances | int > 0
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/tasks/create.yaml b/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/tasks/create.yaml
index c1c6557f..457d5389 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/tasks/create.yaml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/tasks/create.yaml
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@
             - "{{ secgroup.group_id }}"
         security_groups:
           - "{{ secgroup.group_id }}"
+        user_data: |
+          #cloud-config
+          package_upgrade: true
+          package_update: true
+          packages: "{{ deploy_flask_app_bastion_cloud_config_packages }}"
         wait: true
         state: started
       register: vm_result
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/vars/main.yaml b/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/vars/main.yaml
index 488fd0cc..c6f467df 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/vars/main.yaml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/test_deploy_flask_app/vars/main.yaml
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ image_filter: Fedora-Cloud-Base-37-*
 
 deploy_flask_app_bastion_host_name: "{{ resource_prefix }}-bastion"
 deploy_flask_app_bastion_host_username: fedora
-deploy_flask_app_bastion_host_required_packages:
+deploy_flask_app_bastion_host_required_packages: []
+deploy_flask_app_bastion_cloud_config_packages:
   - python3
   - python-virtualenv
   - sshpass