diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b0aaef2..37296b7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ core:
 		lib/tiny-cloud/init \
 		lib/tiny-cloud/mdev \
 		lib/tiny-cloud/tiny-cloud.conf
+	install -Dm644 -t "$(PREFIX)"/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data" \
+		lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/missing \
+		lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/script \
+		lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/unknown
 	install -Dm644 lib/tiny-cloud/tiny-cloud.conf \
 		"$(PREFIX)"/etc/tiny-cloud.conf
 	install -Dm755 -t "$(PREFIX)"/sbin \
@@ -60,6 +64,8 @@ alpine:
 	install -Dm644 -t $(PREFIX)/lib/tiny-cloud/cloud/alpine \
 		lib/tiny-cloud/cloud/alpine/init
 	ln -s ../nocloud/imds $(PREFIX)/lib/tiny-cloud/cloud/alpine/imds
+	install -Dm644 -t "$(PREFIX)"/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data" \
+		lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/alpine-config
 
 check: tests/Kyuafile Kyuafile
 	kyua test || (kyua report --verbose && exit 1)
diff --git a/lib/mdev/nvme-ebs-links b/lib/mdev/nvme-ebs-links
index 7005c5f..1eee876 100755
--- a/lib/mdev/nvme-ebs-links
+++ b/lib/mdev/nvme-ebs-links
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # vim:set ts=2 et:
 
+# NOTE: The mdev-conf APK handles this now, but only for xvd or sd links (not
+#   both)
+
 : "${LIBDIR:=$PREFIX/lib}"
 . "$LIBDIR/tiny-cloud/common"
 
diff --git a/lib/tiny-cloud/common b/lib/tiny-cloud/common
index ce0dd1a..d7ca5c8 100644
--- a/lib/tiny-cloud/common
+++ b/lib/tiny-cloud/common
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 
 log() {
     local facility="local7"
-    local stderr
+    local stderr init
     local tag=$(basename "$0")
     while [ "${1#-}" != "$1" ]; do
         case "$1" in
+            -i) init=1 ;;   # TODO: value = indent?
             -f) facility="$2"; shift ;;
             -s) stderr=-s ;;
             -t) tag="$tag/$2"; shift ;;
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ log() {
     [ -z "$DEBUG" ] && [ "$level" = debug ] && return
     shift
 
+    [ -n "$init" ] && echo "$0" >&2
     logger $stderr -p "$facility.$level" -t "$tag[$$]" "$@"
     case "$level" in
         crit|alert|emerg) exit 1 ;;
diff --git a/lib/tiny-cloud/init b/lib/tiny-cloud/init
index 8f37744..c7d2be7 100644
--- a/lib/tiny-cloud/init
+++ b/lib/tiny-cloud/init
@@ -70,21 +70,21 @@ init__install_hotplugs() {
 
     printf ': ' >&2
     for module in $HOTPLUG_MODULES; do
-        result='?'
+        result='unknown'
         level='err'
-        printf "$module" >&2
-        log info "$phase $ACTION $module"
+        printf "      >> " >&2
+        log -i -t "$phase/$ACTION" info "$module: installing"
         if type "mod__$module" | grep -q -w "function"; then
             if "mod__$module"; then
-                result='+'
+                result='installed'
                 level='info'
             else
-                result='!'
+                result='failed'
                 rc=1
             fi
         fi
-        printf '(%s) ' $result >&2
-        log "$level" "$phase $ACTION $module ($result)"
+        printf "      >> " >&2
+        log -i -t "$phase/$ACTION" info "$module: $result"
     done
     return $rc
 }
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ auto_detect_ethernet_interface() {
 
 init__set_default_interfaces() {
     if [ -f "$ROOT"/etc/network/interfaces ]; then
-        echo "already set up" >&2
-        log info "$phase $ACTION - already set up"
+        log -i -t "$phase" info "$ACTION: already set up"
         return
     fi
 
@@ -171,8 +170,7 @@ init__create_default_user() {
     local user="$CLOUD_USER"
     # don't do anything if it already exists
     if getent passwd "$user" >/dev/null; then
-        echo "already exists" >&2
-        log info "$phase $ACTION - already exists"
+        log -i -t "$phase" info "$ACTION: already exists"
         return
     fi
 
@@ -202,15 +200,13 @@ init__enable_sshd() {
 init__set_hostname() {
     local fqdn=$(imds @hostname)
     if [ -z "$fqdn" ]; then
-        echo "no hostname set" >&2
-        log info "No hostname set"
+        log -i -t "$phase" info "$ACTION: no hostname set"
         return
     fi
 
     local host="${fqdn%%\.*}"
     if [ -z "$host" ]; then
-        echo "$hostname is not a valid FQDN" >&2
-        log err "$fqdn is not a valid FQDN"
+        log -i -t "$phase" warn "$ACTION: invalid hostname '$fqdn'"
         return 1
     fi
 
@@ -224,8 +220,7 @@ init__set_ssh_keys() {
     local user="$CLOUD_USER"
     local pwent="$(getent passwd "$user")"
     if [ -z "$pwent" ]; then
-        echo "failed to find $user" >&2
-        log err "Failed to find user $user"
+        log -i -t "$phase" err "$ACTION: failed to find user $user"
         return 1
     fi
     local group=$(echo "$pwent" | cut -d: -f4)
@@ -246,7 +241,7 @@ init__set_ssh_keys() {
 init__save_userdata() {
     local userdata="$TINY_CLOUD_VAR/user-data"
     if [ -f "$userdata" ]; then
-        log info "user-data already saved"
+        log -i -t "$phase" info "$ACTION: user-data already saved"
         return
     fi
     local tmpfile=$(mktemp "$userdata.XXXXXX")
@@ -285,7 +280,6 @@ fi
 
 ### load user-data type-specific init functions / vars (potentially overriding)
 
-# this should be non-overrideable, but need this before we...
 userdata_type() {
     if [ ! -f "$TINY_CLOUD_VAR/user-data" ]; then
         echo missing
@@ -302,5 +296,6 @@ userdata_type() {
 USERDATA_TYPE="$(userdata_type)"
 if [ -f "$LIBDIR/tiny-cloud/user-data/$USERDATA_TYPE" ]; then
     . "$LIBDIR/tiny-cloud/user-data/$USERDATA_TYPE"
+else
+    log -i warn "no user-data handler found for '$USERDATA_TYPE'"
 fi
-# TODO: some indication that the user-data type is unsupported?
diff --git a/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/missing b/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/missing
index 1fd1556..cbb9c2c 100644
--- a/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/missing
+++ b/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/missing
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 # Missing UserData Functions
 # vim:set ts=4 et ft=sh:
 
-# TODO: what to do if we have NO user-data yet
+init__missing_userdata() {
+    log -i -t "$phase" notice "$ACTION: no user-data found"
+}
+
+INIT_ACTIONS_MAIN="missing_userdata ${INIT_ACTIONS_MAIN}"
diff --git a/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/unknown b/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/unknown
index 4d1be1a..14ed827 100644
--- a/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/unknown
+++ b/lib/tiny-cloud/user-data/unknown
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 # Unknown UserData Functions
 # vim:set ts=4 et ft=sh:
 
-# TODO: this would probably be mostly NOOPs
+init__unknown_userdata() {
+    local type="$(userdata_type)"
+    log -i -t "$phase" warn "$ACTION: unable to process '$type' user-data"
+}
+
+INIT_ACTIONS_MAIN="unknown_userdata ${INIT_ACTIONS_MAIN}"
diff --git a/sbin/tiny-cloud b/sbin/tiny-cloud
index 822611b..e18160b 100755
--- a/sbin/tiny-cloud
+++ b/sbin/tiny-cloud
@@ -34,13 +34,12 @@ while true; do
             case "$1" in
                 complete)   # indicate bootstrap is done
                     init__bootstrap_complete
-                    log warn 'bootstrap marked complete';;
+                    log -i notice 'bootstrap marked complete';;
                 incomplete) # indicate bootstrap isn't done
                     bootstrap_incomplete
-                    log warn 'bootstrap marked incomplete';;
+                    log -i warn 'bootstrap marked incomplete';;
                 *) usage >&2; exit 1;;
             esac
-            printf ' bootstrap marked "%s"\n' "$1" >&2
             exit 0;;
         -s|--setup) # just openrc for now
             for phase in -early -net '' -final; do
@@ -67,8 +66,7 @@ esac
 
 # is initial bootstrap already done?
 if [ -f "$TINY_CLOUD_VAR/.bootstrap-complete" ]; then
-    printf ' already bootstrapped\n' >&2
-    log info "$phase - already bootstrapped"
+    log -i -t "$phase" info "already bootstrapped"
     exit 0;
 fi
 
@@ -93,7 +91,7 @@ INIT_ACTIONS_FINAL="${INIT_ACTIONS_FINAL} bootstrap_complete"
 
 case "$phase" in
     early)  INIT_ACTIONS="$INIT_ACTIONS_EARLY";;
-    net) INIT_ACTIONS="$INIT_ACTIONS_NET";;
+    net)    INIT_ACTIONS="$INIT_ACTIONS_NET";;
     main)   INIT_ACTIONS="$INIT_ACTIONS_MAIN";;
     final)  INIT_ACTIONS="$INIT_ACTIONS_FINAL";;
     *)      usage >&2; exit 1
@@ -101,23 +99,23 @@ esac
 
 for ACTION in $INIT_ACTIONS; do
     if skip_action "$ACTION"; then
-        printf '\n  -- %s : [SKIP]' $ACTION >&2
-        log warn "$phase - $ACTION - SKIPPED"
+        printf '\n   -- ' >&2
+        log -i -t "$phase" notice "$ACTION: skipped"
         continue
     fi
-    printf '\n  ++ %s ' $ACTION >&2
-    log info "$phase - $ACTION - START"
-    RESULT="UNKNOWN"
+    printf '\n   ++ ' >&2
+    log -i -t "$phase" info "$ACTION"
+    RESULT="unknown"
     LEVEL="err"
     if type "init__$ACTION" | grep -q -w "function"; then
         if "init__$ACTION" "$@"; then
-            RESULT="DONE"
+            RESULT="done"
             LEVEL="info"
         else
             RESULT="FAIL"
         fi
     fi
-    printf ': [%s]' $RESULT >&2
-    log "$LEVEL" "$phase - $ACTION - $RESULT"
+    printf '   ++ ' >&2
+    log -i -t "$phase" "$LEVEL" "$ACTION: $RESULT"
 done
 echo >&2