diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py
index 5081448..970a5db 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import tasks.image
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import loopback
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import initd
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import ssh
+from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import apt
 
 
 def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
@@ -15,7 +16,8 @@ def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
 
 def resolve_tasks(taskset, manifest):
 	taskset.update(task_groups.get_standard_groups(manifest))
-	taskset.update([tasks.packages.DefaultPackages,
+	taskset.update([apt.AddBackports,
+	                tasks.packages.DefaultPackages,
 	                loopback.AddRequiredCommands,
 	                loopback.Create,
 	                initd.InstallInitScripts,
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/boot.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/boot.py
index 1ec9f56..892a842 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/boot.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/boot.py
@@ -15,19 +15,22 @@ class PatchUdev(Task):
 		from bootstrapvz.common.tools import log_check_call
 		from . import assets
 		# c.f. http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-systemd/systemd.git/commit/?id=61e055638cea
-		with open(os.path.join(assets, 'udev.diff')) as diff_file:
-			udev_dir = os.path.join(info.root, 'usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top')
-			log_check_call(['patch', '--no-backup-if-mismatch', '-p6', '-d' + udev_dir], stdin=diff_file)
+		udev_file = os.path.join(info.root, 'usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top/udev')
+		diff_file = os.path.join(assets, 'udev.diff')
+		log_check_call(['patch', '--no-backup-if-mismatch', udev_file, diff_file])
 
 
 class ConfigureGrub(Task):
 	description = 'Change grub configuration to allow for ttyS0 output'
 	phase = phases.system_modification
+	predecessors = [grub.ConfigureGrub]
 	successors = [grub.InstallGrub_1_99, grub.InstallGrub_2]
 
 	@classmethod
 	def run(cls, info):
 		from bootstrapvz.common.tools import sed_i
 		grub_config = os.path.join(info.root, 'etc/default/grub')
-		sed_i(grub_config, r'^(GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX*=".*)"\s*$', r'\1console=ttyS0 earlyprintk=ttyS0 rootdelay=300"')
-		sed_i(grub_config, r'^.*(GRUB_TIMEOUT=).*$', r'GRUB_TIMEOUT=0')
+		sed_i(grub_config, r'^(GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=.*)', r'GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""')
+		sed_i(grub_config, r'^(GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX*=".*)"\s*$', r'\1console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8 earlyprintk=ttyS0,115200 rootdelay=300"')
+		sed_i(grub_config, r'^(GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=).*', r'#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=true')
+		sed_i(grub_config, r'^.*(GRUB_TIMEOUT=).*$', r'GRUB_TIMEOUT=5')
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/packages.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/packages.py
index e982185..2089404 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/packages.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/tasks/packages.py
@@ -47,3 +47,9 @@ class Waagent(Task):
 			if os.path.isfile(info.manifest.provider['waagent']['conf']):
 				log_check_call(['cp', info.manifest.provider['waagent']['conf'],
 				                os.path.join(info.root, 'etc/waagent.conf')])
+
+		# The Azure Linux agent uses 'useradd' to add users, but SHELL
+		# is set to /bin/sh by default. Set this to /bin/bash instead.
+		from bootstrapvz.common.tools import sed_i
+		useradd_config = os.path.join(info.root, 'etc/default/useradd')
+		sed_i(useradd_config, r'^(SHELL=.*)', r'SHELL=/bin/bash')
diff --git a/manifests/examples/azure/jessie.yml b/manifests/examples/azure/jessie.yml
index a06114b..43ee5f2 100644
--- a/manifests/examples/azure/jessie.yml
+++ b/manifests/examples/azure/jessie.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 provider:
   name: azure
   waagent:
-    version: 2.0.13
+    version: 2.0.14
 bootstrapper:
   mirror: http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/
   workspace: /target
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ volume:
     root:
       filesystem: ext4
       size: 10GiB
-packages: {}
+packages:
+  components:
+  - main
+  - contrib
+  - non-free
 plugins:
   ntp:
     servers:
diff --git a/manifests/examples/azure/wheezy.yml b/manifests/examples/azure/wheezy.yml
index 558d666..623265e 100644
--- a/manifests/examples/azure/wheezy.yml
+++ b/manifests/examples/azure/wheezy.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 provider:
   name: azure
   waagent:
-    version: 2.0.4
+    version: 2.0.14
 bootstrapper:
   mirror: http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/
   workspace: /target
@@ -20,13 +20,19 @@ volume:
   backing: raw
   partitions:
     type: msdos
-    boot:
-      filesystem: ext2
-      size: 32MiB
     root:
       filesystem: ext4
-      size: 7GiB
-packages: {}
+      size: 10GiB
+packages:
+  components:
+  - main
+  - contrib
+  - non-free
+  preferences:
+    backport-kernel:
+    - package: linux-image-* initramfs-tools
+      pin: release n=wheezy-backports
+      pin-priority: 500
 plugins:
   ntp:
     servers: