diff --git a/bootstrapvz/base/manifest.py b/bootstrapvz/base/manifest.py
index 2e04d42..0daad4f 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/base/manifest.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/base/manifest.py
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ class Manifest(object):
 		if path is None and data is None:
 			raise ManifestError('`path\' or `data\' must be provided')
 		self.path = path
-		self.load(data)
-		self.initialize()
+		self.load_data(data)
+		self.load_modules()
 		self.validate()
 		self.parse()
 
-	def load(self, data=None):
+	def load_data(self, data=None):
 		"""Loads the manifest and performs a basic validation.
 		This function reads the manifest and performs some basic validation of
 		the manifest itself to ensure that the properties required for initalization are accessible
@@ -47,12 +47,8 @@ class Manifest(object):
 		# Validate the manifest with the base validation function in __init__
 		validate_manifest(self.data, self.schema_validator, self.validation_error)
 
-	def initialize(self):
-		"""Initializes the provider and the plugins.
-		This function loads the specified provider and plugins.
-		Once the provider and plugins are loaded,
-		the initialize() function is called on each of them (if it exists).
-		The provider must have an initialize function.
+	def load_modules(self):
+		"""Loads the provider and the plugins.
 		"""
 		# Get the provider name from the manifest and load the corresponding module
 		provider_modname = 'bootstrapvz.providers.' + self.data['provider']['name']
@@ -70,14 +66,6 @@ class Manifest(object):
 				plugin = importlib.import_module(modname)
 				self.modules['plugins'].append(plugin)
 
-		# Run the initialize function on the provider and plugins
-		self.modules['provider'].initialize()
-		for module in self.modules['plugins']:
-			# Plugins are not required to have an initialize function
-			init = getattr(module, 'initialize', None)
-			if callable(init):
-				init()
-
 	def validate(self):
 		"""Validates the manifest using the provider and plugin validation functions.
 		Plugins are not required to have a validate_manifest function
@@ -141,7 +129,7 @@ class Manifest(object):
 
 	def __setstate__(self, state):
 		self.path = state['path']
-		self.load(state['data'])
-		self.initialize()
+		self.load_data(state['data'])
+		self.load_modules()
 		self.validate()
 		self.parse()
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py
index a4c2415..a11177b 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/azure/__init__.py
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import initd
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import ssh
 
 
-def initialize():
-	pass
-
-
 def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
 	import os.path
 	schema_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'manifest-schema.yml'))
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/__init__.py
index 23e3c45..b368c8a 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/__init__.py
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@ from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import loopback
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import kernel
 
 
-def initialize():
-	# Regardless of of loglevel, we don't want boto debug stuff, it's very noisy
-	import logging
-	logging.getLogger('boto').setLevel(logging.INFO)
-
-
 def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
 	import os.path
 	validator(data, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'manifest-schema.yml'))
@@ -64,6 +58,7 @@ def resolve_tasks(taskset, manifest):
 
 	taskset.update([tasks.host.AddExternalCommands,
 	                tasks.packages.DefaultPackages,
+	                tasks.connection.SilenceBotoDebug,
 	                tasks.connection.GetCredentials,
 	                tasks.ami.AMIName,
 	                tasks.connection.Connect,
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/tasks/connection.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/tasks/connection.py
index 5ace8bc..b742ae1 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/tasks/connection.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/ec2/tasks/connection.py
@@ -3,9 +3,21 @@ from bootstrapvz.common import phases
 import host
 
 
+class SilenceBotoDebug(Task):
+	description = 'Silence boto debug logging'
+	phase = phases.preparation
+
+	@classmethod
+	def run(cls, info):
+		# Regardless of of loglevel, we don't want boto debug stuff, it's very noisy
+		import logging
+		logging.getLogger('boto').setLevel(logging.INFO)
+
+
 class GetCredentials(Task):
 	description = 'Getting AWS credentials'
 	phase = phases.preparation
+	successors = [SilenceBotoDebug]
 
 	@classmethod
 	def run(cls, info):
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/gce/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/gce/__init__.py
index cda00e9..cfabcf7 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/gce/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/gce/__init__.py
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import ssh
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import volume
 
 
-def initialize():
-	pass
-
-
 def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
 	import os.path
 	schema_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'manifest-schema.yml'))
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/kvm/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/kvm/__init__.py
index 55879d4..10afcb0 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/kvm/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/kvm/__init__.py
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import initd
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import ssh
 
 
-def initialize():
-	pass
-
-
 def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
 	import os.path
 	schema_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'manifest-schema.yml'))
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/providers/virtualbox/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/providers/virtualbox/__init__.py
index 83411f8..6f62d67 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/providers/virtualbox/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/providers/virtualbox/__init__.py
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@ import tasks.packages
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import loopback
 
 
-def initialize():
-	pass
-
-
 def validate_manifest(data, validator, error):
 	import os.path
 	schema_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'manifest-schema.yml'))