diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 68e7056..8fba3a4 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/onsi/gomega v1.17.0
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5
 	github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/api v0.0.0-20211124154423-21a022445576
+	github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/client v0.0.0-20211213114330-12eb53621738
 	github.com/yitsushi/macpot v1.0.2
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.42.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.27.1
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 5b993f9..006e48f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -544,6 +544,8 @@ github.com/tmc/grpc-websocket-proxy v0.0.0-20201229170055-e5319fda7802/go.mod h1
 github.com/ugorji/go v1.1.4/go.mod h1:uQMGLiO92mf5W77hV/PUCpI3pbzQx3CRekS0kk+RGrc=
 github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/api v0.0.0-20211124154423-21a022445576 h1:f5QFSzuYSgpzgKkrS/sXTwr+ZnPzP9oR40na9nzgotg=
 github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/api v0.0.0-20211124154423-21a022445576/go.mod h1:RFgQ7RSa7zGNxxR+dS6NRDCQ/IAN23WCfXg4+L6fclI=
+github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/client v0.0.0-20211213114330-12eb53621738 h1:UyKUaJYf/dN8zcq7OWy15ISSjOjqwOyXe4acWOt7NdM=
+github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/client v0.0.0-20211213114330-12eb53621738/go.mod h1:1jiepUOR2kxAdoxXXyNQ0LnOeT2gOUSnWGuXh9akjDw=
 github.com/xiang90/probing v0.0.0-20190116061207-43a291ad63a2/go.mod h1:UETIi67q53MR2AWcXfiuqkDkRtnGDLqkBTpCHuJHxtU=
 github.com/xlab/treeprint v0.0.0-20181112141820-a009c3971eca/go.mod h1:ce1O1j6UtZfjr22oyGxGLbauSBp2YVXpARAosm7dHBg=
 github.com/xordataexchange/crypt v0.0.3-0.20170626215501-b2862e3d0a77/go.mod h1:aYKd//L2LvnjZzWKhF00oedf4jCCReLcmhLdhm1A27Q=
diff --git a/internal/services/microvm/convert.go b/internal/services/microvm/convert.go
index 579c7e1..c4d471b 100644
--- a/internal/services/microvm/convert.go
+++ b/internal/services/microvm/convert.go
@@ -4,13 +4,20 @@
 package microvm
 
 import (
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"fmt"
+
 	flintlocktypes "github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/api/types"
+	flcloudinit "github.com/weaveworks/flintlock/client/cloudinit"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
 	"github.com/weaveworks/cluster-api-provider-microvm/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/cluster-api-provider-microvm/internal/scope"
 )
 
-func convertToFlintlockAPI(machineScope *scope.MachineScope) *flintlocktypes.MicroVMSpec {
+const platformLiquidMetal = "liquid_metal"
+
+func convertToFlintlockAPI(machineScope *scope.MachineScope) (*flintlocktypes.MicroVMSpec, error) {
 	mvmSpec := machineScope.MvmMachine.Spec
 
 	apiVM := &flintlocktypes.MicroVMSpec{
@@ -82,5 +89,19 @@ func convertToFlintlockAPI(machineScope *scope.MachineScope) *flintlocktypes.Mic
 		apiVM.Interfaces = append(apiVM.Interfaces, apiIface)
 	}
 
-	return apiVM
+	userMetadata := flcloudinit.Metadata{
+		InstanceID:    fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", machineScope.Namespace(), machineScope.Name()),
+		LocalHostname: machineScope.Name(),
+		Platform:      platformLiquidMetal,
+		ClusterName:   machineScope.ClusterName(),
+	}
+
+	userMeta, err := yaml.Marshal(userMetadata)
+	if err != nil {
+		return apiVM, fmt.Errorf("unable to marshal metadata: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	apiVM.Metadata["meta-data"] = base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(userMeta)
+
+	return apiVM, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/services/microvm/service.go b/internal/services/microvm/service.go
index 4b52522..8c229d8 100644
--- a/internal/services/microvm/service.go
+++ b/internal/services/microvm/service.go
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ func New(scope *scope.MachineScope, client Client) *Service {
 func (s *Service) Create(ctx context.Context) error {
 	s.scope.V(defaults.LogLevelDebug).Info("Creating microvm", "machine-name", s.scope.Name(), "cluster-name", s.scope.ClusterName())
 
-	apiMicroVM := convertToFlintlockAPI(s.scope)
+	apiMicroVM, err := convertToFlintlockAPI(s.scope)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	bootstrapData, err := s.scope.GetRawBootstrapData()
 	if err != nil {