diff --git a/misc/vm-core.func b/misc/vm-core.func
index a2f0ff0c..2c665814 100644
--- a/misc/vm-core.func
+++ b/misc/vm-core.func
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ load_functions() {
   arch_check
 }
 
+load_cloud_init_functions() {
+  if ! declare -f setup_cloud_init >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    source <(curl -fsSL "$COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL/misc/cloud-init.func") 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+}
+
 # Function to download & save header files
 get_header() {
   local app_name=$(echo "${APP,,}" | tr ' ' '-')
@@ -107,6 +113,7 @@ icons() {
   DNSOK="✔️ "
   DNSFAIL="${TAB}✖️${TAB}"
   INFO="${TAB}💡${TAB}${CL}"
+  CLOUD="${TAB}☁️${TAB}${CL}"
   OS="${TAB}🖥️${TAB}${CL}"
   OSVERSION="${TAB}🌟${TAB}${CL}"
   CONTAINERTYPE="${TAB}📦${TAB}${CL}"
@@ -704,6 +711,17 @@ vm_apply_machine_type() {
   fi
 }
 
+vm_machine_type_label() {
+  case "${1:-i440fx}" in
+  q35)
+    echo "Q35 (Modern)"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "i440fx"
+    ;;
+  esac
+}
+
 vm_prompt_machine_type() {
   local default_machine="${1:-i440fx}"
   local i440fx_default="ON"
@@ -720,12 +738,34 @@ vm_prompt_machine_type() {
     "q35" "Machine q35" "$q35_default" \
     3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
     vm_apply_machine_type "$machine_choice"
-    echo -e "${CONTAINERTYPE}${BOLD}${DGN}Machine Type: ${BGN}${MACHINE_TYPE}${CL}"
+    echo -e "${CONTAINERTYPE}${BOLD}${DGN}Machine Type: ${BGN}$(vm_machine_type_label "$MACHINE_TYPE")${CL}"
   else
     exit_script
   fi
 }
 
+vm_prompt_cloud_init() {
+  local default_user="${1:-root}"
+
+  USE_CLOUD_INIT="no"
+  load_cloud_init_functions
+
+  if ! declare -f configure_cloud_init_interactive >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo -e "${CLOUD}${BOLD}${DGN}Cloud-Init: ${BGN}unavailable${CL}"
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  configure_cloud_init_interactive "$default_user" || true
+  USE_CLOUD_INIT="${CLOUDINIT_ENABLE:-no}"
+  echo -e "${CLOUD}${BOLD}${DGN}Cloud-Init: ${BGN}${USE_CLOUD_INIT}${CL}"
+
+  if [ "$USE_CLOUD_INIT" = "yes" ] && declare -f configure_cloudinit_ssh_keys >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    configure_cloudinit_ssh_keys || true
+  fi
+
+  return 0
+}
+
 vm_prompt_disk_size() {
   local default_size="${1:-8G}"
   local prompt_message="${2:-Set Disk Size in GiB (e.g., 10, 20)}"
diff --git a/vm/ubuntu2604-vm.sh b/vm/ubuntu2604-vm.sh
index aac821b8..45c6ea85 100644
--- a/vm/ubuntu2604-vm.sh
+++ b/vm/ubuntu2604-vm.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ NSAPP="ubuntu2604-vm"
 var_os="ubuntu"
 var_version="2604"
 THIN="discard=on,ssd=1,"
+USE_CLOUD_INIT="no"
 
 header_info
 echo -e "\n Loading..."
@@ -48,9 +49,15 @@ else
   header_info && exit_script
 fi
 
+check_root
+arch_check
+pve_check
+ssh_check
+vm_prompt_cloud_init "ubuntu"
+
 function default_settings() {
   VMID=$(get_valid_nextid)
-  vm_apply_machine_type "i440fx"
+  vm_apply_machine_type "q35"
   DISK_SIZE="7G"
   DISK_CACHE=""
   HN="ubuntu"
@@ -65,13 +72,14 @@ function default_settings() {
   METHOD="default"
 
   echo -e "${CONTAINERID}${BOLD}${DGN}Virtual Machine ID: ${BGN}${VMID}${CL}"
-  echo -e "${CONTAINERTYPE}${BOLD}${DGN}Machine Type: ${BGN}${MACHINE_TYPE}${CL}"
+  echo -e "${CONTAINERTYPE}${BOLD}${DGN}Machine Type: ${BGN}$(vm_machine_type_label "$MACHINE_TYPE")${CL}"
   echo -e "${DISKSIZE}${BOLD}${DGN}Disk Size: ${BGN}${DISK_SIZE}${CL}"
   echo -e "${DISKSIZE}${BOLD}${DGN}Disk Cache: ${BGN}None${CL}"
   echo -e "${HOSTNAME}${BOLD}${DGN}Hostname: ${BGN}${HN}${CL}"
   echo -e "${OS}${BOLD}${DGN}CPU Model: ${BGN}KVM64${CL}"
   echo -e "${CPUCORE}${BOLD}${DGN}CPU Cores: ${BGN}${CORE_COUNT}${CL}"
   echo -e "${RAMSIZE}${BOLD}${DGN}RAM Size: ${BGN}${RAM_SIZE}${CL}"
+  echo -e "${CLOUD}${BOLD}${DGN}Cloud-Init: ${BGN}${USE_CLOUD_INIT}${CL}"
   echo -e "${BRIDGE}${BOLD}${DGN}Bridge: ${BGN}${BRG}${CL}"
   echo -e "${MACADDRESS}${BOLD}${DGN}MAC Address: ${BGN}${MAC}${CL}"
   echo -e "${VLANTAG}${BOLD}${DGN}VLAN: ${BGN}Default${CL}"
@@ -82,8 +90,9 @@ function default_settings() {
 
 function advanced_settings() {
   METHOD="advanced"
+  echo -e "${CLOUD}${BOLD}${DGN}Cloud-Init: ${BGN}${USE_CLOUD_INIT}${CL}"
   vm_prompt_vmid "${VMID:-$(get_valid_nextid)}"
-  vm_prompt_machine_type "i440fx"
+  vm_prompt_machine_type "q35"
   vm_prompt_disk_size "${DISK_SIZE:-7G}" "Set Disk Size in GiB (e.g., 10, 20)"
   vm_prompt_disk_cache "none"
   vm_prompt_hostname "ubuntu"
@@ -117,10 +126,6 @@ function start_script() {
   fi
 }
 
-check_root
-arch_check
-pve_check
-ssh_check
 start_script
 post_to_api_vm
 
@@ -142,17 +147,31 @@ qm create $VMID -agent 1${MACHINE} -tablet 0 -localtime 1 -bios ovmf${CPU_TYPE}
   -name $HN -tags community-script -net0 virtio,bridge=$BRG,macaddr=$MAC$VLAN$MTU -onboot 1 -ostype l26 -scsihw virtio-scsi-pci
 pvesm alloc $STORAGE $VMID $DISK0 4M 1>&/dev/null
 qm importdisk $VMID $FILE $STORAGE ${DISK_IMPORT:-} 1>&/dev/null
-qm set $VMID \
-  -efidisk0 ${DISK0_REF}${FORMAT} \
-  -scsi0 ${DISK1_REF},${DISK_CACHE}${THIN}size=${DISK_SIZE} \
-  -ide2 ${STORAGE}:cloudinit \
-  -boot order=scsi0 \
-  -serial0 socket >/dev/null
+if [ "$USE_CLOUD_INIT" = "yes" ]; then
+  qm set $VMID \
+    -efidisk0 ${DISK0_REF}${FORMAT} \
+    -scsi0 ${DISK1_REF},${DISK_CACHE}${THIN}size=${DISK_SIZE} \
+    -ide2 ${STORAGE}:cloudinit \
+    -boot order=scsi0 \
+    -serial0 socket >/dev/null
+else
+  qm set $VMID \
+    -efidisk0 ${DISK0_REF}${FORMAT} \
+    -scsi0 ${DISK1_REF},${DISK_CACHE}${THIN}size=${DISK_SIZE} \
+    -boot order=scsi0 \
+    -serial0 socket >/dev/null
+fi
 set_description
 
 msg_info "Resizing disk to $DISK_SIZE"
 qm resize $VMID scsi0 ${DISK_SIZE} >/dev/null
 
+if [ "$USE_CLOUD_INIT" = "yes" ] && declare -f setup_cloud_init >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  msg_info "Configuring Cloud-Init"
+  setup_cloud_init "$VMID" "$STORAGE" "$HN" "yes" "${CLOUDINIT_USER:-ubuntu}" "${CLOUDINIT_NETWORK_MODE:-dhcp}" "${CLOUDINIT_IP:-}" "${CLOUDINIT_GW:-}" "${CLOUDINIT_DNS:-${CLOUDINIT_DNS_SERVERS:-1.1.1.1 8.8.8.8}}"
+  msg_ok "Configured Cloud-Init"
+fi
+
 msg_ok "Created a Ubuntu 26.04 VM ${CL}${BL}(${HN})"
 if [ "$START_VM" = "yes" ]; then
   msg_info "Starting Ubuntu 26.04 VM"
@@ -162,5 +181,8 @@ fi
 
 post_update_to_api "done" "none"
 msg_ok "Completed successfully!\n"
-echo -e "Setup Cloud-Init before starting \n
-More info at https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVED/discussions/272 \n"
+if [ "$USE_CLOUD_INIT" = "yes" ] && declare -f display_cloud_init_info >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  display_cloud_init_info "$VMID" "$HN"
+else
+  echo -e "Cloud-Init is disabled. The VM disk was resized on the Proxmox side only.\nIf the guest does not auto-expand its root filesystem after first boot, expand it manually inside the VM.\n\nMore info at https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVED/discussions/272 \n"
+fi