diff --git a/charts/maas/templates/bin/_import-boot-resources.sh.tpl b/charts/maas/templates/bin/_import-boot-resources.sh.tpl
index cb0d704..15db50e 100644
--- a/charts/maas/templates/bin/_import-boot-resources.sh.tpl
+++ b/charts/maas/templates/bin/_import-boot-resources.sh.tpl
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ function check_then_set {
 }
 
 function check_for_rack_sync {
-  rack_list=$(maas ${ADMIN_USERNAME} rack-controllers read | tail -n +1 | jq -r '.[] | .system_id')
   sync_list=""
 
   while [[ ${JOB_TIMEOUT} -gt 0 ]]
   do
+      rack_list=$(maas ${ADMIN_USERNAME} rack-controllers read | tail -n +1 | jq -r '.[] | .system_id')
       for rack_id in ${rack_list}
       do
         selected_imgs=$(maas ${ADMIN_USERNAME} rack-controller list-boot-images ${rack_id} | tail -n +1 | jq ".images[] | select( .name | contains(\"${MAAS_DEFAULT_DISTRO}\")) | .name")
diff --git a/charts/maas/templates/configmap-etc.yaml b/charts/maas/templates/configmap-etc.yaml
index 0c98c22..4a07137 100644
--- a/charts/maas/templates/configmap-etc.yaml
+++ b/charts/maas/templates/configmap-etc.yaml
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ data:
 {{ tuple "etc/_regiond.conf.tpl" . | include "helm-toolkit.utils.template" | indent 4 }}
   nsswitch.conf: |
 {{ tuple "etc/_nsswitch.conf.tpl" . | include "helm-toolkit.utils.template" | indent 4 }}
-  register-rack-controller.service: |
-{{ tuple "etc/_register-rack-controller.service.tpl" . | include "helm-toolkit.utils.template" | indent 4 }}
 {{- if .Values.conf.drivers }}
   drivers.yaml: |
 {{ tuple "etc/_drivers.yaml.tpl" . | include "helm-toolkit.utils.template" | indent 4 }}
diff --git a/charts/maas/templates/etc/_register-rack-controller.service.tpl b/charts/maas/templates/etc/_register-rack-controller.service.tpl
deleted file mode 100644
index 0bf64b4..0000000
--- a/charts/maas/templates/etc/_register-rack-controller.service.tpl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-[Unit]
-Description=Register with MaaS Region Controller
-Wants=network-online.target
-After=network-online.target
-
-[Service]
-Type=oneshot
-PassEnvironment=MAAS_ENDPOINT MAAS_REGION_SECRET
-ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/register-rack-controller.sh
-
-[Install]
-WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/images/maas-rack-controller/Dockerfile b/images/maas-rack-controller/Dockerfile
index 316c4bc..23e73da 100644
--- a/images/maas-rack-controller/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/maas-rack-controller/Dockerfile
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ RUN rsyslogd; apt-get install -y maas-cli=$MAAS_VERSION maas-rack-controller=$MA
 RUN mv /usr/sbin/tcpdump /usr/bin/tcpdump
 RUN ln -s /usr/bin/tcpdump /usr/sbin/tcpdump
 
+# register ourselves with the region controller
+COPY scripts/register-rack-controller.service /lib/systemd/system/register-rack-controller.service
+RUN systemctl enable register-rack-controller.service
+
 # Patch so that Calico interfaces are ignored
 # dc6350: this appears to be fixed in maas master as of 10/4/2018, but that change is not in 2.3.5
 COPY 2.3_nic_filter.patch /tmp/2.3_nic_filter.patch
diff --git a/images/maas-rack-controller/scripts/register-rack-controller.sh b/images/maas-rack-controller/scripts/register-rack-controller.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index add7edf..0000000
--- a/images/maas-rack-controller/scripts/register-rack-controller.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# show env
-env > /tmp/env
-
-echo "register-rack-controller URL: ${MAAS_ENDPOINT}"
-
-# note the secret must be a valid hex value
-
-# register forever
-while [ 1 ];
-do
-    if maas-rack register --url=http://${MAAS_ENDPOINT}/MAAS --secret="${MAAS_REGION_SECRET}";
-    then
-        echo "Successfully registered with MaaS Region Controller"
-        break
-    else
-        echo "Unable to register with http://${MAAS_ENDPOINT}/MAAS... will try again"
-        sleep 10
-    fi;
-
-done;