diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/README.rst b/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/README.rst
index f492ca3be..44e701273 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/README.rst
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/README.rst
@@ -11,4 +11,7 @@ setting can be found in the element's ``environment.d`` directory in
 the variable ``DIB_RELEASE``.  If a different release of Ubuntu should
 be created, the variable ``DIB_RELEASE`` can be set appropriately.
 
+Note that this element installs ``systemd-sysv`` as the init system for
+18.04+.
+
 .. element_deps::
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/root.d/75-ubuntu-minimal-baseinstall b/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/root.d/75-ubuntu-minimal-baseinstall
index 24c80fa4e..1835e1970 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/root.d/75-ubuntu-minimal-baseinstall
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/ubuntu-minimal/root.d/75-ubuntu-minimal-baseinstall
@@ -41,13 +41,25 @@ $apt_get update
 $apt_get clean
 $apt_get dist-upgrade -y
 
-$apt_get install -y busybox sudo
+to_install=""
+
+# pre-bionic (18.04) brought this in via debootstrap, but init
+# dependencies have narrowed in the container world, so now we add it
+# explicitly here so it's brought in early.
+if [ $DIB_RELEASE != "trusty" ] && [ $DIB_RELEASE != "xenial" ]; then
+    to_install+="systemd-sysv "
+fi
+
+# default required
+to_install+="busybox sudo " # dib-lint: safe_sudo
 
 if [ "$DIB_PYTHON_VERSION" == "2" ]; then
-    $apt_get install -y python
+    to_install+="python "
 elif [ "$DIB_PYTHON_VERSION" == "3" ]; then
-    $apt_get install -y python3
+    to_install+="python3 "
 else
     echo "ERROR: DIB_PYTHON_VERSION is '$DIB_PYTHON_VERSION' but needs to be 2 or 3"
     exit 1
 fi
+
+$apt_get install -y $to_install