diff --git a/vm/provision.sh b/vm/provision.sh
index f561ec4..c45c4b6 100644
--- a/vm/provision.sh
+++ b/vm/provision.sh
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ systemctl disable systemd-networkd.service systemd-networkd.socket systemd-resol
 # systemd-resolved
 rm -f /etc/resolv.conf
 systemctl enable NetworkManager.service gdm.service sshd.service
+# Arch's cloud image makes boot wait until the clock has synced, and sshd
+# waits for that. Without systemd-networkd, systemd-timesyncd thinks it's
+# offline and never syncs, so sshd would never start. archinstall doesn't
+# turn this on, and QEMU sets the VM's clock from the host's.
+systemctl disable systemd-time-wait-sync.service
 
 echo "== Automatic login to GNOME as $USER_NAME"
 cat > /etc/gdm/custom.conf << EOF