diff --git a/cmd/control/console.go b/cmd/control/console.go
index b262c6e2..be15a989 100644
--- a/cmd/control/console.go
+++ b/cmd/control/console.go
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/libcompose/project/options"
 	"github.com/rancher/os/compose"
 	"github.com/rancher/os/config"
-	"github.com/rancher/os/docker"
-	"github.com/rancher/os/util"
 	"github.com/rancher/os/util/network"
 )
 
@@ -56,23 +54,10 @@ func consoleSwitch(c *cli.Context) error {
 
 	cfg := config.LoadConfig()
 
-	if err := compose.StageServices(cfg, newConsole); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	client, err := docker.NewSystemClient()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	currentContainerId, err := util.GetCurrentContainerId()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	currentContainer, err := client.ContainerInspect(context.Background(), currentContainerId)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	if newConsole != "default" {
+		if err := compose.StageServices(cfg, newConsole); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	service, err := compose.CreateService(nil, "switch-console", &composeConfig.ServiceConfigV1{
@@ -80,7 +65,7 @@ func consoleSwitch(c *cli.Context) error {
 		Privileged: true,
 		Net:        "host",
 		Pid:        "host",
-		Image:      currentContainer.Config.Image,
+		Image:      fmt.Sprintf("rancher/os-base:%s", config.VERSION),
 		Labels: map[string]string{
 			config.SCOPE: config.SYSTEM,
 		},
@@ -94,9 +79,10 @@ func consoleSwitch(c *cli.Context) error {
 	if err = service.Delete(context.Background(), options.Delete{}); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return service.Up(context.Background(), options.Up{
-		Log: true,
-	})
+	if err = service.Up(context.Background(), options.Up{}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return service.Log(context.Background(), true)
 }
 
 func consoleList(c *cli.Context) error {
@@ -107,6 +93,7 @@ func consoleList(c *cli.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	fmt.Println("default")
 	for _, console := range consoles {
 		fmt.Println(console)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/control/service.go b/cmd/control/service.go
index 47a61832..b681804c 100644
--- a/cmd/control/service.go
+++ b/cmd/control/service.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ type projectFactory struct {
 
 func (p *projectFactory) Create(c *cli.Context) (project.APIProject, error) {
 	cfg := config.LoadConfig()
-	return compose.GetProject(cfg, true)
+	return compose.GetProject(cfg, true, false)
 }
 
 func beforeApp(c *cli.Context) error {
diff --git a/cmd/switchconsole/switch_console.go b/cmd/switchconsole/switch_console.go
index 10d558f6..fef54ea6 100644
--- a/cmd/switchconsole/switch_console.go
+++ b/cmd/switchconsole/switch_console.go
@@ -18,13 +18,15 @@ func Main() {
 
 	cfg := config.LoadConfig()
 
-	project, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, true)
+	project, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, true, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if err = compose.LoadService(project, cfg, true, newConsole); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+	if newConsole != "default" {
+		if err = compose.LoadService(project, cfg, true, newConsole); err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err = project.Up(context.Background(), options.Up{
diff --git a/cmd/userdocker/main.go b/cmd/userdocker/main.go
index f1fb8281..08b2b097 100644
--- a/cmd/userdocker/main.go
+++ b/cmd/userdocker/main.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func startDocker(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (string, types.HijackedResponse, error
 
 	log.Infof("Starting Docker in context: %s", storageContext)
 
-	p, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, true)
+	p, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, true, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", types.HijackedResponse{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/compose/project.go b/compose/project.go
index 10062107..37b4905e 100644
--- a/compose/project.go
+++ b/compose/project.go
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ func RunServiceSet(name string, cfg *config.CloudConfig, configs map[string]*com
 	})
 }
 
-func GetProject(cfg *config.CloudConfig, networkingAvailable bool) (*project.Project, error) {
-	return newCoreServiceProject(cfg, networkingAvailable)
+func GetProject(cfg *config.CloudConfig, networkingAvailable, loadConsole bool) (*project.Project, error) {
+	return newCoreServiceProject(cfg, networkingAvailable, loadConsole)
 }
 
 func newProject(name string, cfg *config.CloudConfig, environmentLookup composeConfig.EnvironmentLookup, authLookup *rosDocker.ConfigAuthLookup) (*project.Project, error) {
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func adjustContainerNames(m map[interface{}]interface{}) map[interface{}]interfa
 	return m
 }
 
-func newCoreServiceProject(cfg *config.CloudConfig, useNetwork bool) (*project.Project, error) {
+func newCoreServiceProject(cfg *config.CloudConfig, useNetwork, loadConsole bool) (*project.Project, error) {
 	environmentLookup := rosDocker.NewConfigEnvironment(cfg)
 	authLookup := rosDocker.NewConfigAuthLookup(cfg)
 
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func newCoreServiceProject(cfg *config.CloudConfig, useNetwork bool) (*project.P
 	p.AddListener(project.NewDefaultListener(p))
 	p.AddListener(projectEvents)
 
-	p.ReloadCallback = projectReload(p, &useNetwork, environmentLookup, authLookup)
+	p.ReloadCallback = projectReload(p, &useNetwork, loadConsole, environmentLookup, authLookup)
 
 	go func() {
 		for event := range projectEvents {
diff --git a/compose/reload.go b/compose/reload.go
index b2278664..616b605b 100644
--- a/compose/reload.go
+++ b/compose/reload.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func LoadService(p *project.Project, cfg *config.CloudConfig, useNetwork bool, s
 	return nil
 }
 
-func projectReload(p *project.Project, useNetwork *bool, environmentLookup *docker.ConfigEnvironment, authLookup *docker.ConfigAuthLookup) func() error {
+func projectReload(p *project.Project, useNetwork *bool, loadConsole bool, environmentLookup *docker.ConfigEnvironment, authLookup *docker.ConfigAuthLookup) func() error {
 	enabled := map[interface{}]interface{}{}
 	return func() error {
 		cfg := config.LoadConfig()
@@ -61,11 +61,12 @@ func projectReload(p *project.Project, useNetwork *bool, environmentLookup *dock
 			enabled[service] = service
 		}
 
-		if cfg.Rancher.Console != "" {
-			err := LoadService(p, cfg, *useNetwork, cfg.Rancher.Console)
-			if err != nil && err != network.ErrNoNetwork {
-				log.Error(err)
-			}
+		if !loadConsole || cfg.Rancher.Console == "" || cfg.Rancher.Console == "default" {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if err := LoadService(p, cfg, *useNetwork, cfg.Rancher.Console); err != nil && err != network.ErrNoNetwork {
+			log.Error(err)
 		}
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/init/sysinit.go b/init/sysinit.go
index 6e50975c..0dfa96cb 100644
--- a/init/sysinit.go
+++ b/init/sysinit.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func SysInit() error {
 	_, err := config.ChainCfgFuncs(cfg,
 		loadImages,
 		func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
-			p, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, false)
+			p, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, false, true)
 			if err != nil {
 				return cfg, err
 			}
diff --git a/os-config.tpl.yml b/os-config.tpl.yml
index c31ba828..ad9a59e2 100644
--- a/os-config.tpl.yml
+++ b/os-config.tpl.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ rancher:
   bootstrap_docker:
     args: [daemon, -s, overlay, -b, none, --restart=false, -g, /var/lib/system-docker,
         -G, root, -H, 'unix:///var/run/system-docker.sock', --userland-proxy=false]
+  console: default
   cloud_init:
     datasources:
     - configdrive:/media/config-2