diff --git a/inventory/base/group_vars/all.yaml b/inventory/base/group_vars/all.yaml
index 9e34a9480c..ff177a5dd7 100644
--- a/inventory/base/group_vars/all.yaml
+++ b/inventory/base/group_vars/all.yaml
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ disabled_users:
   - shrews
   - dmsimard
   - pabelanger
+# Default distro cloud image names to remove
+disabled_distro_cloud_users:
   - ubuntu
   - centos
   - admin
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base/users/README.rst b/playbooks/roles/base/users/README.rst
index 3089a06e09..f08eccd9e9 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base/users/README.rst
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base/users/README.rst
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ Configure users on a server.  Users are given sudo access
 
    Extra users to install on a specific host or group
 
+.. zuul:rolevar:: disabled_distro_cloud_users
+   :default: []
+
+   Distro cloud image default users to remove from hosts. This removal is
+   slightly more forceful than the removal of normal users.
+
 .. zuul:rolevar:: disabled_users
    :default: []
 
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base/users/defaults/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base/users/defaults/main.yaml
index 1256d6b56a..4ea1c0cabd 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base/users/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base/users/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 all_users: {}
+disabled_distro_cloud_users: []
 disabled_users: []
 extra_users: []
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base/users/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base/users/tasks/main.yaml
index fa0b11cf02..063f38f218 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base/users/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base/users/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@
     group: root
     mode: 0644
 
+- name: Delete default distro cloud image users
+  # Do this in a separate task so that we can use force: yes which is
+  # probably too destructive for normal users, but should be fine for
+  # these built in cloud image names.
+  loop: "{{ disabled_distro_cloud_users }}"
+  user:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: absent
+    remove: yes
+    force: yes
+
 - name: Delete old users
   loop: "{{ disabled_users }}"
   user: