diff --git a/migrations/20190725172940-settings-migrate-cloudron-conf.js b/migrations/20190725172940-settings-migrate-cloudron-conf.js
index 1d9a5bda5..6ba2b22d9 100644
--- a/migrations/20190725172940-settings-migrate-cloudron-conf.js
+++ b/migrations/20190725172940-settings-migrate-cloudron-conf.js
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ exports.up = function(db, callback) {
         db.runSql.bind(db, 'INSERT settings (name, value) VALUES(?, ?)', [ 'web_server_origin', config.webServerOrigin ]),
         db.runSql.bind(db, 'INSERT settings (name, value) VALUES(?, ?)', [ 'admin_domain', config.adminDomain ]),
         db.runSql.bind(db, 'INSERT settings (name, value) VALUES(?, ?)', [ 'admin_fqdn', config.adminFqdn ]),
-        db.runSql.bind(db, 'INSERT settings (name, value) VALUES(?, ?)', [ 'provider', config.provider ]),
         db.runSql.bind(db, 'INSERT settings (name, value) VALUES(?, ?)', [ 'demo', config.isDemo ]),
         db.runSql.bind(db, 'COMMIT')
     ], callback);
diff --git a/scripts/cloudron-setup b/scripts/cloudron-setup
index e14c6c37a..d415b4359 100755
--- a/scripts/cloudron-setup
+++ b/scripts/cloudron-setup
@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ mkdir -p /etc/cloudron
 cat > "/etc/cloudron/cloudron.conf" <<CONF_END
 {
     "apiServerOrigin": "${apiServerOrigin}",
-    "webServerOrigin": "${webServerOrigin}",
-    "provider": "${provider}"
+    "webServerOrigin": "${webServerOrigin}"
 }
 CONF_END
+echo "${provider}" > /etc/cloudron/provider
 
 [[ -n "${license}" ]] && echo -n "$license" > /etc/cloudron/LICENSE
 
diff --git a/src/appstore.js b/src/appstore.js
index a39311f91..5511926f8 100644
--- a/src/appstore.js
+++ b/src/appstore.js
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ var apps = require('./apps.js'),
     semver = require('semver'),
     settings = require('./settings.js'),
     superagent = require('superagent'),
+    sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
     users = require('./users.js'),
     util = require('util');
 
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ function sendAliveStatus(callback) {
         var data = {
             version: constants.VERSION,
             adminFqdn: config.adminFqdn(),
-            provider: config.provider(),
+            provider: sysinfo.provider(),
             backendSettings: backendSettings,
             machine: {
                 cpus: os.cpus(),
diff --git a/src/cloudron.js b/src/cloudron.js
index 5774219bd..af3e94373 100644
--- a/src/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/cloudron.js
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ var apps = require('./apps.js'),
     shell = require('./shell.js'),
     spawn = require('child_process').spawn,
     split = require('split'),
+    sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
     tasks = require('./tasks.js'),
     users = require('./users.js'),
     util = require('util');
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ function getConfig(callback) {
             version: constants.VERSION,
             isDemo: config.isDemo(),
             memory: os.totalmem(),
-            provider: config.provider(),
+            provider: sysinfo.provider(),
             cloudronName: allSettings[settings.CLOUDRON_NAME_KEY],
             uiSpec: custom.uiSpec()
         });
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index e380aeba9..463dec892 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     TEST: process.env.BOX_ENV === 'test',
 
     // convenience getters
-    provider: provider,
     apiServerOrigin: apiServerOrigin,
     webServerOrigin: webServerOrigin,
     adminDomain: adminDomain,
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ function saveSync() {
         webServerOrigin: data.webServerOrigin,
         adminDomain: data.adminDomain,
         adminFqdn: data.adminFqdn,
-        provider: data.provider,
         isDemo: data.isDemo
     };
 
@@ -80,7 +78,6 @@ function initConfig() {
     data.adminDomain = '';
     data.apiServerOrigin = null;
     data.webServerOrigin = null;
-    data.provider = 'generic';
 
     // overrides for local testings
     if (exports.TEST) {
@@ -151,6 +148,3 @@ function isDemo() {
     return get('isDemo') === true;
 }
 
-function provider() {
-    return get('provider');
-}
diff --git a/src/paths.js b/src/paths.js
index 37273f41a..de5956829 100644
--- a/src/paths.js
+++ b/src/paths.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     INFRA_VERSION_FILE: path.join(config.baseDir(), 'platformdata/INFRA_VERSION'),
 
     LICENSE_FILE: '/etc/cloudron/LICENSE',
+    PROVIDER_FILE: '/etc/cloudron/PROVIDER',
 
     PLATFORM_DATA_DIR: path.join(config.baseDir(), 'platformdata'),
     APPS_DATA_DIR: path.join(config.baseDir(), 'appsdata'),
diff --git a/src/provision.js b/src/provision.js
index 187fe7c4a..8fa6bdf39 100644
--- a/src/provision.js
+++ b/src/provision.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ var appstore = require('./appstore.js'),
     semver = require('semver'),
     settings = require('./settings.js'),
     superagent = require('superagent'),
+    sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
     users = require('./users.js'),
     UsersError = users.UsersError,
     tld = require('tldjs'),
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ function getStatus(callback) {
             callback(null, _.extend({
                 version: constants.VERSION,
                 apiServerOrigin: config.apiServerOrigin(), // used by CaaS tool
-                provider: config.provider(),
+                provider: sysinfo.provider(),
                 cloudronName: cloudronName,
                 adminFqdn: config.adminDomain() ? config.adminFqdn() : null,
                 activated: activated,
diff --git a/src/routes/provision.js b/src/routes/provision.js
index 71b4365b9..0865eaad8 100644
--- a/src/routes/provision.js
+++ b/src/routes/provision.js
@@ -10,18 +10,18 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
     auditSource = require('../auditsource'),
-    config = require('../config.js'),
     debug = require('debug')('box:routes/setup'),
     HttpError = require('connect-lastmile').HttpError,
     HttpSuccess = require('connect-lastmile').HttpSuccess,
     provision = require('../provision.js'),
     ProvisionError = require('../provision.js').ProvisionError,
+    sysinfo = require('../sysinfo.js'),
     superagent = require('superagent');
 
 function providerTokenAuth(req, res, next) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof req.body, 'object');
 
-    if (config.provider() === 'ami') {
+    if (sysinfo.provider() === 'ami') {
         if (typeof req.body.providerToken !== 'string' || !req.body.providerToken) return next(new HttpError(400, 'providerToken must be a non empty string'));
 
         superagent.get('http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/instance-id').timeout(30 * 1000).end(function (error, result) {
diff --git a/src/routes/settings.js b/src/routes/settings.js
index 97c2357da..3c561fbf5 100644
--- a/src/routes/settings.js
+++ b/src/routes/settings.js
@@ -128,15 +128,15 @@ function getCloudronAvatar(req, res, next) {
 }
 
 function getBackupConfig(req, res, next) {
-    settings.getBackupConfig(function (error, config) {
+    settings.getBackupConfig(function (error, backupConfig) {
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
         // always send provider as it is used by the UI to figure if backups are disabled ('noop' backend)
         if (!custom.spec().backups.configurable) {
-            return next(new HttpSuccess(200, { provider: config.provider }));
+            return next(new HttpSuccess(200, { provider: backupConfig.provider }));
         }
 
-        next(new HttpSuccess(200, backups.removePrivateFields(config)));
+        next(new HttpSuccess(200, backups.removePrivateFields(backupConfig)));
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/support.js b/src/support.js
index dc2494a18..87f090a63 100644
--- a/src/support.js
+++ b/src/support.js
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ let assert = require('assert'),
     shell = require('./shell.js'),
     once = require('once'),
     path = require('path'),
+    sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
     util = require('util');
 
 // the logic here is also used in the cloudron-support tool
-var AUTHORIZED_KEYS_FILEPATH = config.TEST ? path.join(config.baseDir(), 'authorized_keys') : ((config.provider() === 'ec2' || config.provider() === 'lightsail' || config.provider() === 'ami') ? '/home/ubuntu/.ssh/authorized_keys' : '/root/.ssh/authorized_keys'),
-    AUTHORIZED_KEYS_USER = config.TEST ? process.getuid() : ((config.provider() === 'ec2' || config.provider() === 'lightsail' || config.provider() === 'ami') ? 'ubuntu' : 'root'),
+var AUTHORIZED_KEYS_FILEPATH = config.TEST ? path.join(config.baseDir(), 'authorized_keys') : ((sysinfo.provider() === 'ec2' || sysinfo.provider() === 'lightsail' || sysinfo.provider() === 'ami') ? '/home/ubuntu/.ssh/authorized_keys' : '/root/.ssh/authorized_keys'),
+    AUTHORIZED_KEYS_USER = config.TEST ? process.getuid() : ((sysinfo.provider() === 'ec2' || sysinfo.provider() === 'lightsail' || sysinfo.provider() === 'ami') ? 'ubuntu' : 'root'),
     AUTHORIZED_KEYS_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/remotesupport.sh');
 
 function SupportError(reason, errorOrMessage) {
diff --git a/src/sysinfo.js b/src/sysinfo.js
index 9942d2368..d18772211 100644
--- a/src/sysinfo.js
+++ b/src/sysinfo.js
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     getPublicIp: getPublicIp,
 
-    hasIPv6: hasIPv6
+    hasIPv6: hasIPv6,
+    provider: provider
 };
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
@@ -13,7 +14,9 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     ec2 = require('./sysinfo/ec2.js'),
     fs = require('fs'),
     generic = require('./sysinfo/generic.js'),
+    paths = require('./paths.js'),
     scaleway = require('./sysinfo/scaleway.js'),
+    safe = require('safetydance'),
     util = require('util');
 
 function SysInfoError(reason, errorOrMessage) {
@@ -38,10 +41,22 @@ util.inherits(SysInfoError, Error);
 SysInfoError.INTERNAL_ERROR = 'Internal Error';
 SysInfoError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
 
+let gProvider = null;
+
+
+function provider() {
+    if (gProvider) return gProvider;
+
+    gProvider = safe.fs.readFileSync(paths.PROVIDER_FILE, 'utf8');
+    if (!gProvider) return gProvider = 'generic';
+
+    return gProvider;
+}
+
 function getApi(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    switch (config.provider()) {
+    switch (provider()) {
     case 'ec2': return callback(null, ec2);
     case 'lightsail': return callback(null, ec2);
     case 'ami': return callback(null, ec2);