diff --git a/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-grub b/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-grub
index 4ee5517e9..b1ca7b16f 100755
--- a/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-grub
+++ b/elements/vm/finalise.d/51-grub
@@ -22,11 +22,12 @@ fi
 [ -n "$IMAGE_BLOCK_DEVICE" ]
 PART_DEV=$IMAGE_BLOCK_DEVICE
 BOOT_DEV=$(echo $IMAGE_BLOCK_DEVICE | sed -e 's/p1//')
-GRUB_OPTS=${GRUB_OPTS:---modules="biosdisk part_msdos"}
-if [ $DIB_RELEASE != 'precise' ]; then
-    GRUB_OPTS="$GRUB_OPTS --target=i386-pc"
-fi
-$GRUBNAME "$GRUB_OPTS" $BOOT_DEV
+GRUB_OPTS=${GRUB_OPTS:""}
+# XXX: This is buggy:
+# - --target=i386-pc is invalid for non-i386/amd64 architectures
+# - and for UEFI too.
+#    GRUB_OPTS="$GRUB_OPTS --target=i386-pc"
+$GRUBNAME --modules="biosdisk part_msdos" $GRUB_OPTS $BOOT_DEV
 # This might be better factored out into a per-distro 'install-bootblock'
 # helper.
 if [ -f "/boot/grub/grub.cfg" ] ; then
@@ -34,7 +35,16 @@ if [ -f "/boot/grub/grub.cfg" ] ; then
 elif [ -f "/boot/grub2/grub.cfg" ] ; then
   GRUB_CFG=/boot/grub2/grub.cfg
 fi
+RELEASE=`lsb_release -cs`
+[ -n "$RELEASE" ]
 # grub-mkconfig generates a config with the device in it,
+# This shouldn't be needed, but old code has bugs
+if [ $RELEASE = 'precise' ] ; then
+  # Replace the search attempt with a hardcoded root as the Ubuntu reference
+  # images use.
+  sed -i "s%search --no.*%%" $GRUB_CFG
+  sed -i "s%set root=.*%set root=(hd0,1)%" $GRUB_CFG
+fi
 # force use of a LABEL:
 # NOTE: Updating the grub config by hand once deployed should work, its just
 # prepping it in a different environment that needs fiddling.