diff --git a/ironic/common/kickstart_utils.py b/ironic/common/kickstart_utils.py
index 519cb53264..433cf23907 100644
--- a/ironic/common/kickstart_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/common/kickstart_utils.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def _get_config_drive_dict_from_iso(
                 iso_path=iso_file_path, outfp=b_buf
             )
             b_buf.seek(0)
-            content = b"\n".join(b_buf.readlines()).decode('utf-8')
+            content = b"".join(b_buf.readlines()).decode('utf-8')
             drive_dict[target_file_path] = content
 
 
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ def _fetch_config_drive_from_url(url):
             "Can't download the configdrive content from '%(url)s'. "
             "Reason: %(reason)s" %
             {'url': url, 'reason': e})
-    config_drive_iso = decode_and_extract_config_drive_iso(config_drive)
-    return read_iso9600_config_drive(config_drive_iso)
+    return config_drive
 
 
 def _write_config_drive_content(content, file_path):
@@ -152,10 +151,15 @@ def prepare_config_drive(task,
     if not config_drive:
         return ks_config_drive
 
-    if not isinstance(config_drive, dict) and \
-            ironic_utils.is_http_url(config_drive):
+    if ironic_utils.is_http_url(config_drive):
         config_drive = _fetch_config_drive_from_url(config_drive)
 
+    if not isinstance(config_drive, dict):
+        # The config drive is in iso6600 format, gzipped and base-64-encoded.
+        # Convert it to a dict.
+        config_drive_iso = decode_and_extract_config_drive_iso(config_drive)
+        config_drive = read_iso9600_config_drive(config_drive_iso)
+
     for key in sorted(config_drive.keys()):
         target_path = os.path.join(config_drive_path, key)
         ks_config_drive += _write_config_drive_content(
diff --git a/ironic/common/pxe_utils.py b/ironic/common/pxe_utils.py
index 8192cd458a..c31eeed8c2 100644
--- a/ironic/common/pxe_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/common/pxe_utils.py
@@ -957,6 +957,7 @@ def build_kickstart_config_options(task):
         node.uuid
     )
     params['heartbeat_url'] = heartbeat_url
+    params['config_drive'] = ks_utils.prepare_config_drive(task)
     return {'ks_options': params}
 
 
@@ -1067,6 +1068,7 @@ def validate_kickstart_template(ks_template):
     """
     ks_options = {'liveimg_url': 'fake_image_url',
                   'agent_token': 'fake_token',
+                  'config_drive': '',
                   'heartbeat_url': 'fake_heartbeat_url'}
     params = {'ks_options': ks_options}
     try:
@@ -1185,9 +1187,6 @@ def prepare_instance_kickstart_config(task, image_info, anaconda_boot=False):
     ks_options = build_kickstart_config_options(task)
     kickstart_template = image_info['ks_template'][1]
     ks_cfg = utils.render_template(kickstart_template, ks_options)
-    ks_config_drive = ks_utils.prepare_config_drive(task)
-    if ks_config_drive:
-        ks_cfg = ks_cfg + ks_config_drive
     utils.write_to_file(image_info['ks_cfg'][1], ks_cfg,
                         CONF.pxe.file_permission)
 
diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/ks.cfg.template b/ironic/drivers/modules/ks.cfg.template
index f7ef75e1cd..941d3c37d1 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/ks.cfg.template
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/ks.cfg.template
@@ -27,7 +27,16 @@ liveimg --url {{ ks_options.liveimg_url }}
 /usr/bin/curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json' -H 'X-OpenStack-Ironic-API-Version: 1.72' -d '{"callback_url": "", "agent_token": "{{ ks_options.agent_token }}", "agent_status": "error", "agent_status_message": "Error: Deploying using anaconda. Check console for more information."}' {{ ks_options.heartbeat_url }}
 %end
 
-# Sending callback after the installation is mandatory
+# Config-drive information, if any.
+{{ ks_options.config_drive }}
+
+# Sending callback after the installation is mandatory.
+# This ought to be the last thing done; otherwise the
+# ironic-conductor could reboot the node before anaconda
+# finishes executing everything in this file.
+# The sync makes sure that the data is flushed out to disk,
+# before rebooting.
 %post
+sync
 /usr/bin/curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json' -H 'X-OpenStack-Ironic-API-Version: 1.72' -d '{"callback_url": "", "agent_token": "{{ ks_options.agent_token }}", "agent_status": "end", "agent_status_message": "Deployment completed successfully."}' {{ ks_options.heartbeat_url }}
 %end
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_kickstart_utils.py b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_kickstart_utils.py
index fffacf7d46..0dd1ac5728 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_kickstart_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_kickstart_utils.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ echo $CONTENT | /usr/bin/base64 --decode > {file_path}\n\
         expected = self._get_expected_ks_config_drive(self.config_drive_dict)
         with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid) as task:
             i_info = task.node.instance_info
-            i_info['configdrive'] = self.config_drive_dict
+            i_info['configdrive'] = CONFIG_DRIVE
             task.node.instance_info = i_info
             task.node.save()
             self.assertEqual(expected, ks_utils.prepare_config_drive(task))
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_pxe_utils.py b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_pxe_utils.py
index 52372f3952..5ba0033a7a 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_pxe_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_pxe_utils.py
@@ -1514,6 +1514,7 @@ class PXEBuildKickstartConfigOptionsTestCase(db_base.DbTestCase):
                                   shared=True) as task:
             expected = {}
             expected['liveimg_url'] = task.node.instance_info['image_url']
+            expected['config_drive'] = ''
             expected['heartbeat_url'] = (
                 'http://ironic-api/v1/heartbeat/%s' % task.node.uuid
             )
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/anaconda-config-drive-fixes-5880884e34584549.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/anaconda-config-drive-fixes-5880884e34584549.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca1a6a6e7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/anaconda-config-drive-fixes-5880884e34584549.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    The anaconda deploy interface was treating the config drive
+    as a dict, whereas it could be a dict or in iso6600 format,
+    gzipped and base64-encoded. This has been fixed.
+  - |
+    The anaconda deploy interface was adding commands that deal with the
+    config drive, to the end of the kickstart config file. Which means
+    that they are handled after an ironic API request is sent (to the
+    conductor) to indicate that the node has been provisioned and is
+    ready to be rebooted. Which means that there is a possible race condition
+    wrt these commands being completed before the node is powered off.
+    A sync is added to ensure that all modifications have been written
+    to disk, before the API request is sent -- as the last thing.
+  - |
+    Extra newlines ('\n') were incorrectly added to the user data content.
+    This broke the content-type decoding and cloud-init was unable to
+    proces them. The extra newlines have been removed.