diff --git a/bin/cloud-init b/bin/cloud-init
index fce4fe8c..c7863db1 100755
--- a/bin/cloud-init
+++ b/bin/cloud-init
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ from cloudinit.settings import (PER_INSTANCE, PER_ALWAYS, PER_ONCE,
                                 CLOUD_CONFIG)
 
 
+# Pretty little welcome message template
+WELCOME_MSG_TPL = ("Cloud-init v. {{version}} running '{{action}}' at "
+                   "{{timestamp}}. Up {{uptime}} seconds.")
+
 # Module section template
 MOD_SECTION_TPL = "cloud_%s_modules"
 
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@ QUERY_DATA_TYPES = [
 ]
 
 # Frequency shortname to full name
+# (so users don't have to remember the full name...)
 FREQ_SHORT_NAMES = {
     'instance': PER_INSTANCE,
     'always': PER_ALWAYS,
@@ -78,15 +83,15 @@ def print_exc(msg=''):
 
 
 def welcome(action):
-    msg = ("Cloud-init v. {{version}} running '{{action}}' at "
-           "{{timestamp}}. Up {{uptime}} seconds.")
     tpl_params = {
         'version': version.version_string(),
         'uptime': util.uptime(),
         'timestamp': util.time_rfc2822(),
         'action': action,
     }
-    util.multi_log("%s\n" % (templater.render_string(msg, tpl_params)))
+    tpl_msg = templater.render_string(WELCOME_MSG_TPL, tpl_params)
+    util.multi_log("%s\n" % (tpl_msg),
+                   console=False, stderr=True)
 
 
 def extract_fns(args):
diff --git a/cloudinit/config/cc_final_message.py b/cloudinit/config/cc_final_message.py
index 711e7b5b..b1caca47 100644
--- a/cloudinit/config/cc_final_message.py
+++ b/cloudinit/config/cc_final_message.py
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ def handle(_name, cfg, cloud, log, args):
             'timestamp': ts,
             'version': cver,
         }
-        util.multi_log("%s\n" % (templater.render_string(msg_in, subs)))
+        util.multi_log("%s\n" % (templater.render_string(msg_in, subs)),
+                       console=False, stderr=True)
     except Exception:
         util.logexc(log, "Failed to render final message template")
 
diff --git a/cloudinit/config/cc_keys_to_console.py b/cloudinit/config/cc_keys_to_console.py
index da7d5219..ed7af690 100644
--- a/cloudinit/config/cc_keys_to_console.py
+++ b/cloudinit/config/cc_keys_to_console.py
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ def handle(name, cfg, _cloud, log, _args):
         cmd.append(','.join(fp_blacklist))
         cmd.append(','.join(key_blacklist))
         (stdout, _stderr) = util.subp(cmd)
-        util.multi_log("%s\n" % (stdout.strip()), stderr=False)
+        util.multi_log("%s\n" % (stdout.strip()),
+                       stderr=False, console=True)
     except:
         log.warn("Writing keys to the system console failed!")
         raise
diff --git a/cloudinit/util.py b/cloudinit/util.py
index 6b23a0ee..4c29432b 100644
--- a/cloudinit/util.py
+++ b/cloudinit/util.py
@@ -275,15 +275,18 @@ def find_modules(root_dir):
     return entries
 
 
-def multi_log(text, console=True, stderr=True, log=None):
+def multi_log(text, console=True, stderr=True,
+              log=None, log_level=logging.DEBUG):
     if stderr:
         sys.stderr.write(text)
     if console:
+        # Don't use the write_file since
+        # this might be 'sensitive' info (not debug worthy?)
         with open('/dev/console', 'wb') as wfh:
             wfh.write(text)
             wfh.flush()
     if log:
-        log.debug(text)
+        log.log(log_level, text)
 
 
 def is_ipv4(instr):