diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index b0af92eef077..783b4329ecf4 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -217,11 +217,7 @@ setup_env() {
     if [ -n "${INSTALL_K3S_TYPE}" ]; then
         SYSTEMD_TYPE=${INSTALL_K3S_TYPE}
     else
-        if [ "${CMD_K3S}" = server ]; then
-            SYSTEMD_TYPE=notify
-        else
-            SYSTEMD_TYPE=exec
-        fi
+        SYSTEMD_TYPE=notify
     fi
 
     # --- use binary install directory if defined or create default ---
diff --git a/pkg/agent/containerd/config_linux.go b/pkg/agent/containerd/config_linux.go
index 20697d20dbb1..0a5a198f1008 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/containerd/config_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/containerd/config_linux.go
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ func setupContainerdConfig(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Node) error {
 	if disableCgroup {
 		logrus.Warn("cgroup v2 controllers are not delegated for rootless. Disabling cgroup.")
 	} else {
-		cfg.AgentConfig.Systemd = controllers["cpuset"] && os.Getenv("NOTIFY_SOCKET") != ""
+		// note: this mutatation of the passed agent.Config is later used to set the
+		// kubelet's cgroup-driver flag. This may merit moving to somewhere else in order
+		// to avoid mutating the configuration while setting up containerd.
+		cfg.AgentConfig.Systemd = !isRunningInUserNS && controllers["cpuset"] && os.Getenv("INVOCATION_ID") != ""
 	}
 
 	var containerdTemplate string