diff --git a/pkg/machine/apple/apple.go b/pkg/machine/apple/apple.go
index 4f720b80af..5e0811eb45 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/apple/apple.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/apple/apple.go
@@ -216,11 +216,6 @@ func StartGenericAppleVM(mc *vmconfigs.MachineConfig, cmdBinary string, bootload
 
 	cmd.Args = append(cmd.Args, endpointArgs...)
 
-	firstBoot, err := mc.IsFirstBoot()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-
 	if logrus.IsLevelEnabled(logrus.DebugLevel) {
 		debugDevArgs, err := GetDebugDevicesCMDArgs()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -230,7 +225,7 @@ func StartGenericAppleVM(mc *vmconfigs.MachineConfig, cmdBinary string, bootload
 		cmd.Args = append(cmd.Args, "--gui") // add command line switch to pop the gui open
 	}
 
-	if firstBoot {
+	if mc.IsFirstBoot() {
 		// If this is the first boot of the vm, we need to add the vsock
 		// device to vfkit so we can inject the ignition file
 		socketName := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", mc.Name, ignitionSocketName)
diff --git a/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go b/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go
index ed538d006b..13497e55b8 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/hyperv/stubber.go
@@ -182,12 +182,7 @@ func (h HyperVStubber) StartVM(mc *vmconfigs.MachineConfig) (func() error, func(
 	defer callbackFuncs.CleanIfErr(&err)
 	go callbackFuncs.CleanOnSignal()
 
-	firstBoot, err := mc.IsFirstBoot()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-
-	if firstBoot {
+	if mc.IsFirstBoot() {
 		// Add ignition entries to windows registry
 		// for first boot only
 		if err := readAndSplitIgnition(mc, vm); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/machine/shim/host.go b/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
index 1d08fd643d..ad1d9ff4bf 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/shim/host.go
@@ -578,11 +578,7 @@ func Start(mc *vmconfigs.MachineConfig, mp vmconfigs.VMProvider, dirs *machineDe
 		}
 	}
 
-	isFirstBoot, err := mc.IsFirstBoot()
-	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Error(err)
-	}
-	if mp.VMType() == machineDefine.WSLVirt && mc.Ansible != nil && isFirstBoot {
+	if mp.VMType() == machineDefine.WSLVirt && mc.Ansible != nil && mc.IsFirstBoot() {
 		if err := machine.CommonSSHSilent(mc.Ansible.User, mc.SSH.IdentityPath, mc.Name, mc.SSH.Port, []string{"ansible-playbook", mc.Ansible.PlaybookPath}); err != nil {
 			logrus.Error(err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/machine.go b/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/machine.go
index 256c20ae4a..42a7bfea89 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/machine.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/vmconfigs/machine.go
@@ -303,12 +303,8 @@ func (mc *MachineConfig) LogFile() (*define.VMFile, error) {
 	return rtDir.AppendToNewVMFile(mc.Name+".log", nil)
 }
 
-func (mc *MachineConfig) IsFirstBoot() (bool, error) {
-	never, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z")
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	return mc.LastUp == never, nil
+func (mc *MachineConfig) IsFirstBoot() bool {
+	return mc.LastUp.IsZero()
 }
 
 func (mc *MachineConfig) ConnectionInfo(vmtype define.VMType) (*define.VMFile, *define.VMFile, error) {