diff --git a/cloudinit/config/cc_set_passwords.py b/cloudinit/config/cc_set_passwords.py
index d8f6a1db315..3c8b378bf91 100644
--- a/cloudinit/config/cc_set_passwords.py
+++ b/cloudinit/config/cc_set_passwords.py
@@ -93,16 +93,25 @@ def handle_ssh_pwauth(pw_auth, distro: Distro):
         distro.manage_service("status", service)
     except subp.ProcessExecutionError as e:
         uses_systemd = distro.uses_systemd()
-        if uses_systemd and e.exit_code == 3:
+        if not uses_systemd:
+            LOG.debug(
+                "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: %s'. SSH service '%s'"
+                " will not be restarted because it is not running or not"
+                " available.",
+                pw_auth,
+                service,
+            )
+            restart_ssh = False
+        elif e.exit_code == 3:
             # Service is not running. Write ssh config.
-            LOG.warning(
+            LOG.debug(
                 "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: %s'. SSH service '%s'"
                 " will not be restarted because it is stopped.",
                 pw_auth,
                 service,
             )
             restart_ssh = False
-        elif uses_systemd and e.exit_code == 4:
+        elif e.exit_code == 4:
             # Service status is unknown
             LOG.warning(
                 "Ignoring config 'ssh_pwauth: %s'."
diff --git a/tests/unittests/config/test_cc_set_passwords.py b/tests/unittests/config/test_cc_set_passwords.py
index 758241f7ca4..ac7abadb46e 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/config/test_cc_set_passwords.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/config/test_cc_set_passwords.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ def test_valid_value_changes_updates_ssh(self, m_subp, mock_uses_systemd):
             "uses_systemd",
             "raised_error",
             "warning_log",
-            "debug_log",
+            "debug_logs",
             "update_ssh_call_count",
         ],
         (
@@ -141,9 +141,12 @@ def test_valid_value_changes_updates_ssh(self, m_subp, mock_uses_systemd):
                 subp.ProcessExecutionError(
                     stderr="Service is not running.", exit_code=3
                 ),
-                "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service"
-                " 'ssh' will not be restarted because it is stopped.",
-                "Not restarting SSH service: service is stopped.",
+                None,
+                [
+                    "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service"
+                    " 'ssh' will not be restarted because it is stopped.",
+                    "Not restarting SSH service: service is stopped.",
+                ],
                 1,
             ),
             (
@@ -153,7 +156,7 @@ def test_valid_value_changes_updates_ssh(self, m_subp, mock_uses_systemd):
                 ),
                 "Ignoring config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service 'ssh' is"
                 " not installed.",
-                None,
+                [],
                 0,
             ),
             (
@@ -163,7 +166,7 @@ def test_valid_value_changes_updates_ssh(self, m_subp, mock_uses_systemd):
                 ),
                 "Ignoring config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service 'ssh'"
                 " is not available. Error: ",
-                None,
+                [],
                 0,
             ),
             (
@@ -171,30 +174,42 @@ def test_valid_value_changes_updates_ssh(self, m_subp, mock_uses_systemd):
                 subp.ProcessExecutionError(
                     stderr="Service is not available.", exit_code=25
                 ),
-                "Ignoring config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service 'ssh'"
-                " is not available. Error: ",
                 None,
-                0,
+                [
+                    "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service"
+                    " 'ssh' will not be restarted because it is not running"
+                    " or not available.",
+                    "Not restarting SSH service: service is stopped.",
+                ],
+                1,
             ),
             (
                 False,
                 subp.ProcessExecutionError(
                     stderr="Service is not available.", exit_code=3
                 ),
-                "Ignoring config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service 'ssh'"
-                " is not available. Error: ",
                 None,
-                0,
+                [
+                    "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service"
+                    " 'ssh' will not be restarted because it is not running"
+                    " or not available.",
+                    "Not restarting SSH service: service is stopped.",
+                ],
+                1,
             ),
             (
                 False,
                 subp.ProcessExecutionError(
                     stderr="Service is not available.", exit_code=4
                 ),
-                "Ignoring config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service 'ssh'"
-                " is not available. Error: ",
                 None,
-                0,
+                [
+                    "Writing config 'ssh_pwauth: True'. SSH service"
+                    " 'ssh' will not be restarted because it is not running"
+                    " or not available.",
+                    "Not restarting SSH service: service is stopped.",
+                ],
+                1,
             ),
         ),
     )
@@ -207,7 +222,7 @@ def test_no_restart_when_service_is_not_running(
         uses_systemd,
         raised_error,
         warning_log,
-        debug_log,
+        debug_logs,
         update_ssh_call_count,
         caplog,
     ):
@@ -220,8 +235,11 @@ def test_no_restart_when_service_is_not_running(
         logs_by_level = {logging.WARNING: [], logging.DEBUG: []}
         for _, level, msg in caplog.record_tuples:
             logs_by_level[level].append(msg)
-        assert warning_log in "\n".join(logs_by_level[logging.WARNING])
-        if debug_log:
+        if warning_log:
+            assert warning_log in "\n".join(
+                logs_by_level[logging.WARNING]
+            ), logs_by_level
+        for debug_log in debug_logs:
             assert debug_log in logs_by_level[logging.DEBUG]
         assert [
             mock.call("status", "ssh")