diff --git a/release/Makefile.azure b/release/Makefile.azure
--- a/release/Makefile.azure
+++ b/release/Makefile.azure
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 CLEANFILES+=		${AZURE_UPLOAD_TGTS}
 
 .if defined(AZURE_UPLOAD_CONF) && !empty(AZURE_UPLOAD_CONF)
-. for VAR in _STORAGE _ACCOUNT _KEY
-AZURE${VAR}!=	grep -E ^AZURE${VAR} ${AZURE_UPLOAD_CONF} | awk -F'	' '{print $$2}'
+. for VAR in _STORAGE _ACCOUNT _RESOURCEGROUP _KEY _LOCATION
+AZURE${VAR}!=	grep -E ^AZURE${VAR}= ${AZURE_UPLOAD_CONF} | awk '{print $$2}'
 . endfor
 .endif
 
@@ -20,34 +20,53 @@
 SNAPSHOT_DATE!=		date +-${BUILDDATE}
 .endif
 
-AZURE_TARGET:=		${OSRELEASE}${SNAPSHOT_DATE}.vhd
+AZURE_TARGET:=		${OSRELEASE}${SNAPSHOT_DATE}
+
+START_DATE!=	date -v-1d -I -u
+EXPIRY_DATE!=	date -v+1m -I -u
 
 azure-upload:		${AZURE_UPLOAD_TGTS}
 
 azure-check-depends:
-.for VAR in _STORAGE _ACCOUNT _KEY
+.for VAR in _STORAGE _ACCOUNT _RESOURCEGROUP _KEY
 . if !defined(AZURE${VAR}) || empty(AZURE${VAR})
 	@echo "Variable AZURE${VAR} cannot be empty."
 	@false
 . endif
 .endfor
-.if !exists(/usr/local/bin/azure)
-. if !exists(/usr/local/bin/npm)
-.  if !exists(${PORTSDIR}/www/npm/Makefile)
-.   if !exists(/usr/local/sbin/pkg-static)
+.if !exists(/usr/local/bin/az)
+. if !exists(${PORTSDIR}/sysutils/py-azure-cli/Makefile)
+.  if !exists(/usr/local/sbin/pkg-static)
 	env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes pkg bootstrap -yf
-.   endif
-	env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes pkg install -y www/npm
-.  else
-	env UNAME_r=${UNAME_r} make -C ${PORTSDIR}/www/npm BATCH=1 all install clean
 .  endif
+	env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes pkg install -y py38-azure-cli
+. else
+	env UNAME_r=${UNAME_r} make -C ${PORTSDIR}/sysutils/py-azure-cli BATCH=1 all install clean
 . endif
-	npm install -g azure-cli
 .endif
 
 azure-do-upload:
-	/usr/local/bin/azure storage blob upload \
-		${AZURE_IMG} ${AZURE_STORAGE} ${AZURE_TARGET} \
-		-t page -a ${AZURE_ACCOUNT} -k "${AZURE_KEY}"
-	touch ${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET}
-
+	/usr/local/bin/az storage blob upload \
+		--account-name ${AZURE_ACCOUNT} --account-key ${AZURE_KEY} \
+		--container-name ${AZURE_STORAGE} --type page \
+		--file ${AZURE_IMG} --name ${AZURE_TARGET}.vhd
+	@echo "The disk access URL with shared access signature is:"
+	@echo
+	@echo -n https://${AZURE_ACCOUNT}.blob.core.windows.net/${AZURE_STORAGE}/${AZURE_TARGET}.vhd?
+	@/usr/local/bin/az storage container generate-sas \
+		--account-name ${AZURE_ACCOUNT} --account-key ${AZURE_KEY} \
+		--name ${AZURE_STORAGE} \
+		--permissions lr \
+		--start ${START_DATE} \
+		--expiry ${EXPIRY_DATE} | cut -d '"' -f 2
+	@echo
+	@echo "Please go to Microsoft Partner Center to create a new offer and publish it:"
+	@echo
+	@echo "https://partner.microsoft.com/dashboard/commercial-marketplace/overview"
+	@echo
+	@echo "After the new offer status is live, you can delete the disk file with:"
+	@echo
+	@echo /usr/local/bin/az storage blob delete \
+		--account-name ${AZURE_ACCOUNT} --account-key ${AZURE_KEY} \
+		--container-name ${AZURE_STORAGE} --name ${AZURE_TARGET}.vhd
+	@echo
diff --git a/release/Makefile.vm b/release/Makefile.vm
--- a/release/Makefile.vm
+++ b/release/Makefile.vm
@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@
 	${MAKE} -C ${.CURDIR} ${.MAKEFLAGS} ${CLOUDTARGETS}
 .endif
 
-.include "${.CURDIR}/Makefile.ec2"
 .include "${.CURDIR}/Makefile.azure"
+.include "${.CURDIR}/Makefile.ec2"
 .include "${.CURDIR}/Makefile.gce"
 .include "${.CURDIR}/Makefile.vagrant"
 .include "${.CURDIR}/Makefile.inc1"
diff --git a/release/tools/azure.conf b/release/tools/azure.conf
--- a/release/tools/azure.conf
+++ b/release/tools/azure.conf
@@ -3,25 +3,54 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 #
 
+# Convention of Linux type VM on Azure is 30G
+export VMSIZE=30g
+
 # Set to a list of packages to install.
-# Example:
-#export VM_EXTRA_PACKAGES="www/apache24"
-export VM_EXTRA_PACKAGES="${VM_EXTRA_PACKAGES} sysutils/azure-agent"
+export VM_EXTRA_PACKAGES="azure-agent python python3 firstboot-freebsd-update firstboot-pkgs"
 
 # Set to a list of third-party software to enable in rc.conf(5).
-# Example:
-#export VM_RC_LIST="apache24"
-export VM_RC_LIST=
+export VM_RC_LIST="ntpd sshd waagent firstboot_freebsd_update firstboot_pkgs"
+
+# No swap space; waagent will allocate swap space on the resource disk.
+# See ResourceDisk.EnableSwap and ResourceDisk.SwapSizeMB in waagent.conf
+export NOSWAP=YES
+
+# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/marketplace/azure-vm-create-certification-faq#vm-images-must-have-1mb-free-space
+export VM_BOOTPARTSOFFSET=1M
 
 vm_extra_pre_umount() {
-	chroot ${DESTDIR} ln -s /usr/local/sbin/waagent /usr/sbin/waagent
-	chroot ${DESTDIR} /usr/local/sbin/waagent -verbose -install
-	yes | chroot ${DESTDIR} /usr/local/sbin/waagent -deprovision
-	echo 'sshd_enable="YES"' >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
-	echo 'ifconfig_hn0="SYNCDHCP"' >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
-	echo 'waagent_enable="YES"' >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
-	echo 'console="comconsole vidconsole"' >> ${DESTDIR}/boot/loader.conf
-	echo 'comconsole_speed="115200"' >> ${DESTDIR}/boot/loader.conf
+	# The firstboot_pkgs rc.d script will download the repository
+	# catalogue and install or update pkg when the instance first
+	# launches, so these files would just be replaced anyway; removing
+	# them from the image allows it to boot faster.
+	mount -t devfs devfs ${DESTDIR}/dev
+	chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes \
+		/usr/sbin/pkg delete -f -y pkg
+	umount ${DESTDIR}/dev
+	rm ${DESTDIR}/var/db/pkg/repo-*.sqlite
+
+	yes | chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} /usr/local/sbin/waagent -deprovision
+
+	cat << EOF >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
+ifconfig_hn0="SYNCDHCP"
+ntpd_sync_on_start="YES"
+EOF
+
+	cat << EOF >> ${DESTDIR}/boot/loader.conf
+autoboot_delay="-1"
+beastie_disable="YES"
+loader_logo="none"
+hw.memtest.tests="0"
+console="comconsole efi vidconsole"
+comconsole_speed="115200"
+boot_multicons="YES"
+boot_serial="YES"
+mlx4en_load="YES"
+mlx5en_load="YES"
+EOF
+
+	touch ${DESTDIR}/firstboot
 
 	rm -f ${DESTDIR}/etc/resolv.conf
 
diff --git a/release/tools/vmimage.subr b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
--- a/release/tools/vmimage.subr
+++ b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@
 		SWAPOPT="-p freebsd-swap/swapfs::${SWAPSIZE}"
 	fi
 
+	if [ -n "${VM_BOOTPARTSOFFSET}" ]; then
+		BOOTPARTSOFFSET=":${VM_BOOTPARTSOFFSET}"
+	fi
+
+
 	BOOTFILES="$(env TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} \
 		WITH_UNIFIED_OBJDIR=yes \
 		make -C ${WORLDDIR}/stand -V .OBJDIR)"
@@ -204,7 +209,7 @@
 		amd64:amd64 | i386:i386)
 			ESP=yes
 			BOOTPARTS="-b ${BOOTFILES}/i386/pmbr/pmbr \
-				   -p freebsd-boot/bootfs:=${BOOTFILES}/i386/gptboot/gptboot"
+				   -p freebsd-boot/bootfs:=${BOOTFILES}/i386/gptboot/gptboot${BOOTPARTSOFFSET}"
 			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE}"
 			MAKEFSARGS="-B little"
 			;;