diff --git a/build/actions/os.js b/build/actions/os.js
index 820e325a..2461814e 100644
--- a/build/actions/os.js
+++ b/build/actions/os.js
@@ -110,22 +110,24 @@ limitations under the License.
       init = require('resin-device-init');
       helpers = require('../utils/helpers');
       console.info('Configuring operating system image');
-      return resin.models.device.get(params.uuid).get('device_type').then(resin.models.device.getManifestBySlug).get('options').then(function(questions) {
-        var advancedGroup, override;
-        if (!options.advanced) {
-          advancedGroup = _.findWhere(questions, {
-            name: 'advanced',
-            isGroup: true
-          });
-          if (advancedGroup != null) {
-            override = helpers.getGroupDefaults(advancedGroup);
+      return resin.models.device.get(params.uuid).then(function(device) {
+        return helpers.getManifest(params.image, device.device_type).get('options').then(function(questions) {
+          var advancedGroup, override;
+          if (!options.advanced) {
+            advancedGroup = _.findWhere(questions, {
+              name: 'advanced',
+              isGroup: true
+            });
+            if (advancedGroup != null) {
+              override = helpers.getGroupDefaults(advancedGroup);
+            }
           }
-        }
-        return form.run(questions, {
-          override: override
+          return form.run(questions, {
+            override: override
+          });
+        }).then(function(answers) {
+          return init.configure(params.image, params.uuid, answers).then(stepHandler);
         });
-      }).then(function(answers) {
-        return init.configure(params.image, params.uuid, answers).then(stepHandler);
       }).nodeify(done);
     }
   };
@@ -151,15 +153,15 @@ limitations under the License.
     ],
     root: true,
     action: function(params, options, done) {
-      var Promise, form, init, patterns, resin, umount;
+      var Promise, form, helpers, init, patterns, umount;
       Promise = require('bluebird');
       umount = Promise.promisifyAll(require('umount'));
-      resin = require('resin-sdk');
       form = require('resin-cli-form');
       init = require('resin-device-init');
       patterns = require('../utils/patterns');
+      helpers = require('../utils/helpers');
       console.info('Initializing device');
-      return resin.models.device.getManifestBySlug(options.type).then(function(manifest) {
+      return helpers.getManifest(params.image, options.type).then(function(manifest) {
         var ref;
         return (ref = manifest.initialization) != null ? ref.options : void 0;
       }).then(function(questions) {
diff --git a/build/utils/helpers.js b/build/utils/helpers.js
index 4ed256d6..9521b2d4 100644
--- a/build/utils/helpers.js
+++ b/build/utils/helpers.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
  */
 
 (function() {
-  var Promise, _, capitano, chalk, os, president;
+  var Promise, _, capitano, chalk, imagefs, os, president, resin, rindle;
 
   Promise = require('bluebird');
 
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ limitations under the License.
 
   president = Promise.promisifyAll(require('president'));
 
+  resin = require('resin-sdk');
+
+  imagefs = require('resin-image-fs');
+
+  rindle = require('rindle');
+
   os = require('os');
 
   chalk = require('chalk');
@@ -63,4 +69,16 @@ limitations under the License.
     return president.executeAsync(command);
   };
 
+  exports.getManifest = function(image, deviceType) {
+    return imagefs.read({
+      image: image,
+      partition: {
+        primary: 1
+      },
+      path: '/device-type.json'
+    }).then(rindle.extractAsync).then(JSON.parse)["catch"](function() {
+      return resin.models.device.getManifestBySlug(deviceType);
+    });
+  };
+
 }).call(this);
diff --git a/lib/actions/os.coffee b/lib/actions/os.coffee
index e2d6ddfb..fb7fe034 100644
--- a/lib/actions/os.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/os.coffee
@@ -113,9 +113,8 @@ exports.configure =
 		helpers = require('../utils/helpers')
 
 		console.info('Configuring operating system image')
-		resin.models.device.get(params.uuid)
-			.get('device_type')
-			.then(resin.models.device.getManifestBySlug)
+		resin.models.device.get(params.uuid).then (device) ->
+			helpers.getManifest(params.image, device.device_type)
 			.get('options')
 			.then (questions) ->
 
@@ -163,13 +162,13 @@ exports.initialize =
 	action: (params, options, done) ->
 		Promise = require('bluebird')
 		umount = Promise.promisifyAll(require('umount'))
-		resin = require('resin-sdk')
 		form = require('resin-cli-form')
 		init = require('resin-device-init')
 		patterns = require('../utils/patterns')
+		helpers = require('../utils/helpers')
 
 		console.info('Initializing device')
-		resin.models.device.getManifestBySlug(options.type)
+		helpers.getManifest(params.image, options.type)
 			.then (manifest) ->
 				return manifest.initialization?.options
 			.then (questions) ->
diff --git a/lib/utils/helpers.coffee b/lib/utils/helpers.coffee
index 315875d0..9c8cad4c 100644
--- a/lib/utils/helpers.coffee
+++ b/lib/utils/helpers.coffee
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ capitano = Promise.promisifyAll(require('capitano'))
 _ = require('lodash')
 _.str = require('underscore.string')
 president = Promise.promisifyAll(require('president'))
+resin = require('resin-sdk')
+imagefs = require('resin-image-fs')
+rindle = require('rindle')
 os = require('os')
 chalk = require('chalk')
 
@@ -52,3 +55,18 @@ exports.sudo = (command, message) ->
 		console.log('Type your computer password to continue')
 
 	return president.executeAsync(command)
+
+exports.getManifest = (image, deviceType) ->
+
+	# Attempt to read manifest from the first
+	# partition, but fallback to the API if
+	# we encounter any errors along the way.
+	imagefs.read
+		image: image
+		partition:
+			primary: 1
+		path: '/device-type.json'
+	.then(rindle.extractAsync)
+	.then(JSON.parse)
+	.catch ->
+		resin.models.device.getManifestBySlug(deviceType)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7e9060fb..402ca00e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     "resin-config-json": "^1.0.0",
     "resin-device-config": "^3.0.0",
     "resin-device-init": "^2.1.0",
+    "resin-image-fs": "^2.1.2",
     "resin-image-manager": "^4.0.0",
     "resin-pine": "^1.3.0",
     "resin-sdk": "^5.3.5",