This is caused by the ec2-fetch-ssh-public-key script.

The following patch fixed it for me (not sure about that "doesn't work" comment, seems to work for me...):

diff --git a/ec2-fetch-ssh-public-key b/ec2-fetch-ssh-public-key
index 342a8ed..b9ce802 100755
--- a/ec2-fetch-ssh-public-key
+++ b/ec2-fetch-ssh-public-key
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ source $vyatta_env

Configuration commands

SHELL_API=/bin/cli-shell-api
-COMMIT=/opt/vyatta/sbin/my_commit
SAVE=/opt/vyatta/sbin/vyatta-save-config.pl
LOADKEY=/opt/vyatta/sbin/vyatta-load-user-key.pl

@@ -51,25 +50,11 @@ fi

load_ssh_public_key ()
{

• Doesn't work.

• if [ -x $vyatta_sbindir/vyatta-load-user-key.pl ]; then

• log_action_msg "Loaded ssh public key for user $username"

• sg ${group} -c "$vyatta_sbindir/vyatta-load-user-key.pl $username $public_key"

- # fi

• Do this instead

• Obtain session environment

• Evaluate environment string

• Setup the session

• Commit and save config change

- # Tear down the session

 log_action_msg "EC2: Loaded ssh public key for user $username"

• $LOADKEY $username $public_key_url
• sg ${group} -c "$LOADKEY $username $public_key_url"

• Commit and save to config.boot

• $COMMIT
• $SAVE

• Save to config.boot

• sg ${group} -c "$SAVE"
  }

Try to get the ssh public key from instance metadata

from vyos-build-ami.