--- cloudinit/util.py.orig
+++ cloudinit/util.py
@@ -1920,7 +1920,8 @@ def subp(args, data=None, rcs=None, env=
     try:
         sp = subprocess.Popen(bytes_args, stdout=stdout,
                               stderr=stderr, stdin=stdin,
-                              env=env, shell=shell)
+                              env=env, shell=shell,
+                              preexec_fn=lambda: signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL))
         (out, err) = sp.communicate(data)
     except OSError as e:
         if status_cb: