diff --git a/azure/terraform/admin.tf b/azure/terraform/admin.tf
--- a/azure/terraform/admin.tf
+++ b/azure/terraform/admin.tf
@@ -153,7 +153,12 @@
       ip_address        = azurerm_network_interface.backup-interface[each.key].private_ip_address,
       facter_subnet     = "azure_euwest"
       facter_deployment = "admin"
-      disk_setup        = {}
+      disk_setup        = {
+        swaps = [{
+          filepath = "/mnt/swapfile"
+          size = "14336" # GB
+        }]
+      }
     })
     destination = var.firstboot_script
 
diff --git a/azure/terraform/templates/firstboot.sh.tpl b/azure/terraform/templates/firstboot.sh.tpl
--- a/azure/terraform/templates/firstboot.sh.tpl
+++ b/azure/terraform/templates/firstboot.sh.tpl
@@ -49,6 +49,18 @@
 uuid=$(blkid -o value -s UUID ${disk.base_disk}1)
 echo "UUID=\"$uuid\" ${disk.mountpoint} ${disk.filesystem} ${disk.mount_options} 0 0" >> /etc/fstab
 %{ endif }
+
+%{ for swap in try(disk_setup.swaps, []) }
+%{ if try(swap.filepath, "") != "" }
+# Create a swapfile
+dd if=/dev/zero of=${swap.filepath} bs=1M count=${swap.size}
+# enable swap
+chmod 600 ${swap.filepath}
+mkswap ${swap.filepath}
+swapon ${swap.filepath}
+# Reference it in /etc/fast so it's persistent across reboots
+echo "${swap.filepath} swap swap defaults 0 0" >> /etc/fstab
+%{ endif }
 %{ endfor }
 
 %{ if length(try(disk_setup.raids, [])) != 0 }