diff --git a/dracut/full-dmroot/qubes_cow_setup.sh b/dracut/full-dmroot/qubes_cow_setup.sh
index 45acbe6..dd103cb 100644
--- a/dracut/full-dmroot/qubes_cow_setup.sh
+++ b/dracut/full-dmroot/qubes_cow_setup.sh
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ EOF
     log_end
 else
     log_begin "Qubes: Doing R/W setup for TemplateVM..."
+    while ! [ -e /dev/xvdc ]; do sleep 0.1; done
+    sfdisk -q --unit S /dev/xvdc >/dev/null <<EOF
+1,$SWAP_SIZE,S
+EOF
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        die "Qubes: failed to setup partitions on volatile device"
+    fi
+    while ! [ -e /dev/xvdc1 ]; do sleep 0.1; done
+    mkswap /dev/xvdc1
     echo "0 `cat /sys/block/xvda/size` linear /dev/xvda 0" | \
         dmsetup --noudevsync create dmroot || die "Qubes: FATAL: cannot create dmroot!"
     log_end
diff --git a/dracut/simple/init.sh b/dracut/simple/init.sh
index df311c5..5446ab7 100644
--- a/dracut/simple/init.sh
+++ b/dracut/simple/init.sh
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ EOF
     echo Qubes: done.
 else
     echo "Qubes: Doing R/W setup for TemplateVM..."
+    while ! [ -e /dev/xvdc ]; do sleep 0.1; done
+    sfdisk -q --unit S /dev/xvdc >/dev/null <<EOF
+1,$SWAP_SIZE,S
+EOF
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        die "Qubes: failed to setup partitions on volatile device"
+    fi
+    while ! [ -e /dev/xvdc1 ]; do sleep 0.1; done
+    mkswap /dev/xvdc1
     echo "0 `cat /sys/block/xvda/size` linear /dev/xvda 0" | \
         dmsetup create dmroot || { echo "Qubes: FATAL: cannot create dmroot!"; exit 1; }
     echo Qubes: done.