diff --git a/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.c b/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.c
index 1cb14a8349..ed36b4dd2f 100644
--- a/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.c
+++ b/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.c
@@ -665,6 +665,20 @@ nmcs_utils_uri_build_concat_v(const char *base, const char **components, gsize n
     return nm_str_buf_finalize(&strbuf, NULL);
 }
 
+const char *
+nmcs_utils_uri_complete_interned(const char *uri)
+{
+    gs_free char *s = NULL;
+
+    if (nm_str_is_empty(uri))
+        return NULL;
+    if (NM_STR_HAS_PREFIX(uri, "http://") || NM_STR_HAS_PREFIX(uri, "https://") || strchr(uri, '/'))
+        return g_intern_string(uri);
+
+    s = g_strconcat("http://", uri, NULL);
+    return g_intern_string(s);
+}
+
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.h b/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.h
index 151b0a3627..bb47db26d5 100644
--- a/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.h
+++ b/src/nm-cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup-utils.h
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ char *nmcs_utils_uri_build_concat_v(const char *base, const char **components, g
 #define nmcs_utils_uri_build_concat(base, ...) \
     nmcs_utils_uri_build_concat_v(base, ((const char *[]){__VA_ARGS__}), NM_NARG(__VA_ARGS__))
 
+const char *nmcs_utils_uri_complete_interned(const char *uri);
+
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 gboolean nmcs_setting_ip_replace_ipv4_addresses(NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip,
diff --git a/src/nm-cloud-setup/nmcs-provider-ec2.c b/src/nm-cloud-setup/nmcs-provider-ec2.c
index 49777106b6..6f83238d68 100644
--- a/src/nm-cloud-setup/nmcs-provider-ec2.c
+++ b/src/nm-cloud-setup/nmcs-provider-ec2.c
@@ -29,22 +29,7 @@ again:
          * This is mainly for testing, it's not usually supposed to be configured.
          * Consider this private API! */
         base = g_getenv(NMCS_ENV_VARIABLE("NM_CLOUD_SETUP_EC2_HOST"));
-
-        if (!nm_str_is_empty(base)) {
-            if (NM_STR_HAS_PREFIX(base, "http://") || NM_STR_HAS_PREFIX(base, "https://")
-                || strchr(base, '/'))
-                base = g_intern_string(base);
-            else {
-                gs_free char *s = NULL;
-
-                s    = g_strconcat("http://", base, NULL);
-                base = g_intern_string(s);
-            }
-        }
-        if (nm_str_is_empty(base))
-            base = NM_EC2_BASE;
-
-        nm_assert(!NM_STR_HAS_SUFFIX(base, "/"));
+        base = nmcs_utils_uri_complete_interned(base) ?: ("" NM_EC2_BASE);
 
         if (!g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange(&base_cached, NULL, base))
             goto again;