diff --git a/examples/docker-rootful.yaml b/examples/docker-rootful.yaml
index caadff967b3b..813588b1d125 100644
--- a/examples/docker-rootful.yaml
+++ b/examples/docker-rootful.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # $ export DOCKER_HOST=$(limactl list docker-rootful --format 'unix://{{.Dir}}/sock/docker.sock')
 # $ docker ...
 
-# This template requires Lima v0.8.0 or later
+# This template requires Lima v0.20.0 or later
 images:
 # Try to use release-yyyyMMdd image if available. Note that release-yyyyMMdd will be removed after several months.
 - location: "https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/22.04/release-20231211/ubuntu-22.04-server-cloudimg-amd64.img"
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ provision:
       # Alternatively we could just add the user to the "docker" group, but that requires restarting the user session
       cat <<-EOF >/etc/systemd/system/docker.socket.d/override.conf
       [Socket]
-      SocketUser=${LIMA_CIDATA_USER}
+      SocketUser={{.User}}
     EOF
     fi
     export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
diff --git a/examples/experimental/vnc.yaml b/examples/experimental/vnc.yaml
index a6e3f76b2e02..b573df946aec 100644
--- a/examples/experimental/vnc.yaml
+++ b/examples/experimental/vnc.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # A template to run ubuntu using display: vnc
-# This template requires Lima v0.15.0 or later.
+# This template requires Lima v0.20.0 or later.
 images:
 # Try to use release-yyyyMMdd image if available. Note that release-yyyyMMdd will be removed after several months.
 - location: "https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/23.10/release-20231220/ubuntu-23.10-server-cloudimg-amd64.img"
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ provision:
     export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
     # x-terminal-emulator x-session-manager x-window-manager
     apt-get install -y xorg xterm openbox hsetroot tint2 slim
-    printf "auto_login yes\ndefault_user ${LIMA_CIDATA_USER}\n" >>/etc/slim.conf
+    printf "auto_login yes\ndefault_user {{.User}}\n" >>/etc/slim.conf
     # configure some nice lima green, set up panel and apps
     printf "hsetroot -solid \"#32CD32\" &\ntint2 &\n" >>/etc/xdg/openbox/autostart
     sed -i 's/Clearlooks/Clearlooks-Olive/' /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml # go for green
diff --git a/examples/k8s.yaml b/examples/k8s.yaml
index 0baf48f7c622..aa71c3de5515 100644
--- a/examples/k8s.yaml
+++ b/examples/k8s.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # NAME       STATUS   ROLES                  AGE   VERSION
 # lima-k8s   Ready    control-plane,master   44s   v1.22.3
 
-# This template requires Lima v0.7.0 or later.
+# This template requires Lima v0.20.0 or later.
 images:
 # Try to use release-yyyyMMdd image if available. Note that release-yyyyMMdd will be removed after several months.
 - location: "https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/22.04/release-20231211/ubuntu-22.04-server-cloudimg-amd64.img"
@@ -131,9 +131,9 @@ provision:
     #!/bin/bash
     set -eux -o pipefail
     export KUBECONFIG=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf
-    mkdir -p ${LIMA_CIDATA_HOME}/.kube
-    cp -f $KUBECONFIG ${LIMA_CIDATA_HOME}/.kube/config
-    chown -R ${LIMA_CIDATA_USER} ${LIMA_CIDATA_HOME}/.kube
+    mkdir -p {{.Home}}/.kube
+    cp -f $KUBECONFIG {{.Home}}/.kube/config
+    chown -R {{.User}} {{.Home}}/.kube
 probes:
 - description: "kubeadm to be installed"
   script: |
diff --git a/examples/podman-rootful.yaml b/examples/podman-rootful.yaml
index 6793f71201b6..eb46f1d634ee 100644
--- a/examples/podman-rootful.yaml
+++ b/examples/podman-rootful.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # $ export DOCKER_HOST=$(limactl list podman-rootful --format 'unix://{{.Dir}}/sock/podman.sock')
 # $ docker ...
 
-# This template requires Lima v0.8.0 or later
+# This template requires Lima v0.20.0 or later
 images:
 - location: "https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/39/Cloud/x86_64/images/Fedora-Cloud-Base-39-1.5.x86_64.qcow2"
   arch: "x86_64"
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ provision:
       mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/podman.socket.d
       cat <<-EOF >/etc/systemd/system/podman.socket.d/override.conf
       [Socket]
-      SocketUser=${LIMA_CIDATA_USER}
+      SocketUser={{.User}}
     EOF
     fi
     if [ ! -e /etc/tmpfiles.d/podman.conf ]; then
       mkdir -p /etc/tmpfiles.d
-      echo "d /run/podman 0700 ${LIMA_CIDATA_USER} -" > /etc/tmpfiles.d/podman.conf
+      echo "d /run/podman 0700 {{.User}} -" > /etc/tmpfiles.d/podman.conf
     fi
     dnf -y install podman
 - mode: system
diff --git a/pkg/limayaml/validate.go b/pkg/limayaml/validate.go
index ed7056968358..d4faf4ccdc7d 100644
--- a/pkg/limayaml/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/limayaml/validate.go
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@ func Validate(y LimaYAML, warn bool) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("field `provision[%d].mode` must one of %q, %q, %q, or %q",
 				i, ProvisionModeSystem, ProvisionModeUser, ProvisionModeBoot, ProvisionModeDependency)
 		}
+		if strings.Contains(p.Script, "LIMA_CIDATA") {
+			logrus.Warn("provisioning scripts should not reference the LIMA_CIDATA variables")
+		}
 	}
 	needsContainerdArchives := (y.Containerd.User != nil && *y.Containerd.User) || (y.Containerd.System != nil && *y.Containerd.System)
 	if needsContainerdArchives && len(y.Containerd.Archives) == 0 {