diff --git a/cloudinit/distros/freebsd.py b/cloudinit/distros/freebsd.py
index 889842edbbe8..fc1c38a424ac 100644
--- a/cloudinit/distros/freebsd.py
+++ b/cloudinit/distros/freebsd.py
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ class Distro(cloudinit.distros.bsd.BSD):
     # field value of either "*" or "*LOCKED*" indicate differing forms of
     # "locked" but with no password defined.
     shadow_empty_locked_passwd_patterns = [
-        "^{username}::",
-        "^{username}:\*:",
-        "^{username}:\*LOCKED\*:",
+        r"^{username}::",
+        r"^{username}:\*:",
+        r"^{username}:\*LOCKED\*:",
     ]
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/cloudinit/distros/netbsd.py b/cloudinit/distros/netbsd.py
index f9df7c42669b..157aba06924b 100644
--- a/cloudinit/distros/netbsd.py
+++ b/cloudinit/distros/netbsd.py
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ class NetBSD(cloudinit.distros.bsd.BSD):
     # password, and a password field of "*LOCKED*" followed by 13 "*"
     # indicates a locked and blank password.
     shadow_empty_locked_passwd_patterns = [
-        "^{username}::",
-        "^{username}:\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*:",
-        "^{username}:\*LOCKED\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*:",
+        r"^{username}::",
+        r"^{username}:\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*:",
+        r"^{username}:\*LOCKED\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*:",
     ]
 
     def __init__(self, name, cfg, paths):
diff --git a/cloudinit/distros/openbsd.py b/cloudinit/distros/openbsd.py
index 3c1f9a01a10a..14cf3be2b8ed 100644
--- a/cloudinit/distros/openbsd.py
+++ b/cloudinit/distros/openbsd.py
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ class Distro(cloudinit.distros.netbsd.NetBSD):
     # "*" or "*************" (13 "*") indicate differing forms of "locked"
     # but with no password defined.
     shadow_empty_locked_passwd_patterns = [
-        "^{username}::",
-        "^{username}:\*:",
-        "^{username}:\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*:",
+        r"^{username}::",
+        r"^{username}:\*:",
+        r"^{username}:\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*:",
     ]
 
     def _read_hostname(self, filename, default=None):
diff --git a/tests/unittests/distros/test_create_users.py b/tests/unittests/distros/test_create_users.py
index 8d3c09c60009..23031d78b603 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/distros/test_create_users.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/distros/test_create_users.py
@@ -220,7 +220,8 @@ def test_create_options(
             ),
             pytest.param(
                 {
-                    "/etc/master.passwd": f"dnsmasq::\n{USER}:*LOCKED**************:"
+                    "/etc/master.passwd":
+                    f"dnsmasq::\n{USER}:*LOCKED**************:"
                 },
                 "netbsd",
                 False,
@@ -280,7 +281,8 @@ def test_avoid_unlock_preexisting_user_empty_password(
                 shadow_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
             else:
                 raise AssertionError(
-                    f"Shadow file path {filename} not defined for distro {dist.name}"
+                    f"Shadow file path {filename} not defined for distro"
+                    f" {dist.name}"
                 )
             shadow_file.write_text(content)
         unlock_passwd = mocker.patch.object(dist, "unlock_passwd")
diff --git a/tests/unittests/distros/test_dragonflybsd.py b/tests/unittests/distros/test_dragonflybsd.py
index ef887e532458..5419eeeafd4f 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/distros/test_dragonflybsd.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/distros/test_dragonflybsd.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 # This file is part of cloud-init. See LICENSE file for license information.
 
 import cloudinit.util
-from cloudinit.distros.dragonflybsd import Distro
-from cloudinit.distros.freebsd import FreeBSDNetworking
 from tests.unittests.distros import _get_distro
 from tests.unittests.helpers import mock
 
@@ -11,10 +9,9 @@
 
 class TestDragonFlyBSD:
     @mock.patch(M_PATH + "subp.subp")
-    def test_add_user(self, m_subp, mocker):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=FreeBSDNetworking)
+    def test_add_user(self, m_subp):
         distro = _get_distro("dragonflybsd")
-        user_created = distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
+        assert True is distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
         assert [
             mock.call(
                 [
@@ -30,10 +27,8 @@ def test_add_user(self, m_subp, mocker):
                 logstring=["pw", "useradd", "-n", "me2", "-d/home/me2", "-m"],
             )
         ] == m_subp.call_args_list
-        assert user_created == True
 
-    def test_unlock_passwd(self, mocker, caplog):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=FreeBSDNetworking)
+    def test_unlock_passwd(self, caplog):
         distro = _get_distro("dragonflybsd")
         distro.unlock_passwd("me2")
         assert (
diff --git a/tests/unittests/distros/test_freebsd.py b/tests/unittests/distros/test_freebsd.py
index 9c84feb401b2..50fb8e9ffc0b 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/distros/test_freebsd.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/distros/test_freebsd.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import os
 
-from cloudinit.distros.freebsd import Distro, FreeBSDNetworking
 from cloudinit.util import find_freebsd_part, get_path_dev_freebsd
 from tests.unittests.distros import _get_distro
 from tests.unittests.helpers import CiTestCase, mock
@@ -12,10 +11,9 @@
 
 class TestFreeBSD:
     @mock.patch(M_PATH + "subp.subp")
-    def test_add_user(self, m_subp, mocker):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=FreeBSDNetworking)
+    def test_add_user(self, m_subp):
         distro = _get_distro("freebsd")
-        user_created = distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
+        assert True is distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
         assert [
             mock.call(
                 [
@@ -38,10 +36,8 @@ def test_add_user(self, m_subp, mocker):
                 ],
             )
         ] == m_subp.call_args_list
-        assert user_created == True
 
-    def test_unlock_passwd(self, mocker, caplog):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=FreeBSDNetworking)
+    def test_unlock_passwd(self, caplog):
         distro = _get_distro("freebsd")
         distro.unlock_passwd("me2")
         assert (
diff --git a/tests/unittests/distros/test_netbsd.py b/tests/unittests/distros/test_netbsd.py
index 9c191158b737..c4cb9a551223 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/distros/test_netbsd.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/distros/test_netbsd.py
@@ -2,10 +2,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from cloudinit.distros.bsd import BSDNetworking
-from cloudinit.distros.netbsd import Distro
 from tests.unittests.distros import _get_distro
-from tests.unittests.helpers import mock
 
 try:
     # Blowfish not available in < 3.7, so this has never worked. Ignore failure
@@ -20,20 +17,17 @@
 
 class TestNetBSD:
     @mock.patch(M_PATH + "subp.subp")
-    def test_add_user(self, m_subp, mocker):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=BSDNetworking)
+    def test_add_user(self, m_subp):
         distro = _get_distro("netbsd")
-        user_created = distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
+        assert True is distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
         assert [
             mock.call(
                 ["useradd", "-m", "me2"], logstring=["useradd", "-m", "me2"]
             )
         ] == m_subp.call_args_list
-        assert user_created == True
 
     @mock.patch(M_PATH + "subp.subp")
-    def test_unlock_passwd(self, m_subp, mocker, caplog):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=BSDNetworking)
+    def test_unlock_passwd(self, m_subp, caplog):
         distro = _get_distro("netbsd")
         distro.unlock_passwd("me2")
         assert [
diff --git a/tests/unittests/distros/test_openbsd.py b/tests/unittests/distros/test_openbsd.py
index 37388b6935f0..2bab0d3bd149 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/distros/test_openbsd.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/distros/test_openbsd.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 # This file is part of cloud-init. See LICENSE file for license information.
 
-from cloudinit.distros.bsd import BSDNetworking
-from cloudinit.distros.openbsd import Distro
 from tests.unittests.distros import _get_distro
 from tests.unittests.helpers import mock
 
@@ -10,19 +8,16 @@
 
 class TestOpenBSD:
     @mock.patch(M_PATH + "subp.subp")
-    def test_add_user(self, m_subp, mocker):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=BSDNetworking)
+    def test_add_user(self, m_subp):
         distro = _get_distro("openbsd")
-        user_created = distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
+        assert True is distro.add_user("me2", uid=1234, default=False)
         assert [
             mock.call(
                 ["useradd", "-m", "me2"], logstring=["useradd", "-m", "me2"]
             )
         ] == m_subp.call_args_list
-        assert user_created == True
 
-    def test_unlock_passwd(self, mocker, caplog):
-        mocker.patch.object(Distro, "networking_cls", spec=BSDNetworking)
+    def test_unlock_passwd(self, caplog):
         distro = _get_distro("openbsd")
         distro.unlock_passwd("me2")
         assert (