diff --git a/packer/omnios-r151008f.json b/packer/omnios-r151008f.json
index 5b372be9d..edcd5349b 100644
--- a/packer/omnios-r151008f.json
+++ b/packer/omnios-r151008f.json
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
       "type": "shell",
       "scripts": [
         "scripts/omnios/vmtools.sh",
+        "scripts/common/chef.sh",
         "scripts/omnios/postinstall.sh"
       ],
-      "execute_command": "{{.Vars}} sh '{{.Path}}'"
+      "execute_command": "export {{.Vars}} && sh '{{.Path}}'",
+      "environment_vars": [ "CHEF_VERSION={{user `chef_version`}}" ]
     }
   ],
   "post-processors": [
diff --git a/packer/scripts/common/chef.sh b/packer/scripts/common/chef.sh
index a2682cc51..0c3f86bbf 100644
--- a/packer/scripts/common/chef.sh
+++ b/packer/scripts/common/chef.sh
@@ -185,14 +185,15 @@ do_download() {
 
 if [ x$CHEF_VERSION != x'provisionerless' ]; then
   do_download "$chef_installer_url" "$chef_installer"
+  chmod +x $chef_installer
   if [ x$CHEF_VERSION == x'latest' ]; then
-    sh "$chef_installer"
+    $chef_installer
   elif [ x$CHEF_VERSION == x'prerelease' ]; then
-    sh "$chef_installer" -p
+    $chef_installer -p
   else
-    sh "$chef_installer" -v $CHEF_VERSION
+    $chef_installer -v $CHEF_VERSION
   fi
-  rm -f "$chef_installer"
+  rm -f $chef_installer
 else
   echo "Building a box without Chef"
 fi