diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index be635885a5ee9..0280e44156c73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -316,14 +316,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: vector-${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
           path: target/artifacts
-      - name: First install of DEB package.
+      - name: Verify install of DEB package.
         run: |
-          dpkg -i target/artifacts/vector_${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-1_amd64.deb
-          ./scripts/verify-install.sh
-      - name: Second install of DEB package.
-        run: |
-          dpkg -i target/artifacts/vector_${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-1_amd64.deb
-          ./scripts/verify-install.sh
+          ./scripts/verify-install.sh target/artifacts/vector_${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-1_amd64.deb
 
   rpm-verify:
     name: Verify RPM Packages
@@ -372,14 +367,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: vector-${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
           path: target/artifacts
-      - name: First install of RPM package.
-        run: |
-          rpm -i --replacepkgs target/artifacts/vector-${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-1.x86_64.rpm
-          ./scripts/verify-install.sh
-      - name: Second install of RPM package.
+      - name: Verify install of RPM package.
         run: |
-          rpm -i --replacepkgs target/artifacts/vector-${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-1.x86_64.rpm
-          ./scripts/verify-install.sh
+          ./scripts/verify-install.sh target/artifacts/vector-${{ env.VECTOR_VERSION }}-1.x86_64.rpm
 
   macos-verify:
     name: Verify macOS Package
diff --git a/scripts/verify-install.sh b/scripts/verify-install.sh
index 35d8404bc92c5..48e80ee36ffa0 100755
--- a/scripts/verify-install.sh
+++ b/scripts/verify-install.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,40 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -euo pipefail
 
-# verify-install.sh
+# verify-install.sh <package>
 #
 # SUMMARY
 #
 #   Verifies vector packages have been installed correctly
 
+package="${1:?must pass package as argument}"
+
+install_package () {
+  case "$1" in
+    *.deb)
+        dpkg -i "$1"
+      ;;
+    *.rpm)
+        rpm -i --replacepkgs "$1"
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+install_package "$package"
+
+getent passwd vector || (echo "vector user missing" && exit 1)
+getent group vector || (echo "vector group  missing" && exit 1)
+vector --version || (echo "vector --version failed" && exit 1)
+test -f /etc/default/vector || (echo "/etc/default/vector doesn't exist" && exit 1)
+test -f /etc/vector/vector.yaml || (echo "/etc/vector/vector.yaml doesn't exist" && exit 1)
+
+echo "FOO=bar" > /etc/default/vector
+echo "foo: bar" > /etc/vector/vector.yaml
+
+install_package "$package"
+
 getent passwd vector || (echo "vector user missing" && exit 1)
 getent group vector || (echo "vector group  missing" && exit 1)
 vector --version || (echo "vector --version failed" && exit 1)
+grep -q "FOO=bar" "/etc/default/vector" || (echo "/etc/default/vector has incorrect contents" && exit 1)
+grep -q "foo: bar" "/etc/vector/vector.yaml" || (echo "/etc/vector/vector.yaml has incorrect contents" && exit 1)