diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go
index 548579b0a..d11136f3d 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 		InterpolateFilter: &interpolate.RenderFilter{
 			Exclude: []string{
 				"execute_command",
+				"elevated_execute_command",
 			},
 		},
 	}, raws...)
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 	}
 
 	if p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand == "" {
-		p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand = `if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'};{{.Vars}}&'{{.Path}}';exit $LastExitCode`
+		p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand = `if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'}; . {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode`
 	}
 
 	if p.config.Inline != nil && len(p.config.Inline) == 0 {
@@ -412,10 +413,20 @@ func (p *Provisioner) generateCommandLineRunner(command string) (commandText str
 func (p *Provisioner) createCommandTextPrivileged() (command string, err error) {
 	// Can't double escape the env vars, lets create shiny new ones
 	flattenedEnvVars := p.createFlattenedEnvVars(true)
+	// Need to create a mini ps1 script containing all of the environment variables we want;
+	// we'll be dot-sourcing this later
+	envVarReader := strings.NewReader(flattenedEnvVars)
+	uuid := uuid.TimeOrderedUUID()
+	envVarPath := fmt.Sprintf(`${env:TEMP}\packer-env-vars-%s.ps1`, uuid)
+	log.Printf("Uploading env vars to %s", envVarPath)
+	err = p.communicator.Upload(envVarPath, envVarReader, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error preparing elevated powershell script: %s", err)
+	}
 
 	p.config.ctx.Data = &ExecuteCommandTemplate{
-		Vars: flattenedEnvVars,
 		Path: p.config.RemotePath,
+		Vars: envVarPath,
 	}
 	command, err = interpolate.Render(p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand, &p.config.ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -458,27 +469,12 @@ func (p *Provisioner) generateElevatedRunner(command string) (uploadedPath strin
 		fmt.Printf("Error creating elevated template: %s", err)
 		return "", err
 	}
-
-	tmpFile, err := ioutil.TempFile(os.TempDir(), "packer-elevated-shell.ps1")
-	writer := bufio.NewWriter(tmpFile)
-	if _, err := writer.WriteString(string(buffer.Bytes())); err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error preparing elevated powershell script: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if err := writer.Flush(); err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error preparing elevated powershell script: %s", err)
-	}
-	tmpFile.Close()
-	f, err := os.Open(tmpFile.Name())
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error opening temporary elevated powershell script: %s", err)
-	}
-	defer f.Close()
-
+	wrapperBytes := buffer.Bytes()
+	wrapperReader := bytes.NewReader(wrapperBytes)
 	uuid := uuid.TimeOrderedUUID()
 	path := fmt.Sprintf(`${env:TEMP}\packer-elevated-shell-%s.ps1`, uuid)
-	log.Printf("Uploading elevated shell wrapper for command [%s] to [%s] from [%s]", command, path, tmpFile.Name())
-	err = p.communicator.Upload(path, f, nil)
+	log.Printf("Uploading elevated shell wrapper for command [%s] to [%s]", command, path)
+	err = p.communicator.Upload(path, wrapperReader, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error preparing elevated powershell script: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go
index 73e85671d..3b3d8fa46 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be "if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'};{{.Vars}}&'{{.Path}}';exit $LastExitCode", but got %s`, p.config.ExecuteCommand)
 	}
 
-	if p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand != `if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'};{{.Vars}}&'{{.Path}}';exit $LastExitCode` {
-		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be "if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'};{{.Vars}}&'{{.Path}}';exit $LastExitCode", but got %s`, p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand)
+	if p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand != `if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'}; . {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode` {
+		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be "if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'}; . {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode", but got %s`, p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand)
 	}
 
 	if p.config.ValidExitCodes == nil {
diff --git a/website/source/docs/provisioners/powershell.html.md b/website/source/docs/provisioners/powershell.html.md
index 87a9a76f6..765760ad9 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/provisioners/powershell.html.md
+++ b/website/source/docs/provisioners/powershell.html.md
@@ -55,13 +55,20 @@ Optional parameters:
     and Packer should therefore not convert Windows line endings to Unix line
     endings (if there are any). By default this is false.
 
+-   `elevated_execute_command` (string) - The command to use to execute the elevated
+    script. By default this is `powershell if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'}; . {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode`.
+    The value of this is treated as [configuration
+    template](/docs/templates/engine.html). There are two
+    available variables: `Path`, which is the path to the script to run, and
+    `Vars`, which is the location of a temp file containing the list of `environment_vars`, if configured.
+
 -   `environment_vars` (array of strings) - An array of key/value pairs to
     inject prior to the execute\_command. The format should be `key=value`.
     Packer injects some environmental variables by default into the environment,
     as well, which are covered in the section below.
 
 -   `execute_command` (string) - The command to use to execute the script. By
-    default this is `powershell "& { {{.Vars}}{{.Path}}; exit $LastExitCode}"`.
+    default this is `powershell if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){$ProgressPreference='SilentlyContinue'};{{.Vars}}&'{{.Path}}';exit $LastExitCode`.
     The value of this is treated as [configuration
     template](/docs/templates/engine.html). There are two
     available variables: `Path`, which is the path to the script to run, and