diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go
index 6659de8dc..4dc8486ec 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner.go
@@ -98,13 +98,15 @@ type Provisioner struct {
 
 func (p *Provisioner) defaultExecuteCommand() string {
 	baseCmd := `& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference)` +
-		`{set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};`
+		`{set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};` +
+		`{set-variable -name variable:global:ErrorActionPreference -value 'Continue'};` +
+		`%s. {{.Vars}};try { . '{{.Path}}' } catch { Write-Error $Error[0]; exit 1 }; exit $LastExitCode }`
 
+	var debugLine string
 	if p.config.DebugMode != 0 {
-		baseCmd += fmt.Sprintf(`Set-PsDebug -Trace %d;`, p.config.DebugMode)
+		debugLine = fmt.Sprintf(`Set-PsDebug -Trace %d;`, p.config.DebugMode)
 	}
-
-	baseCmd += `. {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode }`
+	baseCmd = fmt.Sprintf(baseCmd, debugLine)
 
 	if p.config.ExecutionPolicy == ExecutionPolicyNone {
 		return baseCmd
diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_acc_test.go b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_acc_test.go
index 4a471082e..848ae04c8 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_acc_test.go
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_acc_test.go
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ func TestAccPowershellProvisioner_Script(t *testing.T) {
 	acc.TestProvisionersAgainstBuilders(&testProvisioner, t)
 }
 
-func TestPowershellProvisioner_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
+func TestAccPowershellProvisioner_Invalid(t *testing.T) {
 	acc.TestProvisionersPreCheck(TestProvisionerName, t)
 
-	// This test should fail with a non-zero exit code. To assert the failure the fixture
+	// This provisioner should fail with an exit code of 1. To assert the failure the fixture
 	// uses the valid_exit_codes option to confirm a non-zero exit code
 	testProvisioner := PowershellProvisionerAccTest{"powershell-provisioner-invalid.txt"}
 	acc.TestProvisionersAgainstBuilders(&testProvisioner, t)
diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go
index 4def2785c..d120c0eb8 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/provisioner_test.go
@@ -71,12 +71,13 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("expected elevated_password to be empty")
 	}
 
-	if p.config.ExecuteCommand != `powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};. {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode }"` {
-		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be 'powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};. {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode }"', but got '%s'`, p.config.ExecuteCommand)
+	if p.config.ExecuteCommand != executeCommand(`. {{.Vars}}`, `{{.Path}}`) {
+		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be %s, but got '%s'`, executeCommand(`. {{.Vars}}`, ` {{.Path}}`), p.config.ExecuteCommand)
 	}
 
-	if p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand != `powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};. {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode }"` {
-		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be 'powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};. {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode }"', but got '%s'`, p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand)
+	if p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand != executeCommand(`. {{.Vars}}`, `{{.Path}}`) {
+		t.Fatalf(`Default command should be %s, but got '%s'`, executeCommand(`. {{.Vars}}`, `{{.Path}}`), p.config.ElevatedExecuteCommand)
+
 	}
 
 	if p.config.ElevatedEnvVarFormat != `$env:%s="%s"; ` {
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_DebugMode(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	command := `powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};Set-PsDebug -Trace 1;. {{.Vars}}; &'{{.Path}}'; exit $LastExitCode }"`
+	command := executeCommand(`Set-PsDebug -Trace 1;. {{.Vars}}`, `{{.Path}}`)
 	if p.config.ExecuteCommand != command {
 		t.Fatalf(fmt.Sprintf(`Expected command should be '%s' but got '%s'`, command, p.config.ExecuteCommand))
 	}
@@ -426,7 +427,7 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_Inline(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	cmd := comm.StartCmd.Command
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/inlineScript.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`)
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/inlineScript\.ps1' }`)
 	matched := re.MatchString(cmd)
 	if !matched {
 		t.Fatalf("Got unexpected command: %s", cmd)
@@ -446,7 +447,7 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_Inline(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	cmd = comm.StartCmd.Command
-	re = regexp.MustCompile(`powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/inlineScript.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`)
+	re = regexp.MustCompile(`\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/inlineScript\.ps1' }`)
 	matched = re.MatchString(cmd)
 	if !matched {
 		t.Fatalf("Got unexpected command: %s", cmd)
@@ -476,7 +477,7 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_Scripts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	cmd := comm.StartCmd.Command
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/script.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`)
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/script\.ps1' }`)
 	matched := re.MatchString(cmd)
 	if !matched {
 		t.Fatalf("Got unexpected command: %s", cmd)
@@ -513,7 +514,7 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_ScriptsWithEnvVars(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	cmd := comm.StartCmd.Command
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/script.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`)
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/script\.ps1' }`)
 	matched := re.MatchString(cmd)
 	if !matched {
 		t.Fatalf("Got unexpected command: %s", cmd)
@@ -538,11 +539,11 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_SkipClean(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			SkipClean:                true,
-			LastExecutedCommandRegex: `powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/script.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`,
+			LastExecutedCommandRegex: `\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/script.ps1' }`,
 		},
 		{
 			SkipClean:                false,
-			LastExecutedCommandRegex: `powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/packer-cleanup-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`,
+			LastExecutedCommandRegex: `\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/packer-cleanup-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1' }`,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -802,7 +803,7 @@ func TestProvision_createCommandText(t *testing.T) {
 	p.generatedData = make(map[string]interface{})
 	cmd, _ := p.createCommandText()
 
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if \(Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference\){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1; &'c:/Windows/Temp/script.ps1'; exit \$LastExitCode }"`)
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\. c:/Windows/Temp/packer-ps-env-vars-[[:alnum:]]{8}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{4}-[[:alnum:]]{12}\.ps1;try { \. 'c:/Windows/Temp/script\.ps1' }`)
 	matched := re.MatchString(cmd)
 	if !matched {
 		t.Fatalf("Got unexpected command: %s", cmd)
@@ -861,3 +862,7 @@ func generatedData() map[string]interface{} {
 		"PackerHTTPPort": common.HttpPortNotImplemented,
 	}
 }
+
+func executeCommand(varsStr, pathStr string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`powershell -executionpolicy bypass "& { if (Test-Path variable:global:ProgressPreference){set-variable -name variable:global:ProgressPreference -value 'SilentlyContinue'};{set-variable -name variable:global:ErrorActionPreference -value 'Continue'};%s;try { . '%s' } catch { Write-Error $Error[0]; exit 1 }; exit $LastExitCode }"`, varsStr, pathStr)
+}
diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/test-fixtures/powershell-provisioner-invalid.txt b/provisioner/powershell/test-fixtures/powershell-provisioner-invalid.txt
index 836d9c5cf..037cb5551 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/test-fixtures/powershell-provisioner-invalid.txt
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/test-fixtures/powershell-provisioner-invalid.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
   "type": "powershell",
-  "inline": "this is not a valid powershell command",
+  "inline": ["invalid-cmdlet"],
   "valid_exit_codes": ["1"]
 }