diff --git a/provisioner/puppet-server/provisioner.go b/provisioner/puppet-server/provisioner.go
index 0166827f0..72863f2ee 100644
--- a/provisioner/puppet-server/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/puppet-server/provisioner.go
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Additional options to be passed to `puppet agent`.
 	Options string `mapstructure:"options"`
 
+	// If true, `sudo` will NOT be used to execute Puppet.
+	PreventSudo bool `mapstructure:"prevent_sudo"`
+
 	// The directory where files will be uploaded. Packer requires write
 	// permissions in this directory.
 	StagingDir string `mapstructure:"staging_dir"`
@@ -48,6 +51,7 @@ type ExecuteTemplate struct {
 	PuppetNode           string
 	PuppetServer         string
 	Options              string
+	Sudo                 bool
 }
 
 func (p *Provisioner) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
@@ -182,6 +186,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 		PuppetNode:           p.config.PuppetNode,
 		PuppetServer:         p.config.PuppetServer,
 		Options:              p.config.Options,
+		Sudo:                 !p.config.PreventSudo,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -240,7 +245,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) uploadDirectory(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator, ds
 }
 
 func (p *Provisioner) commandTemplate() string {
-	return "{{.FacterVars}} " +
+	return "{{.FacterVars}} {{if .Sudo}} sudo -E {{end}}" +
 		"puppet agent --onetime --no-daemonize " +
 		"{{if ne .PuppetServer \"\"}}--server='{{.PuppetServer}}' {{end}}" +
 		"{{if ne .Options \"\"}}{{.Options}} {{end}}" +
diff --git a/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-server.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-server.html.markdown
index d9c4bdc8e..fce35bb03 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-server.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-server.html.markdown
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ required. They are listed below:
 * `puppet_server` (string) - Hostname of the Puppet server. By default
   "puppet" will be used.
 
+* `prevent_sudo` (boolean) - By default, the configured commands that are
+  executed to run Puppet are executed with `sudo`. If this is true,
+  then the sudo will be omitted.
+
 * `staging_directory` (string) - This is the directory where all the configuration
   of Puppet by Packer will be placed. By default this is "/tmp/packer-puppet-server".
   This directory doesn't need to exist but must have proper permissions so that