diff --git a/installers/full_install_osm.sh b/installers/full_install_osm.sh
index b119d3f..6ddf4aa 100755
--- a/installers/full_install_osm.sh
+++ b/installers/full_install_osm.sh
@@ -139,6 +139,20 @@
     [ -z "${DEBUG_INSTALL}" ] || DEBUG end of function
 }
 
+function check_packages() {
+    NEEDED_PACKAGES="$1"
+    echo -e "Checking required packages: ${NEEDED_PACKAGES}"
+    for PACKAGE in ${NEEDED_PACKAGES} ; do
+        dpkg -L ${PACKAGE} &>/dev/null
+        if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+            echo -e "Package ${PACKAGE} is not installed. Updating apt"
+            sudo apt-get update
+            sudo apt-get install -y ${PACKAGE} || FATAL "failed to install ${PACKAGE}"
+        fi
+    done
+    echo -e "Required packages are present: ${NEEDED_PACKAGES}"
+}
+
 function install_lxd() {
     [ -z "${DEBUG_INSTALL}" ] || DEBUG beginning of function
     # Apply sysctl production values for optimal performance
@@ -645,16 +659,7 @@
 
     # if no host is passed in, we need to install lxd/juju, unless explicilty asked not to
     if [ -z "$OSM_VCA_HOST" ] && [ -z "$INSTALL_NOLXD" ] && [ -z "$LXD_CLOUD_FILE" ]; then
-        need_packages_lw="snapd"
-        echo -e "Checking required packages: $need_packages_lw"
-        dpkg -l $need_packages_lw &>/dev/null \
-          || ! echo -e "One or several required packages are not installed. Updating apt cache requires root privileges." \
-          || sudo apt-get update \
-          || FATAL "failed to run apt-get update"
-        dpkg -l $need_packages_lw &>/dev/null \
-          || ! echo -e "Installing $need_packages_lw requires root privileges." \
-          || sudo apt-get install -y $need_packages_lw \
-          || FATAL "failed to install $need_packages_lw"
+        check_packages "snapd"
         install_lxd
     fi
 
@@ -1149,17 +1154,8 @@
 # if develop, we force master
 [ -z "$COMMIT_ID" ] && [ -n "$DEVELOP" ] && COMMIT_ID="master"
 
-need_packages="git wget curl tar"
+check_packages "git wget curl tar"
 
-echo -e "Checking required packages: $need_packages"
-dpkg -l $need_packages &>/dev/null \
-  || ! echo -e "One or several required packages are not installed. Updating apt cache requires root privileges." \
-  || sudo apt-get update \
-  || FATAL "failed to run apt-get update"
-dpkg -l $need_packages &>/dev/null \
-  || ! echo -e "Installing $need_packages requires root privileges." \
-  || sudo apt-get install -y $need_packages \
-  || FATAL "failed to install $need_packages"
 sudo snap install jq
 if [ -z "$OSM_DEVOPS" ]; then
     if [ -n "$TEST_INSTALLER" ]; then