diff --git a/tasks/download.json b/tasks/download.json
index 50e6076a..13441b08 100644
--- a/tasks/download.json
+++ b/tasks/download.json
@@ -9,10 +9,20 @@
       "type": "String",
       "description": "Where to save the downloaded file"
     },
-    "check_download": {
+    "verify_download": {
       "type": "Boolean",
       "description": "Whether to check the integrity of the downloaded file",
       "default": true
+    },
+    "key_id": {
+      "type": "String",
+      "description": "The GPG key ID to use when verifying the download",
+      "default": "4528B6CD9E61EF26"
+    },
+    "key_server": {
+      "type": "String",
+      "description": "The GPG keyserver to retrieve the GPG key from",
+      "default": "hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371"
     }
   },
   "input_method": "environment",
diff --git a/tasks/download.sh b/tasks/download.sh
index 72f71b49..e713c645 100755
--- a/tasks/download.sh
+++ b/tasks/download.sh
@@ -1,45 +1,90 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-urisize=$(curl -s -L --head "$PT_source" | sed -n 's/Content-Length: \([0-9]\+\)/\1/p' | tr -d '\012\015')
-filesize=$(stat -c%s "$PT_path" 2>/dev/null)
+# Exit code indicating "a service is unavailable", from
+# /usr/include/sysexits.h. The verify-file function will return this code if
+# prerequisites for verification are unavailable.
+EX_UNAVAILABLE=69
 
-# Assume that if the file exists and is the same size, we don't have to
-# re-download.
-if [[ ! -z "$urisize" && ! -z "$filesize" && "$filesize" -eq "$urisize" ]]; then
-  exit 0
-else
-  printf '%s\n' "Downloading: ${PT_source}" >&2
-  curl -f -L -o "$PT_path" "$PT_source"
-fi
+verify-file() {
+  local sig="$1"
+  local doc="$2"
 
-if [[ "$PT_check_download" == "false" ]]; then
-  exit 0
-fi
+  # The GPG binary is required to be present in order to perform file download
+  # verification. If it is not present, return EX_UNAVAILABLE.
+  if ! command -v gpg >/dev/null; then
+    echo "gpg binary not found; required in path for checking download"
+    return "$EX_UNAVAILABLE"
+  fi
 
-if ! which -s gpg ; then
-  echo "gpg binary required in path for checking download. Skipping check."
-  exit 0
-fi
+  # The verification key must be present, or it must be possible to download it
+  # from the keyserver to perform file verification. If it is not present,
+  # return EX_UNAVAILABLE.
+  if ! { gpg --list-keys "$PT_key_id" || gpg --keyserver "$PT_key_server" --recv-key "$PT_key_id"; } then
+    echo "Unable to download verification key ${PT_key_id}"
+    return "$EX_UNAVAILABLE"
+  fi
 
-echo "Importing Puppet gpg public key"
-gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371 --recv-key 4528B6CD9E61EF26
-if gpg --list-key --fingerprint 4528B6CD9E61EF26 | grep -q -E "D681 +1ED3 +ADEE +B844 +1AF5 +AA8F +4528 +B6CD +9E61 +EF26" ; then
-  echo "gpg public key imported successfully."
-else
-  echo "Could not import gpg public key - wrong fingerprint."
-  exit 1
-fi
+  # Perform the verification and return success or failure.
+  if gpg --verify "$sig" "$doc"; then
+    echo "Signature verification succeeded"
+    return 0
+  else
+    echo "Signature verification failed"
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+download() {
+  printf '%s\n' "Downloading: ${1}"
+  curl -s -f -L -o "$2" "$1"
+}
+
+download-size-verify() {
+  local source="$1"
+  local path="$2"
+
+  urisize=$(curl -s -L --head "$source" | sed -rn 's/Content-Length: ([0-9]+)/\1/p' | tr -d '\012\015')
+  filesize=$(stat -c%s "$path" 2>/dev/null || stat -f%z "$path" 2>/dev/null)
+
+  echo "Filesize: ${filesize}"
+  echo "Content-Length header: ${urisize}"
+
+  # Assume that if the file exists and is the same size, we don't have to
+  # re-download.
+  if [[ ! -z "$urisize" && ! -z "$filesize" && "$filesize" -eq "$urisize" ]]; then
+    echo "File size matches HTTP Content-Length header. Using file as-is."
+    exit 0
+  else
+    download "$source" "$path"
+  fi
+}
+
+download-signature-verify() {
+  local source="$1"
+  local path="$2"
+
+  if ! download "${source}.asc" "${path}.asc" ; then
+    echo "Unable to download ${source}.asc. Skipping verification."
+    download-size-verify "$source" "$path"
+    return "$?"
+  fi
 
-sigpath=${PT_path}.asc
-sigsource=${PT_source}.asc
+  echo "Verifying ${path}..."
+  verify_output=$(verify-file "${path}.asc" "$path");
+  verify_exit="$?"
+  if [[ "$verify_exit" -eq "$EX_UNAVAILABLE" ]]; then
+    echo "Verification unavailable. ${verify_output}. Skipping verification."
+    download-size-verify "$source" "$path"
+  elif [[ "$verify_exit" -eq "1" ]]; then
+    echo "$verify_output"
+    download "$source" "$path"
+    echo "Verifying ${path}..."
+    verify-file "${path}.asc" "$path"
+  fi
+}
 
-echo "Downloading tarball signature from ${sigsource}..."
-curl -f -L -o "${sigpath}" "${sigsource}"
-echo "Downloaded tarball signature to ${sigpath}."
-echo "Checking tarball signature at ${sigpath}..."
-if gpg --verify "${sigpath}" "${PT_path}" ; then
-  echo "Signature verification succeeded."
+if [[ "$PT_verify_download" == "true" ]]; then
+  download-signature-verify "$PT_source" "$PT_path"
 else
-  echo "Signature verification failed, please re-run the installation."
-  exit 1
+  download-size-verify "$PT_source" "$PT_path"
 fi