diff --git a/helpers/GenerateResourcesAndImage.ps1 b/helpers/GenerateResourcesAndImage.ps1
index adda6effb..1f863b67f 100644
--- a/helpers/GenerateResourcesAndImage.ps1
+++ b/helpers/GenerateResourcesAndImage.ps1
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ Function GenerateResourcesAndImage {
             The default is 'ask'.
         .PARAMETER Tags
             Tags to be applied to the Azure resources created.
+        .PARAMETER PluginVersion
+            Specify the version of the packer Azure plugin to use. The default is "2.2.1".
         .EXAMPLE
             GenerateResourcesAndImage -SubscriptionId {YourSubscriptionId} -ResourceGroupName "shsamytest1" -ImageGenerationRepositoryRoot "C:\runner-images" -ImageType Ubuntu2004 -AzureLocation "East US"
     #>
@@ -144,6 +146,8 @@ Function GenerateResourcesAndImage {
         [Parameter(Mandatory = $False)]
         [string] $AzureTenantId,
         [Parameter(Mandatory = $False)]
+        [string] $PluginVersion = "2.2.1",
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $False)]
         [switch] $RestrictToAgentIpAddress,
         [Parameter(Mandatory = $False)]
         [switch] $Force,
@@ -218,7 +222,7 @@ Function GenerateResourcesAndImage {
     $InstallPassword = $env:UserName + [System.GUID]::NewGuid().ToString().ToUpper()
 
     Write-Host "Downloading packer plugins..."
-    & $PackerBinary init $TemplatePath
+    & $PackerBinary plugins install github.com/hashicorp/azure $PluginVersion
 
     if ($LastExitCode -ne 0) {
         throw "Packer plugins download failed."
diff --git a/images.CI/linux-and-win/build-image.ps1 b/images.CI/linux-and-win/build-image.ps1
index 081783032..626dd188d 100644
--- a/images.CI/linux-and-win/build-image.ps1
+++ b/images.CI/linux-and-win/build-image.ps1
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ param(
     [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$true)] $TempResourceGroupName,
     [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$true)] $SubscriptionId,
     [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$true)] $TenantId,
+    [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$false)] $pluginVersion = "2.2.1",
     [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$false)] $VirtualNetworkName,
     [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$false)] $VirtualNetworkRG,
     [String] [Parameter (Mandatory=$false)] $VirtualNetworkSubnet,
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ Write-Host "Show Packer Version"
 packer --version
 
 Write-Host "Download packer plugins"
-packer init $TemplatePath
+packer plugins install github.com/hashicorp/azure $pluginVersion
 
 Write-Host "Validate packer template"
 packer validate -syntax-only $TemplatePath
diff --git a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-20.04.pkr.hcl b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-20.04.pkr.hcl
index d8d821bcd..8839e11c0 100644
--- a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-20.04.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-20.04.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 locals {
   managed_image_name = var.managed_image_name != "" ? var.managed_image_name : "packer-${var.image_os}-${var.image_version}"
 }
diff --git a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-22.04.pkr.hcl b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-22.04.pkr.hcl
index 6dd0abf17..0af16d284 100644
--- a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-22.04.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-22.04.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 locals {
   managed_image_name = var.managed_image_name != "" ? var.managed_image_name : "packer-${var.image_os}-${var.image_version}"
 }
diff --git a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-24.04.pkr.hcl b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-24.04.pkr.hcl
index 7f02ff162..9e2ba3810 100644
--- a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-24.04.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-24.04.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 locals {
   managed_image_name = var.managed_image_name != "" ? var.managed_image_name : "packer-${var.image_os}-${var.image_version}"
 }
diff --git a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-minimal.pkr.hcl b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-minimal.pkr.hcl
index 634e76d31..a2e7d362b 100644
--- a/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-minimal.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/ubuntu/templates/ubuntu-minimal.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,11 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
 
 locals {
   image_os = "ubuntu22"
diff --git a/images/windows/templates/windows-2019.pkr.hcl b/images/windows/templates/windows-2019.pkr.hcl
index 1ec030585..ac837c559 100644
--- a/images/windows/templates/windows-2019.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/windows/templates/windows-2019.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 locals {
   managed_image_name = var.managed_image_name != "" ? var.managed_image_name : "packer-${var.image_os}-${var.image_version}"
 }
diff --git a/images/windows/templates/windows-2022.pkr.hcl b/images/windows/templates/windows-2022.pkr.hcl
index 0c66a7dbf..98c6034cf 100644
--- a/images/windows/templates/windows-2022.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/windows/templates/windows-2022.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 locals {
   managed_image_name = var.managed_image_name != "" ? var.managed_image_name : "packer-${var.image_os}-${var.image_version}"
 }
diff --git a/images/windows/templates/windows-2025.pkr.hcl b/images/windows/templates/windows-2025.pkr.hcl
index f1f3fdc55..72eda50e2 100644
--- a/images/windows/templates/windows-2025.pkr.hcl
+++ b/images/windows/templates/windows-2025.pkr.hcl
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-packer {
-  required_plugins {
-    azure = {
-      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
-      version = "1.4.5"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 locals {
   managed_image_name = var.managed_image_name != "" ? var.managed_image_name : "packer-${var.image_os}-${var.image_version}"
 }