diff --git a/api/types/installers/installer.sh.tmpl b/api/types/installers/installer.sh.tmpl
index 6121abf9179fa..ab4f7032f127f 100644
--- a/api/types/installers/installer.sh.tmpl
+++ b/api/types/installers/installer.sh.tmpl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 set -eu
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ on_gcp() {
     sudo apt-get install -y ${PACKAGE_LIST}
   elif [ "$ID" = "amzn" ] || [ "$ID" = "rhel" ]; then
     if [ "$ID" = "rhel" ]; then
-      VERSION_ID=$(echo "$VERSION_ID" | sed 's/\..*//') # convert version numbers like '7.2' to only include the major version
+      VERSION_ID=${VERSION_ID//\.*/} # convert version numbers like '7.2' to only include the major version
     fi
     sudo yum-config-manager --add-repo \
       "$(rpm --eval "https://yum.releases.teleport.dev/$ID/$VERSION_ID/Teleport/%{_arch}/{{ .RepoChannel }}/teleport.repo")"
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ on_gcp() {
     if [ "$ID" = "opensuse-tumbleweed" ]; then
       VERSION_ID="15" # tumbleweed uses dated VERSION_IDs like 20230702
     else
-      VERSION_ID=$(echo "$VERSION_ID" | sed 's/\..*//') # convert version numbers like '7.2' to only include the major version
+      VERSION_ID="${VERSION_ID//.*/}" # convert version numbers like '7.2' to only include the major version
     fi
     sudo rpm --import "https://zypper.releases.teleport.dev/gpg"
     sudo zypper --non-interactive addrepo "$(rpm --eval "https://zypper.releases.teleport.dev/sles/$VERSION_ID/Teleport/%{_arch}/{{ .RepoChannel }}/teleport.repo")"