diff --git a/modules/jenkins/manifests/params.pp b/modules/jenkins/manifests/params.pp
index a85c745b54..392e91c650 100644
--- a/modules/jenkins/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/modules/jenkins/manifests/params.pp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class jenkins::params {
     'RedHat': {
       #yum groupinstall "Development Tools"
       # common packages
-      $jdk_package = 'java-1.7.0-openjdk'
+      $jdk_package = 'java-1.7.0-openjdk-devel'
       $ccache_package = 'ccache'
       $python_netaddr_package = 'python-netaddr'
       # packages needed by slaves
diff --git a/modules/jenkins/manifests/slave.pp b/modules/jenkins/manifests/slave.pp
index 803eb58c0f..c7472772d3 100644
--- a/modules/jenkins/manifests/slave.pp
+++ b/modules/jenkins/manifests/slave.pp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ class jenkins::slave(
     }
   }
 
+  anchor { 'jenkins::slave::update-java-alternatives': }
+
   # Packages that all jenkins slaves need
   $common_packages = [
     $::jenkins::params::jdk_package, # jdk for building java jobs
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ class jenkins::slave(
 
   package { $packages:
     ensure => present,
-    before => Exec['update-java-alternatives']
+    before => Anchor['jenkins::slave::update-java-alternatives']
   }
 
   case $::osfamily {
@@ -103,6 +105,12 @@ class jenkins::slave(
           package { $::jenkins::params::mysql_package:
               ensure => present,
           }
+      } else {
+          exec { 'update-java-alternatives':
+            unless   => '/bin/ls -l /etc/alternatives/java | /bin/grep 1.7.0-openjdk',
+            command  => '/usr/sbin/alternatives --set java /usr/lib/jvm/jre-1.7.0-openjdk.x86_64/bin/java && /usr/sbin/alternatives --set javac /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.7.0-openjdk.x86_64/bin/javac',
+            require  => Anchor['jenkins::slave::update-java-alternatives']
+          }
       }
     }
     'Debian': {
@@ -147,6 +155,7 @@ class jenkins::slave(
       exec { 'update-java-alternatives':
         unless   => '/bin/ls -l /etc/alternatives/java | /bin/grep java-7-openjdk-amd64',
         command  => '/usr/sbin/update-java-alternatives --set java-1.7.0-openjdk-amd64',
+        require  => Anchor['jenkins::slave::update-java-alternatives']
       }
 
     }