diff --git a/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar.rb b/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar.rb
index 6b844545a..cf31f556a 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar.rb
@@ -1,21 +1,17 @@
 require 'puppet/module_tool'
 require 'puppet/util'
 
 module Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar
   require 'puppet/module_tool/tar/gnu'
-  require 'puppet/module_tool/tar/solaris'
   require 'puppet/module_tool/tar/mini'
 
   def self.instance(module_name)
-    gtar_platforms = ['Solaris', 'OpenBSD']
-    if gtar_platforms.include?(Facter.value('osfamily')) && Puppet::Util.which('gtar')
-      Solaris.new
-    elsif Puppet::Util.which('tar') && ! Puppet::Util::Platform.windows?
+    if Puppet::Util.which('tar') && ! Puppet::Util::Platform.windows?
       Gnu.new
     elsif Puppet.features.minitar? && Puppet.features.zlib?
       Mini.new(module_name)
     else
       raise RuntimeError, 'No suitable tar implementation found'
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/gnu.rb b/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/gnu.rb
index d8fc3378f..aa5c606d9 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/gnu.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/gnu.rb
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 class Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Gnu
   def initialize(command = "tar")
     @command = command
   end
 
   def unpack(sourcefile, destdir, owner)
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("#{@command} xzf #{sourcefile} --no-same-owner -C #{destdir}")
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("find #{destdir} -type d -exec chmod 755 {} +")
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("find #{destdir} -type f -exec chmod a-wst {} +")
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("chown -R #{owner} #{destdir}")
+    Dir.chdir(destdir) do
+      Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("gzip -dc #{sourcefile} | #{@command} xof -")
+      Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("find #{destdir} -type d -exec chmod 755 {} +")
+      Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("find #{destdir} -type f -exec chmod a-wst {} +")
+      Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("chown -R #{owner} #{destdir}")
+    end
   end
 
   def pack(sourcedir, destfile)
     Puppet::Util::Execution.execute("tar cf - #{sourcedir} | gzip -c > #{destfile}")
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/solaris.rb b/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/solaris.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index fb3e58bbf..000000000
--- a/lib/puppet/module_tool/tar/solaris.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-class Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Solaris < Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Gnu
-  def initialize
-    super("gtar")
-  end
-end
diff --git a/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/gnu_spec.rb b/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/gnu_spec.rb
index 93245da1a..a89ea1c4d 100644
--- a/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/gnu_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/gnu_spec.rb
@@ -1,22 +1,23 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 require 'puppet/module_tool'
 
 describe Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Gnu do
   let(:sourcefile) { '/the/module.tar.gz' }
   let(:destdir)    { '/the/dest/dir' }
   let(:sourcedir)  { '/the/src/dir' }
   let(:destfile)   { '/the/dest/file.tar.gz' }
 
   it "unpacks a tar file" do
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("tar xzf #{sourcefile} --no-same-owner -C #{destdir}")
+    Dir.expects(:chdir).with(destdir).yields(mock)
+    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("gzip -dc #{sourcefile} | tar xof -")
     Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("find #{destdir} -type d -exec chmod 755 {} +")
     Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("find #{destdir} -type f -exec chmod a-wst {} +")
     Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("chown -R <owner:group> #{destdir}")
     subject.unpack(sourcefile, destdir, '<owner:group>')
   end
 
   it "packs a tar file" do
     Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("tar cf - #{sourcedir} | gzip -c > #{destfile}")
     subject.pack(sourcedir, destfile)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/solaris_spec.rb b/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/solaris_spec.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 1ca7a6a09..000000000
--- a/spec/unit/module_tool/tar/solaris_spec.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-require 'spec_helper'
-require 'puppet/module_tool'
-
-describe Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Solaris do
-  let(:sourcefile) { '/the/module.tar.gz' }
-  let(:destdir)    { '/the/dest/dir' }
-  let(:sourcedir)  { '/the/src/dir' }
-  let(:destfile)   { '/the/dest/file.tar.gz' }
-
-  it "unpacks a tar file" do
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("gtar xzf #{sourcefile} --no-same-owner -C #{destdir}")
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("find #{destdir} -type d -exec chmod 755 {} +")
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("find #{destdir} -type f -exec chmod a-wst {} +")
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("chown -R <owner:group> #{destdir}")
-    subject.unpack(sourcefile, destdir, '<owner:group>')
-  end
-
-  it "packs a tar file" do
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with("tar cf - #{sourcedir} | gzip -c > #{destfile}")
-    subject.pack(sourcedir, destfile)
-  end
-end
diff --git a/spec/unit/module_tool/tar_spec.rb b/spec/unit/module_tool/tar_spec.rb
index 75034e5bd..d9315e91c 100644
--- a/spec/unit/module_tool/tar_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/module_tool/tar_spec.rb
@@ -1,45 +1,31 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 require 'puppet/module_tool'
 
 describe Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar do
 
-  it "uses gtar when present on Solaris" do
-    Facter.stubs(:value).with('osfamily').returns 'Solaris'
-    Puppet::Util.stubs(:which).with('gtar').returns '/usr/bin/gtar'
-
-    described_class.instance(nil).should be_a_kind_of Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Solaris
-  end
-
-  it "uses gtar when present on OpenBSD" do
-    Facter.stubs(:value).with('osfamily').returns 'OpenBSD'
-    Puppet::Util.stubs(:which).with('gtar').returns '/usr/bin/gtar'
-
-    described_class.instance(nil).should be_a_kind_of Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Solaris
-  end
-
   it "uses tar when present and not on Windows" do
     Facter.stubs(:value).with('osfamily').returns 'ObscureLinuxDistro'
     Puppet::Util.stubs(:which).with('tar').returns '/usr/bin/tar'
     Puppet::Util::Platform.stubs(:windows?).returns false
 
     described_class.instance(nil).should be_a_kind_of Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Gnu
   end
 
   it "falls back to minitar when it and zlib are present" do
     Facter.stubs(:value).with('osfamily').returns 'Windows'
     Puppet::Util.stubs(:which).with('tar')
     Puppet::Util::Platform.stubs(:windows?).returns true
     Puppet.stubs(:features).returns(stub(:minitar? => true, :zlib? => true))
 
     described_class.instance(nil).should be_a_kind_of Puppet::ModuleTool::Tar::Mini
   end
 
   it "fails when there is no possible implementation" do
     Facter.stubs(:value).with('osfamily').returns 'Windows'
     Puppet::Util.stubs(:which).with('tar')
     Puppet::Util::Platform.stubs(:windows?).returns true
     Puppet.stubs(:features).returns(stub(:minitar? => false, :zlib? => false))
 
     expect { described_class.instance(nil) }.to raise_error RuntimeError, /No suitable tar/
   end
 end