diff --git a/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/mpi_worker.sh b/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/mpi_worker.sh
index 51cad8fe..3a329d8c 100644
--- a/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/mpi_worker.sh
+++ b/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/mpi_worker.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ rsconf_install_file '/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/.rsmpi/known_hosts' '7ae6386df
 rsconf_install_access '700' 'vagrant' 'vagrant'
 rsconf_install_directory '/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin'
 rsconf_install_access '500' 'vagrant' 'vagrant'
-rsconf_install_file '/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin/rsmpi' '2c05ad5ad02341db2ab056c735906d73'
+rsconf_install_file '/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin/rsmpi' '97a2b53f4e90e919a91134c949d79a4b'
 rsconf_install_access '700' 'vagrant' 'vagrant'
 rsconf_install_directory '/srv/mpi_worker'
 rsconf_install_access '500' 'vagrant' 'vagrant'
diff --git a/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin/rsmpi b/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin/rsmpi
index 72b0ea92..352ee7d6 100644
--- a/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin/rsmpi
+++ b/tests/pkcli/build_data/1.out/srv/host/v5.radia.run/srv/mpi_worker/user/vagrant/bin/rsmpi
@@ -21,18 +21,24 @@ _rsmpi_net='10.10.10.0/24'
 _rsmpi_ssh_config='/home/vagrant/jupyter/.rsmpi/ssh_config'
 
 
+# allow overrides in deployment, but do not document in usage.
+# should be fixed here, when there is a missing pattern. ^OMP_
+# is necessary to avoid conflicts with OMPI_ (openmpi), which we
+# don't want to pass.
+: ${rsmpi_pass_env:='MODULE|^OMP_|PATH|PYENV|PYTHON|SYNERGIA|VIRTUAL'}
 declare -i _rsmpi_num_hosts=${#_rsmpi_ips[@]}
 
 rsmpi_exec() {
-    local hostfile=$1
+    declare hostfile=$1
     shift
     rsmpi_exec_ssh_config
-    local a=
-    local x
-    for x in $(compgen -A variable|egrep '(SYNERGIA|PYENV|PYTHON|VIRTUAL|PATH|MODULE)'); do
+    declare a=
+    declare x
+    declare e=
+    for x in $(compgen -A variable | egrep "($rsmpi_pass_env)"); do
         a+=$x,
     done
-    local i=$(rsmpi_local_ip)
+    declare i=$(rsmpi_local_ip)
     if [[ ! $i ]]; then
         echo "cannot determine local ip address for network=$_rsmpi_net" 1>&2
     fi
@@ -40,9 +46,9 @@ rsmpi_exec() {
 }
 
 rsmpi_exec_ssh_config() {
-    local d=$HOME/.ssh
-    local l=$d.lock
-    local i
+    declare d=$HOME/.ssh
+    declare l=$d.lock
+    declare i
     for i in $(seq 1 10); do
         if ! mkdir "$l" >& /dev/null; then
             if (( i == 9 )); then
@@ -67,8 +73,8 @@ rsmpi_exec_ssh_config() {
 }
 
 rsmpi_exec_ssh_config_cp() {
-    local src=$1
-    local dst=$2
+    declare src=$1
+    declare dst=$2
     if ! cmp "$src" "$dst" >& /dev/null; then
         install -m 600 "$src" "$dst"
     fi
@@ -79,7 +85,7 @@ rsmpi_help() {
         if (( $# > 0 )); then
             echo "error: $@"
         fi
-        local h=$(seq --separator=, 1 "$_rsmpi_num_hosts")
+        declare h=$(seq --separator=, 1 "$_rsmpi_num_hosts")
         cat <<EOF
 usage: rsmpi [-n processes] [-h hosts] [-t tasks-per-host] <mpi-command args...>
 
@@ -99,18 +105,18 @@ EOF
 }
 
 rsmpi_hosts() {
-    local -i slots=$1
+    declare -i slots=$1
     shift
-    local -i tasks=$1
+    declare -i tasks=$1
     shift
-    local -a hosts=( "$@" )
+    declare -a hosts=( "$@" )
     if (( $# <= 0 )); then
         hosts=( $(seq 1 $_rsmpi_num_hosts) )
     fi
-    local t=/tmp/rsmpi_hosts-
+    declare t=/tmp/rsmpi_hosts-
     # Avoid collisions with parallel executions
     find "$t"* -mmin +60 -exec rm -f {} \; >& /dev/null || true
-    local i
+    declare i
     t+=$RANDOM$RANDOM
     if (( slots <= 0 )); then
         slots=$(( ${#hosts[@]} * _rsmpi_slots_per_host ))
@@ -118,7 +124,7 @@ rsmpi_hosts() {
     if (( tasks <= 0 )); then
         tasks=$_rsmpi_slots_per_host
     fi
-    local s
+    declare s
     for i in "${hosts[@]}"; do
         slots=$(( slots - tasks ))
         s=$tasks
@@ -135,9 +141,9 @@ rsmpi_hosts() {
 
 rsmpi_local_ip() {
     #TODO(robnagler) only works for class C
-    local n=${_rsmpi_net%0/*}
+    declare n=${_rsmpi_net%0/*}
     n=^${n//./\\.}
-    local i
+    declare i
     for i in $(hostname -i); do
         if [[ $i =~ $n ]]; then
             echo $i
@@ -148,9 +154,9 @@ rsmpi_local_ip() {
 }
 
 rsmpi_main() {
-    local o OPTARG OPTIND=1 OPTERR h
-    local -i slots=0 tasks=0
-    local -a hosts=()
+    declare o OPTARG OPTIND=1 OPTERR h
+    declare -i slots=0 tasks=0
+    declare -a hosts=()
     while getopts "h:n:t:" o; do
         case $o in
             h)
@@ -158,7 +164,7 @@ rsmpi_main() {
                     rsmpi_help "invalid host spec: $OPTARG"
                 fi
                 IFS=, read -ra hosts <<<$OPTARG
-                local -A seen=()
+                declare -A seen=()
                 for h in "${hosts[@]}"; do
                     if (( h < 1 || h > _rsmpi_num_hosts )); then
                         rsmpi_help "invalid host number: $h"
@@ -204,8 +210,8 @@ rsmpi_main() {
 }
 
 rsmpi_ping() {
-    local h x
-    local -i i=0 ok=0
+    declare h x
+    declare -i i=0 ok=0
     for h in "${_rsmpi_hosts[@]}"; do
         i+=1
         x=$(ssh -F "$_rsmpi_ssh_config" \