diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index a6b20ab..3de727e 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 # for RHEL/CentOS.
 php_enablerepo: ""
 
+# No extra packages are installed by default
+php_packages_extra: []
+
 # Default PHP version to install on Debian-based OSes.
 php_default_version_debian: "7.0"
 
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 32c80e7..e794e8c 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,6 @@
     php_packages: "{{ __php_packages | list }}"
   when: php_packages is not defined
 
-- name: Define extra php_packages.
-  set_fact:
-    php_packages: "{{ php_packages | list + php_packages_extra | list }}"
-  when: php_packages_extra is defined
-
 - name: Define php_webserver_daemon.
   set_fact:
     php_webserver_daemon: "{{ __php_webserver_daemon }}"
diff --git a/tasks/setup-Debian.yml b/tasks/setup-Debian.yml
index bd7607d..a6657be 100644
--- a/tasks/setup-Debian.yml
+++ b/tasks/setup-Debian.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 - name: Ensure PHP packages are installed.
   apt:
-    name: "{{ php_packages }}"
+    name: "{{ php_packages + php_packages_extra }}"
     state: "{{ php_packages_state }}"
     install_recommends: "{{ php_install_recommends }}"
   register: php_package_install
diff --git a/tasks/setup-RedHat.yml b/tasks/setup-RedHat.yml
index 41db907..1d76b33 100644
--- a/tasks/setup-RedHat.yml
+++ b/tasks/setup-RedHat.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 - name: Ensure PHP packages are installed.
   package:
-    name: "{{ php_packages }}"
+    name: "{{ php_packages + php_packages_extra }}"
     state: "{{ php_packages_state }}"
     enablerepo: "{{ php_enablerepo | default(omit, true) }}"
   notify: restart webserver