diff --git a/functions/fail_on_transport.pp b/functions/fail_on_transport.pp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e2f1780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/functions/fail_on_transport.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Fails if any nodes have the chosen transport.
+#
+# Useful for excluding PCP when it's not appopriate
+#
+function pe_xl::fail_on_transport (
+  TargetSpec $nodes,
+  String     $transport,
+) {
+  $targets = get_targets($nodes)
+  $targets.each |$target| {
+    if $target.protocol == $transport {
+      fail_plan(
+        "${target.name} uses ${transport} transport. This is not supported",
+        'unexpected-transport',
+        {
+          'target'    => $target,
+          'transport' => $transport,
+        }
+      )
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/plans/upgrade.pp b/plans/upgrade.pp
index 0772566e..ac972707 100644
--- a/plans/upgrade.pp
+++ b/plans/upgrade.pp
@@ -6,12 +6,25 @@
   Optional[String[1]] $master_replica_host = undef,
   Optional[String[1]] $puppetdb_database_replica_host = undef,
 
-  String[1] $version = '2018.1.4',
+  String[1] $version,
+
+  # This parameter exists to enable the use case of running pe_xl::upgrade over
+  # the PCP transport. An orchestrator restart happens during provision
+  # replica. Running `bolt plan run` directly on the master and using local
+  # transport for that node will let the plan to run to completion without
+  # failing due to being disconnected from the orchestrator.
+  Boolean $executing_on_master = false,
 
   String[1] $stagingdir = '/tmp',
   String[1] $pe_source  = "https://s3.amazonaws.com/pe-builds/released/${version}/puppet-enterprise-${version}-el-7-x86_64.tar.gz",
 ) {
 
+  # Allow for the upgrade task to be run local to the master.
+  $master_target = $executing_on_master ? {
+    true  => "local://${master_host}",
+    false => $master_host,
+  }
+
   $ha_replica_target = [
     $master_replica_host,
   ].pe_xl::flatten_compact()
@@ -40,7 +53,7 @@
     | PQL
 
   $all_hosts = [
-    $master_host,
+    $master_target,
     $puppetdb_database_host,
     $master_replica_host,
     $puppetdb_database_replica_host,
@@ -48,7 +61,8 @@
     $compiler_cluster_master_replica_hosts,
   ].pe_xl::flatten_compact()
 
-  $master_local = "local://${master_host}"
+  # We need to make sure we aren't using PCP as this will go down during the upgrade
+  $all_hosts.pe_xl::fail_on_transport('pcp')
 
   # TODO: Do we need to update the pe.conf(s) with a console password?
 
@@ -56,7 +70,7 @@
   $upload_tarball_path = "/tmp/puppet-enterprise-${version}-el-7-x86_64.tar.gz"
 
   $download_hosts = [
-    $master_host,
+    $master_target,
     $puppetdb_database_host,
     $puppetdb_database_replica_host,
   ].pe_xl::flatten_compact()
@@ -81,7 +95,7 @@
   # Shut down pe-* services on the master. Only shutting down the ones
   # that have failover pairs on the master replica.
   ['pe-console-services', 'pe-nginx', 'pe-puppetserver', 'pe-puppetdb', 'pe-postgresql'].each |$service| {
-    run_task('service', $master_local,
+    run_task('service', $master_target,
       action => 'stop',
       name   => $service,
     )
@@ -89,9 +103,7 @@
 
   # TODO: Firewall up the master
 
-  # Upgrade the master using the local:// transport in anticipation of
-  # the orchestrator service being restarted during the upgrade.
-  run_task('pe_xl::pe_install', $master_local,
+  run_task('pe_xl::pe_install', $master_target,
     tarball => $upload_tarball_path,
   )
 
@@ -104,7 +116,7 @@
   run_task('pe_xl::puppet_runonce', $puppetdb_database_host)
 
   # Stop PuppetDB on the master
-  run_task('service', $master_local,
+  run_task('service', $master_target,
     action => 'stop',
     name   => 'pe-puppetdb',
   )
@@ -112,7 +124,7 @@
   # TODO: Unblock 8081 between the master and the master replica
 
   # Start PuppetDB on the master
-  run_task('service', $master_local,
+  run_task('service', $master_target,
     action => 'start',
     name   => 'pe-puppetdb',
   )
@@ -120,7 +132,7 @@
   # TODO: Remove remaining firewall blocks
 
   # Wait until orchestrator service is healthy to proceed
-  run_task('pe_xl::orchestrator_healthcheck', $master_local)
+  run_task('pe_xl::orchestrator_healthcheck', $master_target)
 
   # Upgrade the compiler group A hosts
   run_task('pe_xl::agent_upgrade', $compiler_cluster_master_hosts,