diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/build_filter.go b/builder/amazon/common/build_filter.go
index 8f621efc8..87600b5d0 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/build_filter.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/build_filter.go
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 // Build a slice of EC2 (AMI/Subnet/VPC) filter options from the filters provided.
-func buildEc2Filters(input map[*string]*string) []*ec2.Filter {
+func buildEc2Filters(input map[string]string) []*ec2.Filter {
 	var filters []*ec2.Filter
 	for k, v := range input {
 		filters = append(filters, &ec2.Filter{
-			Name:   k,
-			Values: []*string{v},
+			Name:   &k,
+			Values: []*string{&v},
 		})
 	}
 	return filters
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
index d42825032..2577d5216 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
@@ -18,11 +18,19 @@ import (
 var reShutdownBehavior = regexp.MustCompile("^(stop|terminate)$")
 
 type AmiFilterOptions struct {
-	Filters    map[*string]*string
-	Owners     []*string
+	Filters    map[string]string
+	Owners     []string
 	MostRecent bool `mapstructure:"most_recent"`
 }
 
+func (d *AmiFilterOptions) GetOwners() []*string {
+	res := make([]*string, 0, len(d.Owners))
+	for _, owner := range d.Owners {
+		res = append(res, &owner)
+	}
+	return res
+}
+
 func (d *AmiFilterOptions) Empty() bool {
 	return len(d.Owners) == 0 && len(d.Filters) == 0
 }
@@ -32,7 +40,7 @@ func (d *AmiFilterOptions) NoOwner() bool {
 }
 
 type SubnetFilterOptions struct {
-	Filters  map[*string]*string
+	Filters  map[string]string
 	MostFree bool `mapstructure:"most_free"`
 	Random   bool `mapstructure:"random"`
 }
@@ -42,7 +50,7 @@ func (d *SubnetFilterOptions) Empty() bool {
 }
 
 type VpcFilterOptions struct {
-	Filters map[*string]*string
+	Filters map[string]string
 }
 
 func (d *VpcFilterOptions) Empty() bool {
@@ -50,7 +58,7 @@ func (d *VpcFilterOptions) Empty() bool {
 }
 
 type SecurityGroupFilterOptions struct {
-	Filters map[*string]*string
+	Filters map[string]string
 }
 
 func (d *SecurityGroupFilterOptions) Empty() bool {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/run_config_test.go b/builder/amazon/common/run_config_test.go
index c876f4ce7..c01b31ebb 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/run_config_test.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/run_config_test.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_SourceAmiFilterOwnersBlank(t *testing.T) {
 	c := testConfigFilter()
 	filter_key := "name"
 	filter_value := "foo"
-	c.SourceAmiFilter = AmiFilterOptions{Filters: map[*string]*string{&filter_key: &filter_value}}
+	c.SourceAmiFilter = AmiFilterOptions{Filters: map[string]string{filter_key: filter_value}}
 	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("Should error if Owners is not specified)")
 	}
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_SourceAmiFilterGood(t *testing.T) {
 	owner := "123"
 	filter_key := "name"
 	filter_value := "foo"
-	goodFilter := AmiFilterOptions{Owners: []*string{&owner}, Filters: map[*string]*string{&filter_key: &filter_value}}
+	goodFilter := AmiFilterOptions{Owners: []string{owner}, Filters: map[string]string{filter_key: filter_value}}
 	c.SourceAmiFilter = goodFilter
 	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_network_info.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_network_info.go
index 0c9e9946e..89d63590d 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_network_info.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_network_info.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"sort"
 
-	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/multistep"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ func (s *StepNetworkInfo) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mul
 	if s.VpcId == "" && !s.VpcFilter.Empty() {
 		params := &ec2.DescribeVpcsInput{}
 		params.Filters = buildEc2Filters(s.VpcFilter.Filters)
-		s.VpcFilter.Filters[aws.String("state")] = aws.String("available")
+		s.VpcFilter.Filters["state"] = "available"
 
 		log.Printf("Using VPC Filters %v", params)
 
@@ -79,13 +78,13 @@ func (s *StepNetworkInfo) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mul
 	// Subnet
 	if s.SubnetId == "" && !s.SubnetFilter.Empty() {
 		params := &ec2.DescribeSubnetsInput{}
-		s.SubnetFilter.Filters[aws.String("state")] = aws.String("available")
+		s.SubnetFilter.Filters["state"] = "available"
 
 		if s.VpcId != "" {
-			s.SubnetFilter.Filters[aws.String("vpc-id")] = &s.VpcId
+			s.SubnetFilter.Filters["vpc-id"] = s.VpcId
 		}
 		if s.AvailabilityZone != "" {
-			s.SubnetFilter.Filters[aws.String("availability-zone")] = &s.AvailabilityZone
+			s.SubnetFilter.Filters["availabilityZone"] = s.AvailabilityZone
 		}
 		params.Filters = buildEc2Filters(s.SubnetFilter.Filters)
 		log.Printf("Using Subnet Filters %v", params)
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go
index 9b0b15829..a906848b8 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (s *StepSecurityGroup) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) m
 
 		params := &ec2.DescribeSecurityGroupsInput{}
 		if vpcId != "" {
-			s.SecurityGroupFilter.Filters[aws.String("vpc-id")] = &vpcId
+			s.SecurityGroupFilter.Filters["vpc-id"] = vpcId
 		}
 		params.Filters = buildEc2Filters(s.SecurityGroupFilter.Filters)
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
index c80f6a6cb..a3e4de37f 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) m
 		params.Filters = buildEc2Filters(s.AmiFilters.Filters)
 	}
 	if len(s.AmiFilters.Owners) > 0 {
-		params.Owners = s.AmiFilters.Owners
+		params.Owners = s.AmiFilters.GetOwners()
 	}
 
 	log.Printf("Using AMI Filters %v", params)