diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver.go
index d8180b520..35a358cc4 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver.go
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ type Driver interface {
 	// Get the path to the VMware ISO for the given flavor.
 	ToolsIsoPath(string) string
 
+	// Attach the VMware tools ISO
+	ToolsInstall() error
+
 	// Get the path to the DHCP leases file for the given device.
 	DhcpLeasesPath(string) string
 
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_fusion5.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_fusion5.go
index 40b62ad5c..ee6cdd6c1 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_fusion5.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_fusion5.go
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ func (d *Fusion5Driver) ToolsIsoPath(k string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(d.AppPath, "Contents", "Library", "isoimages", k+".iso")
 }
 
+func (d *Fusion5Driver) ToolsInstall() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (d *Fusion5Driver) DhcpLeasesPath(device string) string {
 	return "/var/db/vmware/vmnet-dhcpd-" + device + ".leases"
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_mock.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_mock.go
index 2f5486bac..6aa0d02c0 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_mock.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_mock.go
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ type DriverMock struct {
 	ToolsIsoPathFlavor string
 	ToolsIsoPathResult string
 
+	ToolsInstallCalled bool
+	ToolsInstallErr    error
+
 	DhcpLeasesPathCalled bool
 	DhcpLeasesPathDevice string
 	DhcpLeasesPathResult string
@@ -120,6 +123,11 @@ func (d *DriverMock) ToolsIsoPath(flavor string) string {
 	return d.ToolsIsoPathResult
 }
 
+func (d *DriverMock) ToolsInstall() error {
+	d.ToolsInstallCalled = true
+	return d.ToolsInstallErr
+}
+
 func (d *DriverMock) DhcpLeasesPath(device string) string {
 	d.DhcpLeasesPathCalled = true
 	d.DhcpLeasesPathDevice = device
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_player5.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_player5.go
index 1bec4ea25..96c92e1e3 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_player5.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_player5.go
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) ToolsIsoPath(flavor string) string {
 	return "/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/" + flavor + ".iso"
 }
 
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) ToolsInstall() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) DhcpLeasesPath(device string) string {
 	return "/etc/vmware/" + device + "/dhcpd/dhcpd.leases"
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go
index 76af4419b..f4dff9d30 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go
@@ -149,6 +149,10 @@ func (d *Workstation9Driver) ToolsIsoPath(flavor string) string {
 	return workstationToolsIsoPath(flavor)
 }
 
+func (d *Workstation9Driver) ToolsInstall() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (d *Workstation9Driver) DhcpLeasesPath(device string) string {
 	return workstationDhcpLeasesPath(device)
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
index 5587a2a4a..df6863c74 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type ESX5Driver struct {
 
 	comm      packer.Communicator
 	outputDir string
+	vmId      string
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Clone(dst, src string) error {
@@ -46,9 +47,8 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) CreateDisk(diskPathLocal string, size string, typeId string
 	return d.sh("vmkfstools", "-c", size, "-d", typeId, "-a", "lsilogic", diskPath)
 }
 
-func (d *ESX5Driver) IsRunning(vmxPathLocal string) (bool, error) {
-	vmxPath := filepath.Join(d.outputDir, filepath.Base(vmxPathLocal))
-	state, err := d.run(nil, "vim-cmd", "vmsvc/power.getstate", vmxPath)
+func (d *ESX5Driver) IsRunning(string) (bool, error) {
+	state, err := d.run(nil, "vim-cmd", "vmsvc/power.getstate", d.vmId)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -56,13 +56,11 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) IsRunning(vmxPathLocal string) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Start(vmxPathLocal string, headless bool) error {
-	vmxPath := filepath.Join(d.outputDir, filepath.Base(vmxPathLocal))
-	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/power.on", vmxPath)
+	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/power.on", d.vmId)
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Stop(vmxPathLocal string) error {
-	vmxPath := filepath.Join(d.outputDir, filepath.Base(vmxPathLocal))
-	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/power.off", vmxPath)
+	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/power.off", d.vmId)
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Register(vmxPathLocal string) error {
@@ -70,7 +68,12 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) Register(vmxPathLocal string) error {
 	if err := d.upload(vmxPath, vmxPathLocal); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "solo/registervm", vmxPath)
+	r, err := d.run(nil, "vim-cmd", "solo/registervm", vmxPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	d.vmId = strings.TrimRight(r, "\n")
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) SuppressMessages(vmxPath string) error {
@@ -78,8 +81,7 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) SuppressMessages(vmxPath string) error {
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Unregister(vmxPathLocal string) error {
-	vmxPath := filepath.Join(d.outputDir, filepath.Base(vmxPathLocal))
-	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/unregister", vmxPath)
+	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/unregister", d.vmId)
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) UploadISO(localPath string) (string, error) {
@@ -105,6 +107,10 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) ToolsIsoPath(string) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
+func (d *ESX5Driver) ToolsInstall() error {
+	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/tools.install", d.vmId)
+}
+
 func (d *ESX5Driver) DhcpLeasesPath(string) string {
 	return ""
 }
@@ -168,35 +174,18 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) SSHAddress(state multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
 		return address.(string), nil
 	}
 
-	r, err := d.esxcli("network", "vm", "list")
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	record, err := r.find("Name", config.VMName)
+	r, err := d.run(nil, "vim-cmd", "vmsvc/get.guest", d.vmId, " | grep -m 1 ipAddress | awk -F'\"' '{print $2}'")
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	wid := record["WorldID"]
-	if wid == "" {
-		return "", errors.New("VM WorldID not found")
-	}
 
-	r, err = d.esxcli("network", "vm", "port", "list", "-w", wid)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	record, err = r.read()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
+	ipAddress := strings.TrimRight(r, "\n")
 
-	if record["IPAddress"] == "0.0.0.0" {
+	if ipAddress == "" {
 		return "", errors.New("VM network port found, but no IP address")
 	}
 
-	address := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", record["IPAddress"], config.SSHPort)
+	address := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", ipAddress, config.SSHPort)
 	state.Put("vm_address", address)
 	return address, nil
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/step_prepare_tools.go b/builder/vmware/iso/step_prepare_tools.go
index 69ff81690..d9ad4acce 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/step_prepare_tools.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/step_prepare_tools.go
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ func (*stepPrepareTools) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	config := state.Get("config").(*config)
 	driver := state.Get("driver").(vmwcommon.Driver)
 
+	if config.RemoteType == "esx5" {
+		return multistep.ActionContinue
+	}
+
 	if config.ToolsUploadFlavor == "" {
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/step_upload_tools.go b/builder/vmware/iso/step_upload_tools.go
index 359430bb9..9784a1cc6 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/step_upload_tools.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/step_upload_tools.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
+	vmwcommon "github.com/mitchellh/packer/builder/vmware/common"
 	"os"
 )
 
@@ -15,6 +16,15 @@ type stepUploadTools struct{}
 
 func (*stepUploadTools) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	config := state.Get("config").(*config)
+	driver := state.Get("driver").(vmwcommon.Driver)
+
+	if config.RemoteType == "esx5" {
+		if err := driver.ToolsInstall(); err != nil {
+			state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Couldn't mount VMware tools ISO."))
+		}
+		return multistep.ActionContinue
+	}
+
 	if config.ToolsUploadFlavor == "" {
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}