diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_configure_networking.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_configure_networking.go
index b7161f281..48a3742ab 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_configure_networking.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_configure_networking.go
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	// Retrieve the instance ID from the previously saved state.
 	instanceID, ok := state.Get("instance_id").(string)
 	if !ok || instanceID == "" {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Could not retrieve instance_id from state!"))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Could not retrieve instance_id from state!")
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -56,7 +58,9 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 		cloudstack.WithProject(config.Project),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Failed to retrieve the network object: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to retrieve the network object: %s", err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -79,7 +83,9 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 		// Associate a new public IP address.
 		ipAddr, err := client.Address.AssociateIpAddress(p)
 		if err != nil {
-			state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Failed to associate public IP address: %s", err))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to associate public IP address: %s", err)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
@@ -107,7 +113,10 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	// Create the port forward.
 	forward, err := client.Firewall.CreatePortForwardingRule(p)
 	if err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to create port forward: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to create port forward: %s", err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
 	// Store the port forward ID.
@@ -117,7 +126,9 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 		ui.Message("Creating network ACL rule...")
 
 		if network.Aclid == "" {
-			state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Failed to configure the firewall: no ACL connected to the VPC network"))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to configure the firewall: no ACL connected to the VPC network")
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
@@ -135,7 +146,9 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 		// Create the network ACL rule.
 		aclRule, err := client.NetworkACL.CreateNetworkACL(p)
 		if err != nil {
-			state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Failed to create network ACL rule: %s", err))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to create network ACL rule: %s", err)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
@@ -154,7 +167,9 @@ func (s *stepSetupNetworking) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 
 		fwRule, err := client.Firewall.CreateFirewallRule(p)
 		if err != nil {
-			state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Failed to create firewall rule: %s", err))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to create firewall rule: %s", err)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go
index 1693b654f..3cc3e5ac4 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	// Retrieve the zone object.
 	zone, _, err := client.Zone.GetZoneByID(config.Zone)
 	if err != nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to get Zone by ID: %s - %s", config.Zone, err)
 		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -80,7 +82,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 		httpPort := state.Get("http_port").(uint)
 		httpIP, err := hostIP()
 		if err != nil {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to determine host IP: %s", err)
 			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 		common.SetHTTPIP(httpIP)
@@ -92,7 +96,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 
 		ud, err := s.generateUserData(config.UserData, config.HTTPGetOnly)
 		if err != nil {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to interpolate user_data: %s", err)
 			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
@@ -102,7 +108,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	// Create the new instance.
 	instance, err := client.VirtualMachine.DeployVirtualMachine(p)
 	if err != nil {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Error creating new instance %s: %s", config.InstanceName, err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating new instance %s: %s", config.InstanceName, err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_create_template.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_create_template.go
index 12f851802..18d6c1fb0 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_create_template.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_create_template.go
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateTemplate) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	// Retrieve the instance ID from the previously saved state.
 	instanceID, ok := state.Get("instance_id").(string)
 	if !ok || instanceID == "" {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Could not retrieve instance_id from state!"))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Could not retrieve instance_id from state!")
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ func (s *stepCreateTemplate) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	volumeID, err := getRootVolumeID(client, instanceID)
 	if err != nil {
 		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -60,7 +63,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateTemplate) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	ui.Message("Creating the new template...")
 	template, err := client.Template.CreateTemplate(p)
 	if err != nil {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Error creating the new template %s: %s", config.TemplateName, err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating the new template %s: %s", config.TemplateName, err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_prepare_config.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_prepare_config.go
index b1390b9da..80668cb8f 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_prepare_config.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_prepare_config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if config.Project != "" && !isUUID(config.Project) {
 		config.Project, _, err = client.Project.GetProjectID(config.Project)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"project", config.Project, err})
 		}
 	}
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if config.UserDataFile != "" {
 		userdata, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config.UserDataFile)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, fmt.Errorf("problem reading user data file: %s", err))
 		}
 		config.UserData = string(userdata)
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if !isUUID(config.Zone) {
 		config.Zone, _, err = client.Zone.GetZoneID(config.Zone)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"zone", config.Zone, err})
 		}
 	}
@@ -49,6 +52,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if config.DiskOffering != "" && !isUUID(config.DiskOffering) {
 		config.DiskOffering, _, err = client.DiskOffering.GetDiskOfferingID(config.DiskOffering)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"disk offering", config.DiskOffering, err})
 		}
 	}
@@ -66,6 +70,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 
 		ipAddrs, err := client.Address.ListPublicIpAddresses(p)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"IP address", config.PublicIPAddress, err})
 		}
 		if err == nil && ipAddrs.Count != 1 {
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if !isUUID(config.Network) {
 		config.Network, _, err = client.Network.GetNetworkID(config.Network, cloudstack.WithProject(config.Project))
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"network", config.Network, err})
 		}
 	}
@@ -86,6 +92,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if !isUUID(config.ServiceOffering) {
 		config.ServiceOffering, _, err = client.ServiceOffering.GetServiceOfferingID(config.ServiceOffering)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"service offering", config.ServiceOffering, err})
 		}
 	}
@@ -96,6 +103,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		} else {
 			config.instanceSource, _, err = client.ISO.GetIsoID(config.SourceISO, "executable", config.Zone)
 			if err != nil {
+				ui.Error(err.Error())
 				errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"ISO", config.SourceISO, err})
 			}
 		}
@@ -107,6 +115,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		} else {
 			config.instanceSource, _, err = client.Template.GetTemplateID(config.SourceTemplate, "executable", config.Zone)
 			if err != nil {
+				ui.Error(err.Error())
 				errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"template", config.SourceTemplate, err})
 			}
 		}
@@ -118,6 +127,7 @@ func (s *stepPrepareConfig) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 
 		types, err := client.GuestOS.ListOsTypes(p)
 		if err != nil {
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, &retrieveErr{"OS type", config.TemplateOS, err})
 		}
 		if err == nil && types.Count != 1 {
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_shutdown_instance.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_shutdown_instance.go
index 638b0e58b..b090a5836 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_shutdown_instance.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_shutdown_instance.go
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ func (s *stepShutdownInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepActio
 	// Shutdown the virtual machine.
 	_, err := client.VirtualMachine.StopVirtualMachine(p)
 	if err != nil {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Error shutting down instance %s: %s", config.InstanceName, err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error shutting down instance %s: %s", config.InstanceName, err)
+		state.Put("error", err)
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}