diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
index ed280ec6d..6351a1731 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	SourceAmi          string `mapstructure:"source_ami"`
 	IamInstanceProfile string `mapstructure:"iam_instance_profile"`
 	InstanceType       string `mapstructure:"instance_type"`
+	UserData           string `mapstructure:"user_data"`
 	RawSSHTimeout      string `mapstructure:"ssh_timeout"`
 	SSHUsername        string `mapstructure:"ssh_username"`
 	SSHPort            int    `mapstructure:"ssh_port"`
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
index 58f6f0f07..6d0ee83d8 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 type StepRunSourceInstance struct {
 	ExpectedRootDevice string
 	InstanceType       string
+	UserData           string
 	SourceAMI          string
 	IamInstanceProfile string
 	SubnetId           string
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.Step
 		KeyName:            keyName,
 		ImageId:            s.SourceAMI,
 		InstanceType:       s.InstanceType,
+		UserData:           []byte(s.UserData),
 		MinCount:           0,
 		MaxCount:           0,
 		SecurityGroups:     []ec2.SecurityGroup{ec2.SecurityGroup{Id: securityGroupId}},
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index 65189cb14..40c341a20 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		&awscommon.StepRunSourceInstance{
 			ExpectedRootDevice: "ebs",
 			InstanceType:       b.config.InstanceType,
+			UserData:           b.config.UserData,
 			SourceAMI:          b.config.SourceAmi,
 			IamInstanceProfile: b.config.IamInstanceProfile,
 			SubnetId:           b.config.SubnetId,
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index 50cc0833e..f1057108c 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		&awscommon.StepRunSourceInstance{
 			ExpectedRootDevice: "instance-store",
 			InstanceType:       b.config.InstanceType,
+			UserData:           b.config.UserData,
 			SourceAMI:          b.config.SourceAmi,
 			SubnetId:           b.config.SubnetId,
 		},