diff --git a/builder/vsphere/driver/vm_cdrom.go b/builder/vsphere/driver/vm_cdrom.go
index c5d7e29ed..d33b75829 100644
--- a/builder/vsphere/driver/vm_cdrom.go
+++ b/builder/vsphere/driver/vm_cdrom.go
@@ -51,6 +51,23 @@ func (vm *VirtualMachine) CreateCdrom(c *types.VirtualController) (*types.Virtua
 	return device, nil
 }
 
+func (vm *VirtualMachine) RemoveCdroms() error {
+	devices, err := vm.Devices()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	cdroms := devices.SelectByType((*types.VirtualCdrom)(nil))
+	if err = vm.RemoveDevice(true, cdroms...); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	sata := devices.SelectByType((*types.VirtualAHCIController)(nil))
+	if err = vm.RemoveDevice(true, sata...); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (vm *VirtualMachine) EjectCdroms() error {
 	devices, err := vm.Devices()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/builder/vsphere/iso/builder.go b/builder/vsphere/iso/builder.go
index 1f6a2bd20..9702cc96a 100644
--- a/builder/vsphere/iso/builder.go
+++ b/builder/vsphere/iso/builder.go
@@ -121,7 +121,9 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ctx context.Context, ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook) (pack
 	}
 
 	steps = append(steps,
-		&StepRemoveCDRom{},
+  	&StepRemoveCDRom{
+			Config: &b.config.RemoveCDRomConfig,
+		},
 		&common.StepCreateSnapshot{
 			CreateSnapshot: b.config.CreateSnapshot,
 		},
diff --git a/builder/vsphere/iso/config.go b/builder/vsphere/iso/config.go
index e3c297fa4..991827c94 100644
--- a/builder/vsphere/iso/config.go
+++ b/builder/vsphere/iso/config.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	packerCommon.ISOConfig `mapstructure:",squash"`
 
 	CDRomConfig         `mapstructure:",squash"`
+ 	RemoveCDRomConfig   `mapstructure:",squash"`
 	FloppyConfig        `mapstructure:",squash"`
 	common.RunConfig    `mapstructure:",squash"`
 	BootConfig          `mapstructure:",squash"`
diff --git a/builder/vsphere/iso/step_remove_cdrom.go b/builder/vsphere/iso/step_remove_cdrom.go
index bd2e560cd..afc09344e 100644
--- a/builder/vsphere/iso/step_remove_cdrom.go
+++ b/builder/vsphere/iso/step_remove_cdrom.go
@@ -7,7 +7,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 )
 
-type StepRemoveCDRom struct{}
+type RemoveCDRomConfig struct {
+	RemoveCdrom bool `mapstructure:"remove_cdrom"`
+}
+
+type StepRemoveCDRom struct {
+	Config *RemoveCDRomConfig
+}
 
 func (s *StepRemoveCDRom) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
@@ -20,7 +26,16 @@ func (s *StepRemoveCDRom) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multi
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
-	return multistep.ActionContinue
+  if s.Config.RemoveCdrom == true {
+		ui.Say("Deleting CD-ROM drives...")
+		err := vm.RemoveCdroms()
+		if err != nil {
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		}
+	}
+
+  return multistep.ActionContinue
 }
 
 func (s *StepRemoveCDRom) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {}