diff --git a/hcl2template/types.datasource.go b/hcl2template/types.datasource.go
index 348d06f45..23bc7c590 100644
--- a/hcl2template/types.datasource.go
+++ b/hcl2template/types.datasource.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/hcl/v2/hclsyntax"
 	packersdk "github.com/hashicorp/packer-plugin-sdk/packer"
 	hcl2shim "github.com/hashicorp/packer/hcl2template/shim"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 	"github.com/zclconf/go-cty/cty"
 )
 
@@ -65,13 +64,15 @@ func (ds *Datasources) Values() (map[string]cty.Value, hcl.Diagnostics) {
 	return res, diags
 }
 
-func (cfg *PackerConfig) startDatasource(dataSourceStore packer.DatasourceStore, ref DatasourceRef, secondaryEvaluation bool) (packersdk.Datasource, hcl.Diagnostics) {
+func (cfg *PackerConfig) startDatasource(ds DatasourceBlock) (packersdk.Datasource, hcl.Diagnostics) {
 	var diags hcl.Diagnostics
-	block := cfg.Datasources[ref].block
+	block := ds.block
+
+	dataSourceStore := cfg.parser.PluginConfig.DataSources
 
 	if dataSourceStore == nil {
 		diags = append(diags, &hcl.Diagnostic{
-			Summary:  "Unknown " + dataSourceLabel + " type " + ref.Type,
+			Summary:  "Unknown " + dataSourceLabel + " type " + ds.Type,
 			Subject:  block.LabelRanges[0].Ptr(),
 			Detail:   "packer does not currently know any data source.",
 			Severity: hcl.DiagError,
@@ -79,9 +80,9 @@ func (cfg *PackerConfig) startDatasource(dataSourceStore packer.DatasourceStore,
 		return nil, diags
 	}
 
-	if !dataSourceStore.Has(ref.Type) {
+	if !dataSourceStore.Has(ds.Type) {
 		diags = append(diags, &hcl.Diagnostic{
-			Summary:  "Unknown " + dataSourceLabel + " type " + ref.Type,
+			Summary:  "Unknown " + dataSourceLabel + " type " + ds.Type,
 			Subject:  block.LabelRanges[0].Ptr(),
 			Detail:   fmt.Sprintf("known data sources: %v", dataSourceStore.List()),
 			Severity: hcl.DiagError,
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ func (cfg *PackerConfig) startDatasource(dataSourceStore packer.DatasourceStore,
 		return nil, diags
 	}
 
-	datasource, err := dataSourceStore.Start(ref.Type)
+	datasource, err := dataSourceStore.Start(ds.Type)
 	if err != nil {
 		diags = append(diags, &hcl.Diagnostic{
 			Summary:  err.Error(),
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ func (cfg *PackerConfig) startDatasource(dataSourceStore packer.DatasourceStore,
 	}
 	if datasource == nil {
 		diags = append(diags, &hcl.Diagnostic{
-			Summary:  fmt.Sprintf("failed to start datasource plugin %q.%q", ref.Type, ref.Name),
+			Summary:  fmt.Sprintf("failed to start datasource plugin %q.%q", ds.Type, ds.Name),
 			Subject:  &block.DefRange,
 			Severity: hcl.DiagError,
 		})
diff --git a/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go b/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go
index c344aa7b0..109632261 100644
--- a/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go
+++ b/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ func (cfg *PackerConfig) recursivelyEvaluateDatasources(ref DatasourceRef, depen
 	// If we've gotten here, then it means ref doesn't seem to have any further
 	// dependencies we need to evaluate first. Evaluate it, with the cfg's full
 	// data source context.
-	datasource, startDiags := cfg.startDatasource(cfg.parser.PluginConfig.DataSources, ref, true)
+	datasource, startDiags := cfg.startDatasource(ds)
 	if startDiags.HasErrors() {
 		diags = append(diags, startDiags...)
 		return dependencies, diags