diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
index 717136548..ecb9f8605 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	steps := []multistep.Step{
 		&StepCheckEC2{},
 		&StepSourceAMIInfo{},
+		&StepCreateVolume{},
 	}
 
 	// Run!
diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/step_create_volume.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_create_volume.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eea56f081
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_create_volume.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package chroot
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/goamz/ec2"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
+	"log"
+)
+
+// StepCreateVolume creates a new volume from the snapshot of the root
+// device of the AMI.
+//
+// Produces:
+//   volume_id string - The ID of the created volume
+type StepCreateVolume struct {
+	volumeId string
+}
+
+func (s *StepCreateVolume) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
+	ec2conn := state["ec2"].(*ec2.EC2)
+	image := state["source_image"].(*ec2.Image)
+	instance := state["instance"].(*ec2.Instance)
+	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
+
+	// Determine the root device snapshot
+	log.Printf("Searching for root device of the image (%s)", image.RootDeviceName)
+	var rootDevice *ec2.BlockDeviceMapping
+	for _, device := range image.BlockDevices {
+		if device.DeviceName == image.RootDeviceName {
+			rootDevice = &device
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if rootDevice == nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Couldn't find root device!")
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	}
+
+	ui.Say("Creating the root volume...")
+	createVolume := &ec2.CreateVolume{
+		AvailZone:  instance.AvailZone,
+		Size:       rootDevice.VolumeSize,
+		SnapshotId: rootDevice.SnapshotId,
+		VolumeType: rootDevice.VolumeType,
+		IOPS:       rootDevice.IOPS,
+	}
+
+	createVolumeResp, err := ec2conn.CreateVolume(createVolume)
+	if err != nil {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating root volume: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	}
+
+	// Set the volume ID so we remember to delete it later
+	s.volumeId = createVolumeResp.VolumeId
+
+	return multistep.ActionContinue
+}
+
+func (s *StepCreateVolume) Cleanup(map[string]interface{}) {}