diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
index 307a177ed..f5e237257 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	SourceAmi                string            `mapstructure:"source_ami"`
 	SpotPrice                string            `mapstructure:"spot_price"`
 	SpotPriceAutoProduct     string            `mapstructure:"spot_price_auto_product"`
-	SecurityGroupId          string            `mapstructure:"security_group_id"`
+  DisableStopInstance      bool              `mapstructure:"disable_stop_instance"`
+  SecurityGroupId          string            `mapstructure:"security_group_id"`
 	SecurityGroupIds         []string          `mapstructure:"security_group_ids"`
 	SubnetId                 string            `mapstructure:"subnet_id"`
 	TemporaryKeyPairName     string            `mapstructure:"temporary_key_pair_name"`
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index d8e8cea28..ebf496f34 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHUsername),
 		},
 		&common.StepProvision{},
-		&stepStopInstance{SpotPrice: b.config.SpotPrice},
+		&stepStopInstance{
+      SpotPrice: b.config.SpotPrice,
+      DisableStopInstance: b.config.DisableStopInstance,
+    },
 		// TODO(mitchellh): verify works with spots
 		&stepModifyInstance{},
 		&awscommon.StepDeregisterAMI{
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go
index d6f135368..b536aaf1b 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 type stepStopInstance struct {
 	SpotPrice string
+  DisableStopInstance bool
 }
 
 func (s *stepStopInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
@@ -23,17 +24,21 @@ func (s *stepStopInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
-	// Stop the instance so we can create an AMI from it
-	ui.Say("Stopping the source instance...")
-	_, err := ec2conn.StopInstances(&ec2.StopInstancesInput{
-		InstanceIds: []*string{instance.InstanceId},
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		err := fmt.Errorf("Error stopping instance: %s", err)
-		state.Put("error", err)
-		ui.Error(err.Error())
-		return multistep.ActionHalt
-	}
+  var err error
+
+  if s.DisableStopInstance == false {
+	  // Stop the instance so we can create an AMI from it
+	  ui.Say("Stopping the source instance...")
+	  _, err = ec2conn.StopInstances(&ec2.StopInstancesInput{
+	  	InstanceIds: []*string{instance.InstanceId},
+	  })
+	  if err != nil {
+	  	err := fmt.Errorf("Error stopping instance: %s", err)
+	  	state.Put("error", err)
+	  	ui.Error(err.Error())
+	  	return multistep.ActionHalt
+	  }
+  }
 
 	// Wait for the instance to actual stop
 	ui.Say("Waiting for the instance to stop...")