diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go
index 3a091697e..183058d95 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go
@@ -1,17 +1,29 @@
 package digitalocean
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/digitalocean/godo"
 	builderT "github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/builder/testing"
+	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
 )
 
 func TestBuilderAcc_basic(t *testing.T) {
 	builderT.Test(t, builderT.TestCase{
 		PreCheck: func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
 		Builder:  &Builder{},
-		Template: testBuilderAccBasic,
+		Template: fmt.Sprintf(testBuilderAccBasic, "ubuntu-20-04-x64"),
+	})
+}
+
+func TestBuilderAcc_imageId(t *testing.T) {
+	builderT.Test(t, builderT.TestCase{
+		PreCheck: func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Builder:  &Builder{},
+		Template: makeTemplateWithImageId(t),
 	})
 }
 
@@ -21,15 +33,33 @@ func testAccPreCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func makeTemplateWithImageId(t *testing.T) string {
+	if os.Getenv(builderT.TestEnvVar) != "" {
+		token := os.Getenv("DIGITALOCEAN_API_TOKEN")
+		client := godo.NewClient(oauth2.NewClient(context.TODO(), &apiTokenSource{
+			AccessToken: token,
+		}))
+		image, _, err := client.Images.GetBySlug(context.TODO(), "ubuntu-20-04-x64")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to retrieve image ID: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		return fmt.Sprintf(testBuilderAccBasic, image.ID)
+	}
+
+	return ""
+}
+
 const testBuilderAccBasic = `
 {
 	"builders": [{
 		"type": "test",
 		"region": "nyc2",
-		"size": "512mb",
-		"image": "ubuntu-12-04-x64",
-		"user_date": "",
-		"user_date_file": ""
+		"size": "s-1vcpu-1gb",
+		"image": "%v",
+		"ssh_username": "root",
+		"user_data": "",
+		"user_data_file": ""
 	}]
 }
 `
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go b/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go
index d3a54c955..e246abf5e 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package digitalocean
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"io/ioutil"
 
@@ -35,13 +37,13 @@ func (s *stepCreateDroplet) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) m
 		userData = string(contents)
 	}
 
-	droplet, _, err := client.Droplets.Create(context.TODO(), &godo.DropletCreateRequest{
+	createImage := getImageType(c.Image)
+
+	dropletCreateReq := &godo.DropletCreateRequest{
 		Name:   c.DropletName,
 		Region: c.Region,
 		Size:   c.Size,
-		Image: godo.DropletCreateImage{
-			Slug: c.Image,
-		},
+		Image:  createImage,
 		SSHKeys: []godo.DropletCreateSSHKey{
 			{ID: sshKeyId},
 		},
@@ -50,7 +52,11 @@ func (s *stepCreateDroplet) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) m
 		IPv6:              c.IPv6,
 		UserData:          userData,
 		Tags:              c.Tags,
-	})
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Droplet create paramaters: %s", godo.Stringify(dropletCreateReq))
+
+	droplet, _, err := client.Droplets.Create(context.TODO(), dropletCreateReq)
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating droplet: %s", err)
 		state.Put("error", err)
@@ -87,3 +93,14 @@ func (s *stepCreateDroplet) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {
 			"Error destroying droplet. Please destroy it manually: %s", err))
 	}
 }
+
+func getImageType(image string) godo.DropletCreateImage {
+	createImage := godo.DropletCreateImage{Slug: image}
+
+	imageId, err := strconv.Atoi(image)
+	if err == nil {
+		createImage = godo.DropletCreateImage{ID: imageId}
+	}
+
+	return createImage
+}
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet_test.go b/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..507d77d61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package digitalocean
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/digitalocean/godo"
+)
+
+func TestBuilder_GetImageType(t *testing.T) {
+	imageTypeTests := []struct {
+		in  string
+		out godo.DropletCreateImage
+	}{
+		{"ubuntu-20-04-x64", godo.DropletCreateImage{Slug: "ubuntu-20-04-x64"}},
+		{"123456", godo.DropletCreateImage{ID: 123456}},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range imageTypeTests {
+		t.Run(tt.in, func(t *testing.T) {
+			i := getImageType(tt.in)
+			if i != tt.out {
+				t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", godo.Stringify(i), godo.Stringify(tt.out))
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}