diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami.go
index 69ec6dbb6..62e6a3ff0 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami.go
@@ -30,14 +30,7 @@ func (s *StepRegisterAMI) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		blockDevices[i] = newDevice
 	}
 
-	registerOpts := &ec2.RegisterImage{
-		Name:           config.AMIName,
-		Architecture:   image.Architecture,
-		KernelId:       image.KernelId,
-		RamdiskId:      image.RamdiskId,
-		RootDeviceName: image.RootDeviceName,
-		BlockDevices:   blockDevices,
-	}
+	registerOpts := buildRegisterOpts(config, image, blockDevices)
 
 	// Set SriovNetSupport to "simple". See http://goo.gl/icuXh5
 	if config.AMIEnhancedNetworking {
@@ -77,3 +70,20 @@ func (s *StepRegisterAMI) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 }
 
 func (s *StepRegisterAMI) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {}
+
+func buildRegisterOpts(config *Config, image *ec2.Image, blockDevices []ec2.BlockDeviceMapping) *ec2.RegisterImage {
+	registerOpts := &ec2.RegisterImage{
+		Name:           config.AMIName,
+		Architecture:   image.Architecture,
+		RootDeviceName: image.RootDeviceName,
+		BlockDevices:   blockDevices,
+		VirtType:       config.AMIVirtType,
+	}
+
+	if config.AMIVirtType != "hvm" {
+		registerOpts.KernelId = image.KernelId
+		registerOpts.RamdiskId = image.RamdiskId
+	}
+
+	return registerOpts
+}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami_test.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d75687bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_register_ami_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package chroot
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/kr/pretty"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/goamz/ec2"
+	//  awscommon "github.com/mitchellh/packer/builder/amazon/common"
+)
+
+func testImage() ec2.Image {
+	return ec2.Image{
+		Id:           "ami-abcd1234",
+		Name:         "ami_test_name",
+		Architecture: "x86_64",
+		KernelId:     "aki-abcd1234",
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStepRegisterAmi_buildRegisterOpts_pv(t *testing.T) {
+	config := Config{}
+	config.AMIName = "test_ami_name"
+	config.AMIDescription = "test_ami_description"
+	config.AMIVirtType = "paravirtual"
+
+	image := testImage()
+
+	blockDevices := []ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{}
+
+	opts := buildRegisterOpts(&config, &image, blockDevices)
+
+	fmt.Println("******** PAS ********")
+	fmt.Printf("%# v", pretty.Formatter(opts))
+
+	expected := config.AMIVirtType
+	if opts.VirtType != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected VirtType value: expected %s got %s\n", expected, opts.VirtType)
+	}
+
+	expected = config.AMIName
+	if opts.Name != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected Name value: expected %s got %s\n", expected, opts.Name)
+	}
+
+	expected = image.KernelId
+	if opts.KernelId != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected KernelId value: expected %s got %s\n", expected, opts.KernelId)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func TestStepRegisterAmi_buildRegisterOpts_hvm(t *testing.T) {
+	config := Config{}
+	config.AMIName = "test_ami_name"
+	config.AMIDescription = "test_ami_description"
+	config.AMIVirtType = "hvm"
+
+	image := testImage()
+
+	blockDevices := []ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{}
+
+	opts := buildRegisterOpts(&config, &image, blockDevices)
+
+	fmt.Println("******** PAS ********")
+	fmt.Printf("%# v", pretty.Formatter(opts))
+
+	expected := config.AMIVirtType
+	if opts.VirtType != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected VirtType value: expected %s got %s\n", expected, opts.VirtType)
+	}
+
+	expected = config.AMIName
+	if opts.Name != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected Name value: expected %s got %s\n", expected, opts.Name)
+	}
+
+	expected = ""
+	if opts.KernelId != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected KernelId value: expected %s got %s\n", expected, opts.KernelId)
+	}
+
+}