diff --git a/builder/qemu/builder.go b/builder/qemu/builder.go
index 4ac22b59b..016515617 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/builder.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/builder.go
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ var netDevice = map[string]bool{
 }
 
 var diskInterface = map[string]bool{
-	"ide":    true,
-	"scsi":   true,
-	"virtio": true,
+	"ide":         true,
+	"scsi":        true,
+	"virtio":      true,
+	"virtio-scsi": true,
 }
 
 var diskCache = map[string]bool{
diff --git a/builder/qemu/driver.go b/builder/qemu/driver.go
index 5c402cecb..77c68737d 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/driver.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/driver.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"os/exec"
@@ -14,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 	"unicode"
+
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 )
 
 type DriverCancelCallback func(state multistep.StateBag) bool
@@ -188,8 +189,8 @@ func (d *QemuDriver) Version() (string, error) {
 
 	versionOutput := strings.TrimSpace(stdout.String())
 	log.Printf("Qemu --version output: %s", versionOutput)
-	versionRe := regexp.MustCompile("qemu-kvm-[0-9]\\.[0-9]")
-	matches := versionRe.Split(versionOutput, 2)
+	versionRe := regexp.MustCompile("[\\.[0-9]+]*")
+	matches := versionRe.FindStringSubmatch(versionOutput)
 	if len(matches) == 0 {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("No version found: %s", versionOutput)
 	}
diff --git a/builder/qemu/step_run.go b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
index 356481085..74db88a15 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/step_run.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
@@ -62,27 +63,57 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 	vncPort := state.Get("vnc_port").(uint)
 	sshHostPort := state.Get("sshHostPort").(uint)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
+	driver := state.Get("driver").(Driver)
 
 	vnc := fmt.Sprintf("0.0.0.0:%d", vncPort-5900)
 	vmName := config.VMName
 	imgPath := filepath.Join(config.OutputDir, vmName)
 
-	defaultArgs := make(map[string]string)
+	defaultArgs := make(map[string]interface{})
+	var deviceArgs []string
+	var driveArgs []string
+
+	defaultArgs["-name"] = vmName
+	defaultArgs["-machine"] = fmt.Sprintf("type=%s", config.MachineType)
+	defaultArgs["-netdev"] = fmt.Sprintf("user,id=user.0,hostfwd=tcp::%v-:%d", sshHostPort, config.Comm.Port())
+
+	qemuVersion, err := driver.Version()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	parts := strings.Split(qemuVersion, ".")
+	qemuMajor, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if qemuMajor >= 2 {
+		if config.DiskInterface == "virtio-scsi" {
+			deviceArgs = append(deviceArgs, "virtio-scsi-pci,id=scsi0", "scsi-hd,bus=scsi0.0,drive=drive0")
+			driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("if=none,file=%s,id=drive0,cache=%s,discard=%s", imgPath, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard))
+		} else {
+			driveArgs = append(driveArgs, fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s,discard=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard))
+		}
+	} else {
+		defaultArgs["-drive"] = fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache)
+	}
+	deviceArgs = append(deviceArgs, fmt.Sprintf("%s,netdev=user.0", config.NetDevice))
 
 	if config.Headless == true {
 		ui.Message("WARNING: The VM will be started in headless mode, as configured.\n" +
 			"In headless mode, errors during the boot sequence or OS setup\n" +
 			"won't be easily visible. Use at your own discretion.")
 	} else {
-		defaultArgs["-display"] = "sdl"
+		if qemuMajor >= 2 {
+			defaultArgs["-display"] = "sdl"
+		} else {
+			ui.Message("WARNING: The version of qemu  on your host doesn't support display mode.\n" +
+				"The display parameter will be ignored.")
+		}
 	}
 
-	defaultArgs["-name"] = vmName
-	defaultArgs["-machine"] = fmt.Sprintf("type=%s", config.MachineType)
-	defaultArgs["-netdev"] = fmt.Sprintf(
-		"user,id=user.0,hostfwd=tcp::%v-:%d", sshHostPort, config.Comm.Port())
-	defaultArgs["-device"] = fmt.Sprintf("%s,netdev=user.0", config.NetDevice)
-	defaultArgs["-drive"] = fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=%s,cache=%s,discard=%s", imgPath, config.DiskInterface, config.DiskCache, config.DiskDiscard)
+	defaultArgs["-device"] = deviceArgs
+	defaultArgs["-drive"] = driveArgs
+
 	if !config.DiskImage {
 		defaultArgs["-cdrom"] = isoPath
 	}
@@ -92,7 +123,7 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 
 	// Append the accelerator to the machine type if it is specified
 	if config.Accelerator != "none" {
-		defaultArgs["-machine"] += fmt.Sprintf(",accel=%s", config.Accelerator)
+		defaultArgs["-machine"] = fmt.Sprintf("%s,accel=%s", defaultArgs["-machine"], config.Accelerator)
 	} else {
 		ui.Message("WARNING: The VM will be started with no hardware acceleration.\n" +
 			"The installation may take considerably longer to finish.\n")
@@ -142,7 +173,12 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 	for key := range defaultArgs {
 		if _, ok := inArgs[key]; !ok {
 			arg := make([]string, 1)
-			arg[0] = defaultArgs[key]
+			switch defaultArgs[key].(type) {
+			case string:
+				arg[0] = defaultArgs[key].(string)
+			case []string:
+				arg = defaultArgs[key].([]string)
+			}
 			inArgs[key] = arg
 		}
 	}