diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/export_opts.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/export_opts.go
index 1794823f4..4ae133dcd 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/common/export_opts.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/export_opts.go
@@ -6,20 +6,20 @@ import (
 )
 
 type ExportOpts struct {
-	ExportOpts string `mapstructure:"export_opts"`
+	ExportOpts []string `mapstructure:"export_opts"`
 }
 
 func (c *ExportOpts) Prepare(t *packer.ConfigTemplate) []error {
-	templates := map[string]*string{
-		"export_opts": &c.ExportOpts,
+	if c.ExportOpts == nil {
+		c.ExportOpts = make([]string, 0)
 	}
 
 	errs := make([]error, 0)
-	for n, ptr := range templates {
+	for _, str := range c.ExportOpts {
 		var err error
-		*ptr, err = t.Process(*ptr, nil)
+		str, err = t.Process(str, nil)
 		if err != nil {
-			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Error processing %s: %s", n, err))
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Error processing %s: %s", "export_opts", err))
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/step_export.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/step_export.go
index 6967af1fe..756530572 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/common/step_export.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/step_export.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 	"log"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -19,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 type StepExport struct {
 	Format     string
 	OutputDir  string
-	ExportOpts string
+	ExportOpts []string
 }
 
 func (s *StepExport) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ func (s *StepExport) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		outputPath,
 	}
 
-	command = append(command, strings.Fields(s.ExportOpts)...)
+	command = append(command, s.ExportOpts...)
 
 	ui.Say("Exporting virtual machine...")
 	err := driver.VBoxManage(command...)
diff --git a/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-iso.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-iso.html.markdown
index 2f417dca0..49a16f3e2 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-iso.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-iso.html.markdown
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ Optional:
   machine, without the file extension. By default this is "packer-BUILDNAME",
   where "BUILDNAME" is the name of the build.
 
-* `export_opts` (string) - Additional options to pass to the `VBoxManage export`.
+* `export_opts` (array of strings) - Additional options to pass to the `VBoxManage export`.
   This can be useful for passing product information to include in the resulting
   appliance file.
 
diff --git a/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-ovf.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-ovf.html.markdown
index 47378e6c2..6bf6e49d9 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-ovf.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/builders/virtualbox-ovf.html.markdown
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ Optional:
   This can be useful for passing "keepallmacs" or "keepnatmacs" options for existing
   ovf images.
 
-* `export_opts` (string) - Additional options to pass to the `VBoxManage export`.
+* `export_opts` (array of strings) - Additional options to pass to the `VBoxManage export`.
   This can be useful for passing product information to include in the resulting
   appliance file.