diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a6b904018..5242bb4fa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ FEATURES:
 BUG FIXES:
 
   * core: SSH will connect slightly faster if it is ready immediately.
+  * provisioner/file: directory uploads no longer hang. [GH-1484]
   * scripts: Windows executable renamed to packer.exe. [GH-1483]
 
 ## 0.7.0 (September 8, 2014)
diff --git a/communicator/ssh/communicator.go b/communicator/ssh/communicator.go
index 0b48eeb29..245f3ceb0 100644
--- a/communicator/ssh/communicator.go
+++ b/communicator/ssh/communicator.go
@@ -333,15 +333,6 @@ func checkSCPStatus(r *bufio.Reader) error {
 }
 
 func scpUploadFile(dst string, src io.Reader, w io.Writer, r *bufio.Reader, fi *os.FileInfo) error {
-	// Create a temporary file where we can copy the contents of the src
-	// so that we can determine the length, since SCP is length-prefixed.
-	tf, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "packer-upload")
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error creating temporary file for upload: %s", err)
-	}
-	defer os.Remove(tf.Name())
-	defer tf.Close()
-
 	var mode os.FileMode
 	var size int64
 
@@ -349,6 +340,15 @@ func scpUploadFile(dst string, src io.Reader, w io.Writer, r *bufio.Reader, fi *
 		mode = (*fi).Mode().Perm()
 		size = (*fi).Size()
 	} else {
+		// Create a temporary file where we can copy the contents of the src
+		// so that we can determine the length, since SCP is length-prefixed.
+		tf, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "packer-upload")
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error creating temporary file for upload: %s", err)
+		}
+		defer os.Remove(tf.Name())
+		defer tf.Close()
+
 		mode = 0644
 
 		log.Println("Copying input data into temporary file so we can read the length")
@@ -373,19 +373,19 @@ func scpUploadFile(dst string, src io.Reader, w io.Writer, r *bufio.Reader, fi *
 		}
 
 		size = tfi.Size()
+		src = tf
 	}
 
 	// Start the protocol
-	log.Println("Beginning file upload...")
-
 	perms := fmt.Sprintf("C%04o", mode)
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] Uploading %s: perms=%s size=%d", dst, perms, size)
 
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, perms, size, dst)
 	if err := checkSCPStatus(r); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if _, err := io.Copy(w, tf); err != nil {
+	if _, err := io.CopyN(w, src, size); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}