diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/access_config_test.go b/builder/amazon/common/access_config_test.go
index 833a6177e..c3e5a4f74 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/access_config_test.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/access_config_test.go
@@ -17,19 +17,19 @@ func TestAccessConfigPrepare_Region(t *testing.T) {
 	mockConn := &mockEC2Client{}
 
 	c.RawRegion = "us-east-12"
-	valid := ValidateRegion(c.RawRegion, mockConn)
+	valid, _ := ValidateRegion(c.RawRegion, mockConn)
 	if valid {
 		t.Fatalf("should have region validation err: %s", c.RawRegion)
 	}
 
 	c.RawRegion = "us-east-1"
-	valid = ValidateRegion(c.RawRegion, mockConn)
+	valid, _ = ValidateRegion(c.RawRegion, mockConn)
 	if !valid {
 		t.Fatalf("shouldn't have region validation err: %s", c.RawRegion)
 	}
 
 	c.RawRegion = "custom"
-	valid = ValidateRegion(c.RawRegion, mockConn)
+	valid, _ = ValidateRegion(c.RawRegion, mockConn)
 	if valid {
 		t.Fatalf("should have region validation err: %s", c.RawRegion)
 	}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go
index 49fc10cfe..7e44ae34a 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ func (c *AMIConfig) prepareRegions(ec2conn ec2iface.EC2API, accessConfig *Access
 
 			if !c.AMISkipRegionValidation {
 				// Verify the region is real
-				ec2conn := getValidationSession()
 				valid, err := ValidateRegion(region, ec2conn)
 				if err != nil {
 					errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error validating region: %s", err.Error()))
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/ami_config_test.go b/builder/amazon/common/ami_config_test.go
index 0e4f28e22..9afad469c 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/ami_config_test.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/ami_config_test.go
@@ -55,13 +55,17 @@ func TestAMIConfigPrepare_regions(t *testing.T) {
 	c.AMISkipRegionValidation = true
 
 	var errs []error
+	var err error
 	mockConn := &mockEC2Client{}
 	if errs = c.prepareRegions(mockConn, nil, errs); len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("shouldn't have err: %#v", errs)
 	}
 
 	c.AMISkipRegionValidation = false
-	c.AMIRegions = listEC2Regions(mockConn)
+	c.AMIRegions, err = listEC2Regions(mockConn)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("shouldn't have err: %s", err.Error())
+	}
 	if errs = c.prepareRegions(mockConn, nil, errs); len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("shouldn't have err: %#v", errs)
 	}