diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
index 5589a5578..cc981596d 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
@@ -32,12 +32,14 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	VpcId                    string            `mapstructure:"vpc_id"`
 
 	// Communicator settings
-	Comm         communicator.Config `mapstructure:",squash"`
-	SSHPrivateIp bool                `mapstructure:"ssh_private_ip"`
+	Comm           communicator.Config `mapstructure:",squash"`
+	SSHKeyPairName string              `mapstructure:"ssh_keypair_name"`
+	SSHPrivateIp   bool                `mapstructure:"ssh_private_ip"`
 }
 
 func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
-	if c.TemporaryKeyPairName == "" {
+	// if we are not given an explicit keypairname, create a temporary one
+	if c.SSHKeyPairName == "" {
 		c.TemporaryKeyPairName = fmt.Sprintf(
 			"packer %s", uuid.TimeOrderedUUID())
 	}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
index e15e0c218..5bed27b10 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
@@ -12,17 +12,20 @@ import (
 )
 
 type StepKeyPair struct {
-	Debug          bool
-	DebugKeyPath   string
-	KeyPairName    string
-	PrivateKeyFile string
+	Debug                bool
+	DebugKeyPath         string
+	TemporaryKeyPairName string
+	KeyPairName          string
+	PrivateKeyFile       string
 
 	keyName string
 }
 
 func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if s.PrivateKeyFile != "" {
-		s.keyName = ""
+		if s.KeyPairName != "" {
+			s.keyName = s.KeyPairName // need to get from config
+		}
 
 		privateKeyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(s.PrivateKeyFile)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -30,7 +33,7 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
-		state.Put("keyPair", "")
+		state.Put("keyPair", s.keyName)
 		state.Put("privateKey", string(privateKeyBytes))
 
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
@@ -39,7 +42,7 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
-	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Creating temporary keypair: %s", s.KeyPairName))
+	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Creating temporary keypair: %s", s.TemporaryKeyPairName))
 	keyResp, err := ec2conn.CreateKeyPair(&ec2.CreateKeyPairInput{KeyName: &s.KeyPairName})
 	if err != nil {
 		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("Error creating temporary keypair: %s", err))
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	}
 
 	// Set the keyname so we know to delete it later
-	s.keyName = s.KeyPairName
+	s.keyName = s.TemporaryKeyPairName
 
 	// Set some state data for use in future steps
 	state.Put("keyPair", s.keyName)
@@ -84,7 +87,9 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 
 func (s *StepKeyPair) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {
 	// If no key name is set, then we never created it, so just return
-	if s.keyName == "" {
+	// If we used an SSH private key file, do not go about deleting
+	// keypairs
+	if s.PrivateKeyFile != "" {
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index e6fbc8c27..c13947ac4 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -88,10 +88,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			EnhancedNetworking: b.config.AMIEnhancedNetworking,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepKeyPair{
-			Debug:          b.config.PackerDebug,
-			DebugKeyPath:   fmt.Sprintf("ec2_%s.pem", b.config.PackerBuildName),
-			KeyPairName:    b.config.TemporaryKeyPairName,
-			PrivateKeyFile: b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPrivateKey,
+			Debug:                b.config.PackerDebug,
+			DebugKeyPath:         fmt.Sprintf("ec2_%s.pem", b.config.PackerBuildName),
+			KeyPairName:          b.config.TemporaryKeyPairName,
+			TemporaryKeyPairName: b.config.TemporaryKeyPairName,
+			PrivateKeyFile:       b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPrivateKey,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepSecurityGroup{
 			SecurityGroupIds: b.config.SecurityGroupIds,
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index 0243d4a77..5e8068718 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -177,10 +177,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			EnhancedNetworking: b.config.AMIEnhancedNetworking,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepKeyPair{
-			Debug:          b.config.PackerDebug,
-			DebugKeyPath:   fmt.Sprintf("ec2_%s.pem", b.config.PackerBuildName),
-			KeyPairName:    b.config.TemporaryKeyPairName,
-			PrivateKeyFile: b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPrivateKey,
+			Debug:                b.config.PackerDebug,
+			DebugKeyPath:         fmt.Sprintf("ec2_%s.pem", b.config.PackerBuildName),
+			KeyPairName:          b.config.TemporaryKeyPairName,
+			PrivateKeyFile:       b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPrivateKey,
+			TemporaryKeyPairName: b.config.TemporaryKeyPairName,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepSecurityGroup{
 			CommConfig:       &b.config.RunConfig.Comm,