diff --git a/packer/rpc/communicator.go b/packer/rpc/communicator.go
index 526f34f2f..df3765ff3 100644
--- a/packer/rpc/communicator.go
+++ b/packer/rpc/communicator.go
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ type CommunicatorStartResponse struct {
 	RemoteCommandAddress string
 }
 
+type CommunicatorDownloadArgs struct {
+	Path string
+	WriterAddress string
+}
+
 type CommunicatorUploadArgs struct {
 	Path string
 	ReaderAddress string
@@ -93,6 +98,8 @@ func (c *communicator) Start(cmd string) (rc *packer.RemoteCommand, err error) {
 }
 
 func (c *communicator) Upload(path string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
+	// We need to create a server that can proxy the reader data
+	// over because we can't simply gob encode an io.Reader
 	readerL := netListenerInRange(portRangeMin, portRangeMax)
 	if readerL == nil {
 		err = errors.New("couldn't allocate listener for upload reader")
@@ -110,16 +117,32 @@ func (c *communicator) Upload(path string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
 		readerL.Addr().String(),
 	}
 
-	cerr := c.client.Call("Communicator.Upload", &args, &err)
-	if cerr != nil {
-		err = cerr
-	}
-
+	err = c.client.Call("Communicator.Upload", &args, new(interface{}))
 	return
 }
 
-func (c *communicator) Download(string, io.Writer) error {
-	return nil
+func (c *communicator) Download(path string, w io.Writer) (err error) {
+	// We need to create a server that can proxy that data downloaded
+	// into the writer because we can't gob encode a writer directly.
+	writerL := netListenerInRange(portRangeMin, portRangeMax)
+	if writerL == nil {
+		err = errors.New("couldn't allocate listener for download writer")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Make sure we close the listener once we're done because we'll be done
+	defer writerL.Close()
+
+	// Serve a single connection and a single copy
+	go serveSingleCopy("downloadWriter", writerL, w, nil)
+
+	args := CommunicatorDownloadArgs{
+		path,
+		writerL.Addr().String(),
+	}
+
+	err = c.client.Call("Communicator.Download", &args, new(interface{}))
+	return
 }
 
 func (c *CommunicatorServer) Start(cmd *string, reply *CommunicatorStartResponse) (err error) {
@@ -172,6 +195,18 @@ func (c *CommunicatorServer) Upload(args *CommunicatorUploadArgs, reply *interfa
 	return
 }
 
+func (c *CommunicatorServer) Download(args *CommunicatorDownloadArgs, reply *interface{}) (err error) {
+	writerC, err := net.Dial("tcp", args.WriterAddress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	defer writerC.Close()
+
+	err = c.c.Download(args.Path, writerC)
+	return
+}
+
 func (rc *RemoteCommandServer) Wait(args *interface{}, reply *int) error {
 	rc.rc.Wait()
 	*reply = rc.rc.ExitStatus
diff --git a/packer/rpc/communicator_test.go b/packer/rpc/communicator_test.go
index fb783c803..a1b066cda 100644
--- a/packer/rpc/communicator_test.go
+++ b/packer/rpc/communicator_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ type testCommunicator struct {
 
 	uploadCalled bool
 	uploadPath string
-	uploadReader io.Reader
+	uploadData string
+
+	downloadCalled bool
+	downloadPath string
 }
 
 func (t *testCommunicator) Start(cmd string) (*packer.RemoteCommand, error) {
@@ -49,15 +52,18 @@ func (t *testCommunicator) Start(cmd string) (*packer.RemoteCommand, error) {
 	return rc, nil
 }
 
-func (t *testCommunicator) Upload(path string, reader io.Reader) error {
+func (t *testCommunicator) Upload(path string, reader io.Reader) (err error) {
 	t.uploadCalled = true
 	t.uploadPath = path
-	t.uploadReader = reader
-
-	return nil
+	t.uploadData, err = bufio.NewReader(reader).ReadString('\n')
+	return
 }
 
-func (t *testCommunicator) Download(string, io.Writer) error {
+func (t *testCommunicator) Download(path string, writer io.Writer) error {
+	t.downloadCalled = true
+	t.downloadPath = path
+	writer.Write([]byte("download\n"))
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -110,18 +116,33 @@ func TestCommunicatorRPC(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Test that we can upload things
 	uploadR, uploadW := io.Pipe()
+	go uploadW.Write([]byte("uploadfoo\n"))
 	err = remote.Upload("foo", uploadR)
 	assert.Nil(err, "should not error")
 	assert.True(c.uploadCalled, "should be called")
 	assert.Equal(c.uploadPath, "foo", "should be correct path")
-	return
+	assert.Equal(c.uploadData, "uploadfoo\n", "should have the proper data")
+
+	// Test that we can download things
+	downloadR, downloadW := io.Pipe()
+	downloadDone := make(chan bool)
+	var downloadData string
+	var downloadErr error
 
-	// Test the upload reader
-	uploadW.Write([]byte("uploadfoo\n"))
-	bufUpR := bufio.NewReader(c.uploadReader)
-	data, err = bufUpR.ReadString('\n')
+	go func() {
+		bufDownR := bufio.NewReader(downloadR)
+		downloadData, downloadErr = bufDownR.ReadString('\n')
+		downloadDone <- true
+	}()
+
+	err = remote.Download("bar", downloadW)
 	assert.Nil(err, "should not error")
-	assert.Equal(data, "uploadfoo\n", "should have the proper data")
+	assert.True(c.downloadCalled, "should have called download")
+	assert.Equal(c.downloadPath, "bar", "should have correct download path")
+
+	<-downloadDone
+	assert.Nil(downloadErr, "should not error reading download data")
+	assert.Equal(downloadData, "download\n", "should have the proper data")
 }
 
 func TestCommunicator_ImplementsCommunicator(t *testing.T) {