diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go
index b9a81cf06..6ebb21cb3 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type VNCAddressFinder interface {
 	VNCAddress(string, uint, uint) (string, uint, error)
 
 	// UpdateVMX, sets driver specific VNC values to VMX data.
-	UpdateVMX(vncAddress string, vncPort uint, vmxData map[string]string)
+	UpdateVMX(vncAddress, vncPassword string, vncPort uint, vmxData map[string]string)
 }
 
 func (StepConfigureVNC) VNCAddress(vncBindAddress string, portMin, portMax uint) (string, uint, error) {
@@ -56,6 +56,21 @@ func (StepConfigureVNC) VNCAddress(vncBindAddress string, portMin, portMax uint)
 	return vncBindAddress, vncPort, nil
 }
 
+func VNCPassword() string {
+	length := int(8)
+
+	charSet := []byte("1234567890-=qwertyuiop[]asdfghjkl;zxcvbnm,./!@#%^*()_+QWERTYUIOP{}|ASDFGHJKL:XCVBNM<>?")
+	charSetLength := len(charSet)
+
+	password := make([]byte, length)
+
+	for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
+		password[i] = charSet[rand.Intn(charSetLength)]
+	}
+
+	return string(password)
+}
+
 func (s *StepConfigureVNC) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	driver := state.Get("driver").(Driver)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
@@ -91,10 +106,12 @@ func (s *StepConfigureVNC) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
+	vncPassword := VNCPassword()
+
 	log.Printf("Found available VNC port: %d", vncPort)
 
 	vmxData := ParseVMX(string(vmxBytes))
-	vncFinder.UpdateVMX(vncBindAddress, vncPort, vmxData)
+	vncFinder.UpdateVMX(vncBindAddress, vncPassword, vncPort, vmxData)
 
 	if err := WriteVMX(vmxPath, vmxData); err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error writing VMX data: %s", err)
@@ -105,14 +122,16 @@ func (s *StepConfigureVNC) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 
 	state.Put("vnc_port", vncPort)
 	state.Put("vnc_ip", vncBindAddress)
+	state.Put("vnc_password", vncPassword)
 
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }
 
-func (StepConfigureVNC) UpdateVMX(address string, port uint, data map[string]string) {
+func (StepConfigureVNC) UpdateVMX(address, password string, port uint, data map[string]string) {
 	data["remotedisplay.vnc.enabled"] = "TRUE"
 	data["remotedisplay.vnc.port"] = fmt.Sprintf("%d", port)
 	data["remotedisplay.vnc.ip"] = address
+	data["remotedisplay.vnc.password"] = password
 }
 
 func (StepConfigureVNC) Cleanup(multistep.StateBag) {
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go.rej b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go.rej
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..621d524fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go.rej
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+diff a/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc.go	(rejected hunks)
+@@ -52,6 +52,21 @@ func (StepConfigureVNC) VNCAddress(portMin, portMax uint) (string, uint, error)
+ 	return "127.0.0.1", vncPort, nil
+ }
+ 
++func VNCPassword() (string) {
++	length := int(8)
++
++	charSet := []byte("1234567890-=qwertyuiop[]asdfghjkl;zxcvbnm,./!@#%^*()_+QWERTYUIOP{}|ASDFGHJKL:XCVBNM<>?")
++	charSetLength := len(charSet)
++
++	password := make([]byte, length)
++
++	for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
++		password[i] = charSet[ rand.Intn(charSetLength) ]
++	}
++
++	return string(password)
++}
++
+ func (s *StepConfigureVNC) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
+ 	driver := state.Get("driver").(Driver)
+ 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
+@@ -86,12 +101,14 @@ func (s *StepConfigureVNC) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
+ 		ui.Error(err.Error())
+ 		return multistep.ActionHalt
+ 	}
++	vncPassword := VNCPassword()
+ 
+ 	log.Printf("Found available VNC port: %d", vncPort)
+ 
+ 	vmxData := ParseVMX(string(vmxBytes))
+ 	vmxData["remotedisplay.vnc.enabled"] = "TRUE"
+ 	vmxData["remotedisplay.vnc.port"] = fmt.Sprintf("%d", vncPort)
++	vmxData["remotedisplay.vnc.password"] = vncPassword
+ 
+ 	if err := WriteVMX(vmxPath, vmxData); err != nil {
+ 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error writing VMX data: %s", err)
+@@ -102,6 +119,7 @@ func (s *StepConfigureVNC) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
+ 
+ 	state.Put("vnc_port", vncPort)
+ 	state.Put("vnc_ip", vncIp)
++	state.Put("vnc_password", vncPassword)
+ 
+ 	return multistep.ActionContinue
+ }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc_test.go b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc_test.go
index 373f44e44..a89b75999 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc_test.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/step_configure_vnc_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ func TestStepConfigureVNC_implVNCAddressFinder(t *testing.T) {
 func TestStepConfigureVNC_UpdateVMX(t *testing.T) {
 	var s StepConfigureVNC
 	data := make(map[string]string)
-	s.UpdateVMX("0.0.0.0", 5900, data)
+	s.UpdateVMX("0.0.0.0", "", 5900, data)
 	if ip := data["remotedisplay.vnc.ip"]; ip != "0.0.0.0" {
 		t.Errorf("bad VMX data for key remotedisplay.vnc.ip: %v", ip)
 	}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/step_run.go b/builder/vmware/common/step_run.go
index 4e996d833..7784ea431 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/step_run.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/step_run.go
@@ -38,15 +38,17 @@ func (s *StepRun) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	if s.Headless {
 		vncIpRaw, vncIpOk := state.GetOk("vnc_ip")
 		vncPortRaw, vncPortOk := state.GetOk("vnc_port")
+		vncPasswordRaw, vncPasswordOk := state.GetOk("vnc_password")
 
-		if vncIpOk && vncPortOk {
+		if vncIpOk && vncPortOk && vncPasswordOk {
 			vncIp := vncIpRaw.(string)
 			vncPort := vncPortRaw.(uint)
+			vncPassword := vncPasswordRaw.(string)
 
 			ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf(
 				"The VM will be run headless, without a GUI. If you want to\n"+
-					"view the screen of the VM, connect via VNC without a password to\n"+
-					"%s:%d", vncIp, vncPort))
+					"view the screen of the VM, connect via VNC with the password %s to\n"+
+					"%s:%d", vncPassword, vncIp, vncPort))
 		} else {
 			ui.Message("The VM will be run headless, without a GUI, as configured.\n" +
 				"If the run isn't succeeding as you expect, please enable the GUI\n" +
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go b/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go
index 9750aaa71..44e589f4b 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 	vncIp := state.Get("vnc_ip").(string)
 	vncPort := state.Get("vnc_port").(uint)
+	vncPassword := state.Get("vnc_password")
 
 	var pauseFn multistep.DebugPauseFn
 	if debug {
@@ -63,7 +64,15 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 	}
 	defer nc.Close()
 
-	c, err := vnc.Client(nc, &vnc.ClientConfig{Exclusive: false})
+	var auth []vnc.ClientAuth
+
+	if vncPassword != nil {
+		auth = []vnc.ClientAuth{&vnc.PasswordAuth{Password: vncPassword.(string)}}
+	} else {
+		auth = []vnc.ClientAuth{}
+	}
+
+	c, err := vnc.Client(nc, &vnc.ClientConfig{Auth: auth, Exclusive: true})
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error handshaking with VNC: %s", err)
 		state.Put("error", err)
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go.rej b/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go.rej
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ee084c6bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go.rej
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+diff a/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go b/builder/vmware/common/step_type_boot_command.go	(rejected hunks)
+@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
+ 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
+ 	vncIp := state.Get("vnc_ip").(string)
+ 	vncPort := state.Get("vnc_port").(uint)
++	vncPassword := state.Get("vnc_password")
+ 
+ 	// Connect to VNC
+ 	ui.Say("Connecting to VM via VNC")
+@@ -57,7 +58,15 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
+ 	}
+ 	defer nc.Close()
+ 
+-	c, err := vnc.Client(nc, &vnc.ClientConfig{Exclusive: true})
++	var auth []vnc.ClientAuth
++
++	if vncPassword != nil  {
++		auth = []vnc.ClientAuth{&vnc.PasswordAuth{Password: vncPassword.(string)}}
++	} else {
++		auth = []vnc.ClientAuth{}
++	}
++
++	c, err := vnc.Client(nc, &vnc.ClientConfig{Auth: auth, Exclusive: true})
+ 	if err != nil {
+ 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error handshaking with VNC: %s", err)
+ 		state.Put("error", err)
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
index fa8c5df12..5efd4aad6 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
@@ -231,10 +231,11 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) VNCAddress(_ string, portMin, portMax uint) (string, uint,
 }
 
 // UpdateVMX, adds the VNC port to the VMX data.
-func (ESX5Driver) UpdateVMX(_ string, port uint, data map[string]string) {
+func (ESX5Driver) UpdateVMX(_, password string, port uint, data map[string]string) {
 	// Do not set remotedisplay.vnc.ip - this breaks ESXi.
 	data["remotedisplay.vnc.enabled"] = "TRUE"
 	data["remotedisplay.vnc.port"] = fmt.Sprintf("%d", port)
+	data["remotedisplay.vnc.password"] = password
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) CommHost(state multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go
index 937124a25..e1fabe414 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,22 @@ func TestESX5Driver_implDriver(t *testing.T) {
 	var _ vmwcommon.Driver = new(ESX5Driver)
 }
 
+func TestESX5Driver_UpdateVMX(t *testing.T) {
+	var driver ESX5Driver
+	data := make(map[string]string)
+	driver.UpdateVMX("0.0.0.0", "", 5900, data)
+	if _, ok := data["remotedisplay.vnc.ip"]; ok {
+		// Do not add the remotedisplay.vnc.ip on ESXi
+		t.Fatal("invalid VMX data key: remotedisplay.vnc.ip")
+	}
+	if enabled := data["remotedisplay.vnc.enabled"]; enabled != "TRUE" {
+		t.Errorf("bad VMX data for key remotedisplay.vnc.enabled: %v", enabled)
+	}
+	if port := data["remotedisplay.vnc.port"]; port != fmt.Sprint(port) {
+		t.Errorf("bad VMX data for key remotedisplay.vnc.port: %v", port)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestESX5Driver_implOutputDir(t *testing.T) {
 	var _ vmwcommon.OutputDir = new(ESX5Driver)
 }