diff --git a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go
index 1c90d6176b..73712b345a 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine.go
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ type windowsOptConfig struct {
 	domainUserPassword string
 }
 
+type cdrom struct {
+	datastore string
+	path      string
+}
+
 type virtualMachine struct {
 	name                  string
 	folder                string
@@ -65,6 +70,7 @@ type virtualMachine struct {
 	template              string
 	networkInterfaces     []networkInterface
 	hardDisks             []hardDisk
+	cdroms                []cdrom
 	gateway               string
 	domain                string
 	timeZone              string
@@ -328,6 +334,27 @@ func resourceVSphereVirtualMachine() *schema.Resource {
 				},
 			},
 
+			"cdrom": &schema.Schema{
+				Type:     schema.TypeList,
+				Optional: true,
+				ForceNew: true,
+				Elem: &schema.Resource{
+					Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
+						"datastore": &schema.Schema{
+							Type:     schema.TypeString,
+							Required: true,
+							ForceNew: true,
+						},
+
+						"path": &schema.Schema{
+							Type:     schema.TypeString,
+							Required: true,
+							ForceNew: true,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+
 			"boot_delay": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeInt,
 				Optional: true,
@@ -492,6 +519,25 @@ func resourceVSphereVirtualMachineCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] disk init: %v", disks)
 	}
 
+	if vL, ok := d.GetOk("cdrom"); ok {
+		cdroms := make([]cdrom, len(vL.([]interface{})))
+		for i, v := range vL.([]interface{}) {
+			c := v.(map[string]interface{})
+			if v, ok := c["datastore"].(string); ok && v != "" {
+				cdroms[i].datastore = v
+			} else {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Datastore argument must be specified when attaching a cdrom image.")
+			}
+			if v, ok := c["path"].(string); ok && v != "" {
+				cdroms[i].path = v
+			} else {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Path argument must be specified when attaching a cdrom image.")
+			}
+		}
+		vm.cdroms = cdroms
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] cdrom init: %v", cdroms)
+	}
+
 	if vm.template != "" {
 		err := vm.deployVirtualMachine(client)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -749,6 +795,31 @@ func addHardDisk(vm *object.VirtualMachine, size, iops int64, diskType string) e
 	}
 }
 
+// addCdrom adds a new virtual cdrom drive to the VirtualMachine and attaches an image (ISO) to it from a datastore path.
+func addCdrom(vm *object.VirtualMachine, datastore, path string) error {
+	devices, err := vm.Device(context.TODO())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] vm devices: %#v", devices)
+
+	controller, err := devices.FindIDEController("")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] ide controller: %#v", controller)
+
+	c, err := devices.CreateCdrom(controller)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	c = devices.InsertIso(c, fmt.Sprintf("[%s] %s", datastore, path))
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] addCdrom: %#v", c)
+
+	return vm.AddDevice(context.TODO(), c)
+}
+
 // buildNetworkDevice builds VirtualDeviceConfigSpec for Network Device.
 func buildNetworkDevice(f *find.Finder, label, adapterType string) (*types.VirtualDeviceConfigSpec, error) {
 	network, err := f.Network(context.TODO(), "*"+label)
@@ -940,6 +1011,21 @@ func findDatastore(c *govmomi.Client, sps types.StoragePlacementSpec) (*object.D
 	return datastore, nil
 }
 
+// createCdroms is a helper function to attach virtual cdrom devices (and their attached disk images) to a virtual IDE controller.
+func createCdroms(vm *object.VirtualMachine, cdroms []cdrom) error {
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] add cdroms: %v", cdroms)
+	for _, cd := range cdroms {
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] add cdrom (datastore): %v", cd.datastore)
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] add cdrom (cd path): %v", cd.path)
+		err := addCdrom(vm, cd.datastore, cd.path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // createVirtualMachine creates a new VirtualMachine.
 func (vm *virtualMachine) createVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 	dc, err := getDatacenter(c, vm.datacenter)
@@ -1077,6 +1163,7 @@ func (vm *virtualMachine) createVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 		Operation: types.VirtualDeviceConfigSpecOperationAdd,
 		Device:    scsi,
 	})
+
 	configSpec.Files = &types.VirtualMachineFileInfo{VmPathName: fmt.Sprintf("[%s]", mds.Name)}
 
 	task, err := folder.CreateVM(context.TODO(), configSpec, resourcePool, nil)
@@ -1104,6 +1191,12 @@ func (vm *virtualMachine) createVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Create the cdroms if needed.
+	if err := createCdroms(newVM, vm.cdroms); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -1255,6 +1348,7 @@ func (vm *virtualMachine) deployVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 		NumCoresPerSocket: 1,
 		MemoryMB:          vm.memoryMb,
 	}
+
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] virtual machine config spec: %v", configSpec)
 
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] starting extra custom config spec: %v", vm.customConfigurations)
@@ -1407,6 +1501,11 @@ func (vm *virtualMachine) deployVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Create the cdroms if needed.
+	if err := createCdroms(newVM, vm.cdroms); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	taskb, err := newVM.Customize(context.TODO(), customSpec)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1416,7 +1515,7 @@ func (vm *virtualMachine) deployVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	log.Printf("[DEBUG]VM customization finished")
+	log.Printf("[DEBUG] VM customization finished")
 
 	for i := 1; i < len(vm.hardDisks); i++ {
 		err = addHardDisk(newVM, vm.hardDisks[i].size, vm.hardDisks[i].iops, vm.hardDisks[i].initType)
@@ -1424,6 +1523,7 @@ func (vm *virtualMachine) deployVirtualMachine(c *govmomi.Client) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
+
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] virtual machine config spec: %v", configSpec)
 
 	newVM.PowerOn(context.TODO())
diff --git a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go
index 17197f63d5..264884b391 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/vsphere/resource_vsphere_virtual_machine_test.go
@@ -388,6 +388,71 @@ func TestAccVSphereVirtualMachine_createWithFolder(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccVSphereVirtualMachine_createWithCdrom(t *testing.T) {
+	var vm virtualMachine
+	var locationOpt string
+	var datastoreOpt string
+
+	if v := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_DATACENTER"); v != "" {
+		locationOpt += fmt.Sprintf("    datacenter = \"%s\"\n", v)
+	}
+	if v := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_CLUSTER"); v != "" {
+		locationOpt += fmt.Sprintf("    cluster = \"%s\"\n", v)
+	}
+	if v := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_RESOURCE_POOL"); v != "" {
+		locationOpt += fmt.Sprintf("    resource_pool = \"%s\"\n", v)
+	}
+	if v := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_DATASTORE"); v != "" {
+		datastoreOpt = fmt.Sprintf("        datastore = \"%s\"\n", v)
+	}
+	template := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_TEMPLATE")
+	label := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_NETWORK_LABEL_DHCP")
+	cdromDatastore := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_CDROM_DATASTORE")
+	cdromPath := os.Getenv("VSPHERE_CDROM_PATH")
+
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckVSphereVirtualMachineDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: fmt.Sprintf(
+					testAccCheckVsphereVirtualMachineConfig_cdrom,
+					locationOpt,
+					label,
+					datastoreOpt,
+					template,
+					cdromDatastore,
+					cdromPath,
+				),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckVSphereVirtualMachineExists("vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", &vm),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "name", "terraform-test-with-cdrom"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "vcpu", "2"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "memory", "4096"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "disk.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "disk.0.template", template),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "cdrom.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "cdrom.0.datastore", cdromDatastore),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "cdrom.0.path", cdromPath),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "network_interface.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
+						"vsphere_virtual_machine.with_cdrom", "network_interface.0.label", label),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccCheckVSphereVirtualMachineDestroy(s *terraform.State) error {
 	client := testAccProvider.Meta().(*govmomi.Client)
 	finder := find.NewFinder(client.Client, true)
@@ -664,7 +729,7 @@ resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "folder" {
 
 const testAccCheckVSphereVirtualMachineConfig_createWithFolder = `
 resource "vsphere_folder" "with_folder" {
-	path = "%s"	
+	path = "%s"
 %s
 }
 resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "with_folder" {
@@ -682,3 +747,24 @@ resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "with_folder" {
     }
 }
 `
+
+const testAccCheckVsphereVirtualMachineConfig_cdrom = `
+resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "with_cdrom" {
+    name = "terraform-test-with-cdrom"
+%s
+    vcpu = 2
+    memory = 4096
+    network_interface {
+        label = "%s"
+    }
+    disk {
+%s
+        template = "%s"
+    }
+
+    cdrom {
+        datastore = "%s"
+        path = "%s"
+    }
+}
+`
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/index.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/index.html.markdown
index 2138b5084f..ef6ff62952 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/index.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/index.html.markdown
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ The following environment variables depend on your vSphere environment:
  * VSPHERE\_RESOURCE\_POOL
  * VSPHERE\_DATASTORE
 
+The following additional environment variables are needed for running the "Mount ISO as CDROM media" acceptance tests.
+
+ * VSPHERE\_CDROM\_DATASTORE
+ * VSPHERE\_CDROM\_PATH
+
 
 These are used to set and verify attributes on the `vsphere_virtual_machine`
 resource in tests.
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/r/virtual_machine.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/r/virtual_machine.html.markdown
index 47791ba381..0593e3c9b4 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/r/virtual_machine.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/vsphere/r/virtual_machine.html.markdown
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 * `dns_servers` - (Optional) List of DNS servers for the virtual network adapter; defaults to 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
 * `network_interface` - (Required) Configures virtual network interfaces; see [Network Interfaces](#network-interfaces) below for details.
 * `disk` - (Required) Configures virtual disks; see [Disks](#disks) below for details
+* `cdrom` - (Optional) Configures a CDROM device and mounts an image as its media; see [CDROM](#cdrom) below for more details.
 * `boot_delay` - (Optional) Time in seconds to wait for machine network to be ready.
 * `windows_opt_config` - (Optional) Extra options for clones of Windows machines.
 * `linked_clone` - (Optional) Specifies if the new machine is a [linked clone](https://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/ws_clone_overview.html#wp1036396) of another machine or not.
@@ -71,6 +72,9 @@ The `windows_opt_config` block supports:
 * `domain_user` - (Optional) User that is a member of the specified domain.
 * `domain_user_password` - (Optional) Password for domain user, in plain text.
 
+<a id="disks"></a>
+## Disks
+
 The `disk` block supports:
 
 * `template` - (Required if size not provided) Template for this disk.
@@ -79,6 +83,14 @@ The `disk` block supports:
 * `iops` - (Optional) Number of virtual iops to allocate for this disk.
 * `type` - (Optional) 'eager_zeroed' (the default), or 'thin' are supported options.
 
+<a id="cdrom"></a>
+## CDROM
+
+The `cdrom` block supports:
+
+* `datastore` - (Required) The name of the datastore where the disk image is stored.
+* `path` - (Required) The absolute path to the image within the datastore.
+
 ## Attributes Reference
 
 The following attributes are exported: