diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index 503af210a..2d2a101a5 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+	"text/template"
 )
 
 // The unique ID for this builder
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	awscommon.RunConfig    `mapstructure:",squash"`
 
 	AccountId           string `mapstructure:"account_id"`
+	AMIName             string `mapstructure:"ami_name"`
 	BundleDestination   string `mapstructure:"bundle_destination"`
 	BundlePrefix        string `mapstructure:"bundle_prefix"`
 	BundleUploadCommand string `mapstructure:"bundle_upload_command"`
@@ -90,6 +92,17 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 		b.config.AccountId = strings.Replace(b.config.AccountId, "-", "", -1)
 	}
 
+	if b.config.AMIName == "" {
+		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(
+			errs, errors.New("ami_name must be specified"))
+	} else {
+		_, err = template.New("ami").Parse(b.config.AMIName)
+		if err != nil {
+			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(
+				errs, fmt.Errorf("Failed parsing ami_name: %s", err))
+		}
+	}
+
 	if b.config.S3Bucket == "" {
 		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, errors.New("s3_bucket is required"))
 	}
@@ -163,6 +176,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		&StepUploadX509Cert{},
 		&StepBundleVolume{},
 		&StepUploadBundle{},
+		&StepRegisterAMI{},
 	}
 
 	// Run!
@@ -187,7 +201,14 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	return nil, nil
+	// Build the artifact and return it
+	artifact := &awscommon.Artifact{
+		Amis:           state["amis"].(map[string]string),
+		BuilderIdValue: BuilderId,
+		Conn:           ec2conn,
+	}
+
+	return artifact, nil
 }
 
 func (b *Builder) Cancel() {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder_test.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder_test.go
index 2e6b3639a..9633dff84 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ func testConfig() map[string]interface{} {
 
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"account_id":       "foo",
+		"ami_name":         "foo",
 		"instance_type":    "m1.small",
 		"region":           "us-east-1",
 		"s3_bucket":        "foo",
@@ -61,6 +62,34 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_AccountId(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBuilderPrepare_AMIName(t *testing.T) {
+	var b Builder
+	config := testConfig()
+
+	// Test good
+	config["ami_name"] = "foo"
+	err := b.Prepare(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// Test bad
+	config["ami_name"] = "foo {{"
+	b = Builder{}
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should have error")
+	}
+
+	// Test bad
+	delete(config, "ami_name")
+	b = Builder{}
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should have error")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuilderPrepare_BundleDestination(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &Builder{}
 	config := testConfig()
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/step_bundle_volume.go b/builder/amazon/instance/step_bundle_volume.go
index 23fb7a415..f5da54dde 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/step_bundle_volume.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/step_bundle_volume.go
@@ -93,8 +93,10 @@ func (s *StepBundleVolume) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepActio
 	}
 
 	// Store the manifest path
+	manifestName := bundlePrefix.String() + ".manifest.xml"
+	state["manifest_name"] = manifestName
 	state["manifest_path"] = fmt.Sprintf(
-		"%s/%s.manifest.xml", config.BundleDestination, bundlePrefix.String())
+		"%s/%s", config.BundleDestination, manifestName)
 
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/step_register_ami.go b/builder/amazon/instance/step_register_ami.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..52f5c30e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/step_register_ami.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package instance
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
+	"strconv"
+	"text/template"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type amiNameData struct {
+	CreateTime string
+}
+
+type StepRegisterAMI struct{}
+
+func (s *StepRegisterAMI) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
+	comm := state["communicator"].(packer.Communicator)
+	config := state["config"].(*Config)
+	manifestPath := state["remote_manifest_path"].(string)
+	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
+
+	// Parse the name of the AMI
+	amiNameBuf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	tData := amiNameData{
+		strconv.FormatInt(time.Now().UTC().Unix(), 10),
+	}
+
+	t := template.Must(template.New("ami").Parse(config.AMIName))
+	t.Execute(amiNameBuf, tData)
+	amiName := amiNameBuf.String()
+
+	ui.Say("Registering the AMI...")
+	cmd := &packer.RemoteCmd{
+		Command: fmt.Sprintf(
+			"ec2-register %s -n '%s' -O '%s' -W '%s'",
+			manifestPath,
+			amiName,
+			config.AccessKey,
+			config.SecretKey),
+	}
+	if err := cmd.StartWithUi(comm, ui); err != nil {
+		state["error"] = fmt.Errorf("Error registering AMI: %s", err)
+		ui.Error(state["error"].(error).Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	}
+
+	if cmd.ExitStatus != 0 {
+		state["error"] = fmt.Errorf(
+			"AMI registration failed. Please see the output above for more\n" +
+				"details on what went wrong.")
+		ui.Error(state["error"].(error).Error())
+		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	}
+
+	return multistep.ActionContinue
+}
+
+func (s *StepRegisterAMI) Cleanup(map[string]interface{}) {}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/step_upload_bundle.go b/builder/amazon/instance/step_upload_bundle.go
index 827daf8b0..8c8a9fdb5 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/step_upload_bundle.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/step_upload_bundle.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type StepUploadBundle struct{}
 func (s *StepUploadBundle) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 	comm := state["communicator"].(packer.Communicator)
 	config := state["config"].(*Config)
+	manifestName := state["manifest_name"].(string)
 	manifestPath := state["manifest_path"].(string)
 	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
 
@@ -51,6 +52,9 @@ func (s *StepUploadBundle) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepActio
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
+	state["remote_manifest_path"] = fmt.Sprintf(
+		"%s/%s", config.S3Bucket, manifestName)
+
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }