diff --git a/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_config_key_pair.go b/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_config_key_pair.go
index 14941666e..9d502ea68 100644
--- a/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_config_key_pair.go
+++ b/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_config_key_pair.go
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ func (s *stepConfigAlicloudKeyPair) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.State
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
-		s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName = s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName
 		s.Comm.SSHPrivateKey = privateKeyBytes
 
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
@@ -48,13 +47,12 @@ func (s *stepConfigAlicloudKeyPair) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.State
 
 	if s.Comm.SSHAgentAuth && s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName != "" {
 		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Using SSH Agent for existing key pair %s", s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName))
-		state.Put("keyPair", s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName)
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
 	if s.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName == "" {
 		ui.Say("Not using temporary keypair")
-		state.Put("keyPair", "")
+		s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName = ""
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
index 93651a21c..9b34b64af 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
@@ -45,13 +45,12 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep
 
 	if s.Comm.SSHAgentAuth && s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName != "" {
 		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Using SSH Agent for existing key pair %s", s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName))
-		state.Put("keyPair", s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName)
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
 	if s.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName == "" {
 		ui.Say("Not using temporary keypair")
-		state.Put("keyPair", "")
+		s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName = ""
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
index 7c31fa1f8..a63ca1a47 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 
 	retry "github.com/hashicorp/packer/common"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/communicator"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/multistep"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/template/interpolate"
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ type StepRunSourceInstance struct {
 	AssociatePublicIpAddress          bool
 	AvailabilityZone                  string
 	BlockDevices                      BlockDevices
+	Comm                              *communicator.Config
 	Ctx                               interpolate.Context
 	Debug                             bool
 	EbsOptimized                      bool
@@ -42,10 +44,7 @@ type StepRunSourceInstance struct {
 
 func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
-	var keyName string
-	if name, ok := state.GetOk("keyPair"); ok {
-		keyName = name.(string)
-	}
+
 	securityGroupIds := aws.StringSlice(state.Get("securityGroupIds").([]string))
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
@@ -150,8 +149,8 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBa
 		volTags.Report(ui)
 	}
 
-	if keyName != "" {
-		runOpts.KeyName = &keyName
+	if s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName != "" {
+		runOpts.KeyName = &s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName
 	}
 
 	if s.SubnetId != "" && s.AssociatePublicIpAddress {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go
index 09d456496..e2f7822d7 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 
 	retry "github.com/hashicorp/packer/common"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/communicator"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/multistep"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/template/interpolate"
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ type StepRunSpotInstance struct {
 	AvailabilityZone                  string
 	BlockDevices                      BlockDevices
 	Debug                             bool
+	Comm                              *communicator.Config
 	EbsOptimized                      bool
 	ExpectedRootDevice                string
 	IamInstanceProfile                string
@@ -46,10 +48,6 @@ type StepRunSpotInstance struct {
 
 func (s *StepRunSpotInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
-	var keyName string
-	if name, ok := state.GetOk("keyPair"); ok {
-		keyName = name.(string)
-	}
 	securityGroupIds := aws.StringSlice(state.Get("securityGroupIds").([]string))
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
@@ -184,8 +182,8 @@ func (s *StepRunSpotInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag)
 		runOpts.SecurityGroupIds = securityGroupIds
 	}
 
-	if keyName != "" {
-		runOpts.KeyName = &keyName
+	if s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName != "" {
+		runOpts.KeyName = &s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName
 	}
 
 	runSpotResp, err := ec2conn.RequestSpotInstances(&ec2.RequestSpotInstancesInput{
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/config.go b/builder/cloudstack/config.go
index 82a28bf24..f74a89502 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/config.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/config.go
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	Expunge                bool     `mapstructure:"expunge"`
 	Hypervisor             string   `mapstructure:"hypervisor"`
 	InstanceName           string   `mapstructure:"instance_name"`
-	Keypair                string   `mapstructure:"keypair"`
 	Network                string   `mapstructure:"network"`
 	Project                string   `mapstructure:"project"`
 	PublicIPAddress        string   `mapstructure:"public_ip_address"`
@@ -126,7 +125,7 @@ func NewConfig(raws ...interface{}) (*Config, error) {
 	// If we are not given an explicit keypair, ssh_password or ssh_private_key_file,
 	// then create a temporary one, but only if the temporary_keypair_name has not
 	// been provided.
-	if c.Keypair == "" && c.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName == "" &&
+	if c.Comm.SSHKeyPairName == "" && c.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName == "" &&
 		c.Comm.SSHPrivateKeyFile == "" && c.Comm.SSHPassword == "" {
 		c.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName = fmt.Sprintf("packer_%s", uuid.TimeOrderedUUID())
 	}
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go
index 81f0c0699..11303f46e 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_create_instance.go
@@ -46,10 +46,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateInstance) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mu
 	p.SetName(config.InstanceName)
 	p.SetDisplayname("Created by Packer")
 
-	if keypair, ok := state.GetOk("keypair"); ok {
-		kp := keypair.(string)
-		ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Using keypair: %s", kp))
-		p.SetKeypair(kp)
+	if len(config.Comm.SSHKeyPairName) != 0 {
+		ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Using keypair: %s", config.Comm.SSHKeyPairName))
+		p.SetKeypair(config.Comm.SSHKeyPairName)
 	}
 
 	if securitygroups, ok := state.GetOk("security_groups"); ok {
diff --git a/builder/cloudstack/step_keypair.go b/builder/cloudstack/step_keypair.go
index f51963059..f08bd706d 100644
--- a/builder/cloudstack/step_keypair.go
+++ b/builder/cloudstack/step_keypair.go
@@ -42,13 +42,12 @@ func (s *stepKeypair) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep
 
 	if s.Comm.SSHAgentAuth && s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName != "" {
 		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Using SSH Agent for existing keypair %s", s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName))
-		state.Put("keypair", s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName)
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
 	if s.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName == "" {
 		ui.Say("Not using a keypair")
-		state.Put("keypair", "")
+		s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName = ""
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
@@ -109,9 +108,9 @@ func (s *stepKeypair) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Set some state data for use in future steps
-	state.Put("keypair", s.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName)
-	state.Put("privateKey", keypair.Privatekey)
+	// Set some data for use in future steps
+	s.Comm.SSHKeyPairName = s.Comm.SSHTemporaryKeyPairName
+	s.Comm.SSHPrivateKey = []byte(keypair.Privatekey)
 
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }