diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
index f2c841464..5cb4cd6a2 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
@@ -31,10 +31,12 @@ type config struct {
 	SSHUsername  string `mapstructure:"ssh_username"`
 	SSHPort      uint   `mapstructure:"ssh_port"`
 	SSHTimeout   time.Duration
+	EventDelay   time.Duration
 
 	PackerDebug bool `mapstructure:"packer_debug"`
 
 	RawSSHTimeout string `mapstructure:"ssh_timeout"`
+	RawEventDelay string `mapstructure:"event_delay"`
 }
 
 type Builder struct {
@@ -88,6 +90,12 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 		b.config.RawSSHTimeout = "1m"
 	}
 
+	if b.config.RawEventDelay == "" {
+		// Default to 5 second delays after creating events
+		// to allow DO to process
+		b.config.RawEventDelay = "5s"
+	}
+
 	// A list of errors on the configuration
 	errs := make([]error, 0)
 
@@ -100,12 +108,19 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 	if b.config.APIKey == "" {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("an api_key must be specified"))
 	}
+
 	timeout, err := time.ParseDuration(b.config.RawSSHTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
 		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Failed parsing ssh_timeout: %s", err))
 	}
 	b.config.SSHTimeout = timeout
 
+	delay, err := time.ParseDuration(b.config.RawEventDelay)
+	if err != nil {
+		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Failed parsing event_delay: %s", err))
+	}
+	b.config.EventDelay = delay
+
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		return &packer.MultiError{errs}
 	}
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go
index 627779bee..aba0bb1b7 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go
@@ -220,6 +220,38 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_SSHTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestBuilderPrepare_EventDelay(t *testing.T) {
+	var b Builder
+	config := testConfig()
+
+	// Test default
+	err := b.Prepare(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if b.config.RawEventDelay != "5s" {
+		t.Errorf("invalid: %d", b.config.RawEventDelay)
+	}
+
+	// Test set
+	config["event_delay"] = "10s"
+	b = Builder{}
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// Test bad
+	config["event_delay"] = "tubes"
+	b = Builder{}
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should have error")
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestBuilderPrepare_SnapshotName(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go b/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go
index 36a745de5..a3ffdf9b3 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/step_create_droplet.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
+	"log"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ func (s *stepCreateDroplet) Cleanup(state map[string]interface{}) {
 
 	client := state["client"].(*DigitalOceanClient)
 	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
+	c := state["config"].(config)
 
 	// Destroy the droplet we just created
 	ui.Say("Destroying droplet...")
@@ -56,7 +58,8 @@ func (s *stepCreateDroplet) Cleanup(state map[string]interface{}) {
 	// Sleep arbitrarily before sending destroy request
 	// Otherwise we get "pending event" errors, even though there isn't
 	// one.
-	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+	log.Printf("Sleeping for %v, event_delay", c.RawEventDelay)
+	time.Sleep(c.EventDelay)
 
 	err := client.DestroyDroplet(s.dropletId)
 
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/step_power_off.go b/builder/digitalocean/step_power_off.go
index b487f7779..87bab6bb1 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/step_power_off.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/step_power_off.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package digitalocean
 import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
+	"log"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -10,13 +11,15 @@ type stepPowerOff struct{}
 
 func (s *stepPowerOff) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 	client := state["client"].(*DigitalOceanClient)
+	c := state["config"].(config)
 	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
 	dropletId := state["droplet_id"].(uint)
 
 	// Sleep arbitrarily before sending power off request
 	// Otherwise we get "pending event" errors, even though there isn't
 	// one.
-	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+	log.Printf("Sleeping for %v, event_delay", c.RawEventDelay)
+	time.Sleep(c.EventDelay)
 
 	// Poweroff the droplet so it can be snapshot
 	err := client.PowerOffDroplet(dropletId)