diff --git a/command/build.go b/command/build.go
index 238b8df51..5a9413ba8 100644
--- a/command/build.go
+++ b/command/build.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type BuildCommand struct {
 }
 
 func (c *BuildCommand) Run(args []string) int {
-	buildCtx, cleanup := handleTermInterrupt(c.Ui)
+	ctx, cleanup := handleTermInterrupt(c.Ui)
 	defer cleanup()
 
 	cfg, ret := c.ParseArgs(args)
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (c *BuildCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return ret
 	}
 
-	return c.RunContext(buildCtx, cfg)
+	return c.RunContext(ctx, cfg)
 }
 
 func (c *BuildCommand) ParseArgs(args []string) (*BuildArgs, int) {
@@ -106,20 +106,20 @@ func (m *Meta) GetConfig(cla *MetaArgs) (packer.BuildGetter, int) {
 		// will continue to work but users are encouraged to move to the new style.
 		// See: https://packer.io/guides/hcl
 		// `)
-		return m.GetConfigFromJSON(cla.Path)
+		return m.GetConfigFromJSON(cla)
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *Meta) GetConfigFromJSON(path string) (packer.BuildGetter, int) {
+func (m *Meta) GetConfigFromJSON(cla *MetaArgs) (packer.BuildGetter, int) {
 	// Parse the template
-	tpl, err := template.ParseFile(path)
+	tpl, err := template.ParseFile(cla.Path)
 	if err != nil {
 		m.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse template: %s", err))
 		return nil, 1
 	}
 
 	// Get the core
-	core, err := m.Core(tpl)
+	core, err := m.Core(tpl, cla)
 	ret := 0
 	if err != nil {
 		m.Ui.Error(err.Error())
diff --git a/command/console.go b/command/console.go
index f63fc3211..2db92e846 100644
--- a/command/console.go
+++ b/command/console.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package command
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -30,16 +31,40 @@ type ConsoleCommand struct {
 }
 
 func (c *ConsoleCommand) Run(args []string) int {
-	flags := c.Meta.FlagSet("console", FlagSetVars)
-	flags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Say(c.Help()) }
-	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
-		return 1
+	ctx, cleanup := handleTermInterrupt(c.Ui)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	cfg, ret := c.ParseArgs(args)
+	if ret != 0 {
+		return ret
 	}
 
-	var templ *template.Template
+	return c.RunContext(ctx, cfg)
+}
+
+func (c *ConsoleCommand) ParseArgs(args []string) (*ConsoleArgs, int) {
+	var cfg ConsoleArgs
+	flags := c.Meta.FlagSet("console", FlagSetVars)
+	flags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Say(c.Help()) }
+	cfg.AddFlagSets(flags)
+	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		return &cfg, 1
+	}
+
+	if len(args) > 1 {
+		// User provided too many arguments
+		flags.Usage()
+		return &cfg, 1
+	}
 
 	args = flags.Args()
-	if len(args) < 1 {
+	return &cfg, 0
+}
+
+func (c *ConsoleCommand) RunContext(ctx context.Context, cla *ConsoleArgs) int {
+
+	var templ *template.Template
+	if cla.Path == "" {
 		// If user has not defined a builder, create a tiny null placeholder
 		// builder so that we can properly initialize the core
 		tpl, err := template.Parse(strings.NewReader(TiniestBuilder))
@@ -48,22 +73,18 @@ func (c *ConsoleCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 			return 1
 		}
 		templ = tpl
-	} else if len(args) == 1 {
+	} else {
 		// Parse the provided template
-		tpl, err := template.ParseFile(args[0])
+		tpl, err := template.ParseFile(cla.Path)
 		if err != nil {
 			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse template: %s", err))
 			return 1
 		}
 		templ = tpl
-	} else {
-		// User provided too many arguments
-		flags.Usage()
-		return 1
 	}
 
 	// Get the core
-	core, err := c.Meta.Core(templ)
+	core, err := c.Meta.Core(templ, &cla.MetaArgs)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
diff --git a/command/meta.go b/command/meta.go
index 6e0543e2c..6f37f14c4 100644
--- a/command/meta.go
+++ b/command/meta.go
@@ -29,22 +29,18 @@ type Meta struct {
 	CoreConfig *packer.CoreConfig
 	Ui         packer.Ui
 	Version    string
-
-	// These are set by command-line flags
-	varFiles []string
-	flagVars map[string]string
 }
 
 // Core returns the core for the given template given the configured
 // CoreConfig and user variables on this Meta.
-func (m *Meta) Core(tpl *template.Template) (*packer.Core, error) {
+func (m *Meta) Core(tpl *template.Template, cla *MetaArgs) (*packer.Core, error) {
 	// Copy the config so we don't modify it
 	config := *m.CoreConfig
 	config.Template = tpl
 
 	fj := &kvflag.FlagJSON{}
 	// First populate fj with contents from var files
-	for _, file := range m.varFiles {
+	for _, file := range cla.VarFiles {
 		err := fj.Set(file)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -53,15 +49,15 @@ func (m *Meta) Core(tpl *template.Template) (*packer.Core, error) {
 	// Now read fj values back into flagvars and set as config.Variables. Only
 	// add to flagVars if the key doesn't already exist, because flagVars comes
 	// from the command line and should not be overridden by variable files.
-	if m.flagVars == nil {
-		m.flagVars = map[string]string{}
+	if cla.Vars == nil {
+		cla.Vars = map[string]string{}
 	}
 	for k, v := range *fj {
-		if _, exists := m.flagVars[k]; !exists {
-			m.flagVars[k] = v
+		if _, exists := cla.Vars[k]; !exists {
+			cla.Vars[k] = v
 		}
 	}
-	config.Variables = m.flagVars
+	config.Variables = cla.Vars
 
 	// Init the core
 	core, err := packer.NewCore(&config)
diff --git a/command/validate.go b/command/validate.go
index 8f08b44bc..fb6cd324a 100644
--- a/command/validate.go
+++ b/command/validate.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package command
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
@@ -19,35 +20,52 @@ type ValidateCommand struct {
 }
 
 func (c *ValidateCommand) Run(args []string) int {
-	var cfgSyntaxOnly bool
+	ctx, cleanup := handleTermInterrupt(c.Ui)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	cfg, ret := c.ParseArgs(args)
+	if ret != 0 {
+		return ret
+	}
+
+	return c.RunContext(ctx, cfg)
+}
+
+func (c *ValidateCommand) ParseArgs(args []string) (*ValidateArgs, int) {
+	var cfg ValidateArgs
+
 	flags := c.Meta.FlagSet("validate", FlagSetBuildFilter|FlagSetVars)
 	flags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Say(c.Help()) }
-	flags.BoolVar(&cfgSyntaxOnly, "syntax-only", false, "check syntax only")
+	cfg.AddFlagSets(flags)
 	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
-		return 1
+		return &cfg, 1
 	}
 
 	args = flags.Args()
 	if len(args) != 1 {
 		flags.Usage()
-		return 1
+		return &cfg, 1
 	}
+	cfg.Path = args[0]
+	return &cfg, 0
+}
 
+func (c *ValidateCommand) RunContext(ctx context.Context, cla *ValidateArgs) int {
 	// Parse the template
-	tpl, err := template.ParseFile(args[0])
+	tpl, err := template.ParseFile(cla.Path)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to parse template: %s", err))
 		return 1
 	}
 
 	// If we're only checking syntax, then we're done already
-	if cfgSyntaxOnly {
+	if cla.SyntaxOnly {
 		c.Ui.Say("Syntax-only check passed. Everything looks okay.")
 		return 0
 	}
 
 	// Get the core
-	core, err := c.Meta.Core(tpl)
+	core, err := c.Meta.Core(tpl, &cla.MetaArgs)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1