diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/state.go b/builder/amazon/common/state.go
index 390568cbf..9acedd020 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/state.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/state.go
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ func AMIStateRefreshFunc(conn *ec2.EC2, imageId string) StateRefreshFunc {
 
 // InstanceStateRefreshFunc returns a StateRefreshFunc that is used to watch
 // an EC2 instance.
-func InstanceStateRefreshFunc(conn *ec2.EC2, i *ec2.Instance) StateRefreshFunc {
+func InstanceStateRefreshFunc(conn *ec2.EC2, instanceId string) StateRefreshFunc {
 	return func() (interface{}, string, error) {
 		resp, err := conn.DescribeInstances(&ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
-			InstanceIDs: []*string{i.InstanceID},
+			InstanceIDs: []*string{&instanceId},
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			if ec2err, ok := err.(awserr.Error); ok && ec2err.Code() == "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound" {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
index c678ef54d..87ac077b9 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
@@ -223,31 +223,12 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepActi
 		instanceId = *spotResp.SpotInstanceRequests[0].InstanceID
 	}
 
-	instanceResp, err := ec2conn.DescribeInstances(&ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
-		InstanceIDs: []*string{&instanceId}})
-	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
-		if err == nil {
-			break
-		}
-
-		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
-		instanceResp, err = ec2conn.DescribeInstances(&ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
-			InstanceIDs: []*string{&instanceId}})
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		err := fmt.Errorf("Error finding source instance (%s): %s", instanceId, err)
-		state.Put("error", err)
-		ui.Error(err.Error())
-		return multistep.ActionHalt
-	}
-	s.instance = instanceResp.Reservations[0].Instances[0]
-	ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Instance ID: %s", *s.instance.InstanceID))
-
-	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Waiting for instance (%s) to become ready...", *s.instance.InstanceID))
+	ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Instance ID: %s", instanceId))
+	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Waiting for instance (%v) to become ready...", instanceId))
 	stateChange := StateChangeConf{
 		Pending:   []string{"pending"},
 		Target:    "running",
-		Refresh:   InstanceStateRefreshFunc(ec2conn, s.instance),
+		Refresh:   InstanceStateRefreshFunc(ec2conn, instanceId),
 		StepState: state,
 	}
 	latestInstance, err := WaitForState(&stateChange)
@@ -329,7 +310,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {
 		}
 		stateChange := StateChangeConf{
 			Pending: []string{"pending", "running", "shutting-down", "stopped", "stopping"},
-			Refresh: InstanceStateRefreshFunc(ec2conn, s.instance),
+			Refresh: InstanceStateRefreshFunc(ec2conn, s.instance.InstanceId),
 			Target:  "terminated",
 		}
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go
index 9f7cb8029..7312fd200 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/step_stop_instance.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (s *stepStopInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	stateChange := awscommon.StateChangeConf{
 		Pending:   []string{"running", "stopping"},
 		Target:    "stopped",
-		Refresh:   awscommon.InstanceStateRefreshFunc(ec2conn, instance),
+		Refresh:   awscommon.InstanceStateRefreshFunc(ec2conn, instance.InstanceId),
 		StepState: state,
 	}
 	_, err = awscommon.WaitForState(&stateChange)