diff --git a/builder/openstack/access_config.go b/builder/openstack/access_config.go
index 4602ecb75..489e43bea 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/access_config.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/access_config.go
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import (
 
 // AccessConfig is for common configuration related to openstack access
 type AccessConfig struct {
-	Username string `mapstructure:"username"`
-	Password string `mapstructure:"password"`
-	Provider string `mapstructure:"provider"`
+	Username  string `mapstructure:"username"`
+	Password  string `mapstructure:"password"`
+	Provider  string `mapstructure:"provider"`
+	RawRegion string `mapstructure:"region"`
 }
 
 // Auth returns a valid Auth object for access to openstack services, or
@@ -40,6 +41,10 @@ func (c *AccessConfig) Auth() (gophercloud.AccessProvider, error) {
 	return gophercloud.Authenticate(provider, authoptions)
 }
 
+func (c *AccessConfig) Region() string {
+	return c.RawRegion
+}
+
 func (c *AccessConfig) Prepare(t *packer.ConfigTemplate) []error {
 	if t == nil {
 		var err error
@@ -65,6 +70,10 @@ func (c *AccessConfig) Prepare(t *packer.ConfigTemplate) []error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if c.RawRegion == "" {
+		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("region must be specified"))
+	}
+
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		return errs
 	}
diff --git a/builder/openstack/access_config_test.go b/builder/openstack/access_config_test.go
index 3113edf52..7a9e5201e 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/access_config_test.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/access_config_test.go
@@ -8,9 +8,21 @@ func testAccessConfig() *AccessConfig {
 	return &AccessConfig{}
 }
 
-func TestAccessConfigPrepare_Region(t *testing.T) {
+func TestAccessConfigPrepare_NoRegion(t *testing.T) {
 	c := testAccessConfig()
-	if err := c.Prepare(nil); err != nil {
+	if err := c.Prepare(nil); err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("shouldn't have err: %s", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAccessConfigPrepare_Region(t *testing.T) {
+	dfw := "DFW"
+	c := testAccessConfig()
+	c.RawRegion = dfw
+	if err := c.Prepare(nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("shouldn't have err: %s", err)
+	}
+	if dfw != c.Region() {
+		t.Fatalf("Regions do not match: %s %s", dfw, c.Region())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/builder/openstack/builder.go b/builder/openstack/builder.go
index 9882ea032..95204dab6 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/builder.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/builder.go
@@ -62,12 +62,13 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	}
 	api := &gophercloud.ApiCriteria{
 		Name:      "cloudServersOpenStack",
-		Region:    "DFW",
+		Region:    b.config.AccessConfig.Region(),
 		VersionId: "2",
 		UrlChoice: gophercloud.PublicURL,
 	}
 	csp, err := gophercloud.ServersApi(auth, *api)
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Region: %s", b.config.AccessConfig.Region())
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/openstack/builder_test.go b/builder/openstack/builder_test.go
index 38bf4b5f6..cf7ca2927 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/builder_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ func testConfig() map[string]interface{} {
 		"username":     "foo",
 		"password":     "bar",
 		"provider":     "foo",
+		"region":       "DFW",
 		"image_name":   "foo",
 		"source_image": "foo",
 		"flavor":       "foo",