diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command.go
index ab9cd5c70..aa12df00f 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
-		for _, code := range scancodes(command) {
+		for _, code := range gathercodes(scancodes(command)) {
 			if code == "wait" {
 				time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 				continue
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 				pauseFn(multistep.DebugLocationAfterRun, fmt.Sprintf("boot_command[%d]: %s", i, command), state)
 			}
 
-			if err := driver.VBoxManage("controlvm", vmName, "keyboardputscancode", code); err != nil {
+			args := []string{"controlvm", vmName, "keyboardputscancode"}
+			args = append(args, strings.Split(code, " ")...)
+			if err := driver.VBoxManage(args...); err != nil {
 				err := fmt.Errorf("Error sending boot command: %s", err)
 				state.Put("error", err)
 				ui.Error(err.Error())
@@ -105,6 +107,27 @@ func (s *StepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 
 func (*StepTypeBootCommand) Cleanup(multistep.StateBag) {}
 
+// Gather scancodes to send to console efficiently.
+func gathercodes(codes []string) (gathered []string) {
+	working := []string{}
+	pushWorking := func() {
+		if len(working) > 0 {
+			gathered = append(gathered, strings.Join(working, " "))
+			working = []string{}
+		}
+	}
+	for _, code := range codes {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(code, "wait") {
+			pushWorking()
+			gathered = append(gathered, code)
+		} else {
+			working = append(working, code)
+		}
+	}
+	pushWorking()
+	return
+}
+
 func scancodes(message string) []string {
 	// Scancodes reference: http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/linux/kbd/scancodes-1.html
 	//
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command_test.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53b33bda5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/step_type_boot_command_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestStepTypeBootCommand_gather(t *testing.T) {
+	input := [][]string{
+		{"02", "82", "wait1", "03", "83"},
+		{"02", "82", "03", "83"},
+		{"wait5", "wait1", "wait10"},
+		{"wait5", "02", "82", "03", "83", "wait1", "wait10"},
+		{"wait1"},
+		{"01"},
+	}
+
+	expected := [][]string{
+		{"02 82", "wait1", "03 83"},
+		{"02 82 03 83"},
+		{"wait5", "wait1", "wait10"},
+		{"wait5", "02 82 03 83", "wait1", "wait10"},
+		{"wait1"},
+		{"01"},
+	}
+
+	for i, data := range input {
+		gathered := gathercodes(data)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(gathered, expected[i]) {
+			t.Fatalf("%#v did not equal expected %#v", gathered, expected[i])
+		}
+	}
+}