diff --git a/builder/docker/step_temp_dir.go b/builder/docker/step_temp_dir.go
index c8b2fa7e6..8d68477eb 100644
--- a/builder/docker/step_temp_dir.go
+++ b/builder/docker/step_temp_dir.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 )
 
 // StepTempDir creates a temporary directory that we use in order to
@@ -18,7 +19,19 @@ func (s *StepTempDir) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
 	ui.Say("Creating a temporary directory for sharing data...")
-	td, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "packer-docker")
+	// Create the docker temp files in the current working directory
+	// to work around an issue when running with docker-machine
+	// using vm's needing access to shared folder content. This assumes
+	// the current working directory is mapped as a share folder.
+	// Allow TMPDIR to override this location.
+	path := ""
+	if tmpdir := os.Getenv("TMPDIR"); tmpdir == "" {
+		abspath, err := filepath.Abs(".")
+		if err == nil {
+			path = abspath
+		}
+	}
+	td, err := ioutil.TempDir(path, "packer-docker")
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error making temp dir: %s", err)
 		state.Put("error", err)
diff --git a/builder/docker/step_temp_dir_test.go b/builder/docker/step_temp_dir_test.go
index a7d495f65..38ff7c360 100644
--- a/builder/docker/step_temp_dir_test.go
+++ b/builder/docker/step_temp_dir_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package docker
 import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ func TestStepTempDir_impl(t *testing.T) {
 	var _ multistep.Step = new(StepTempDir)
 }
 
-func TestStepTempDir(t *testing.T) {
+func testStepTempDir_impl(t *testing.T) string {
 	state := testState(t)
 	step := new(StepTempDir)
 	defer step.Cleanup(state)
@@ -41,4 +43,36 @@ func TestStepTempDir(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(dir); err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("dir should be gone")
 	}
+
+	return dir
+}
+
+func TestStepTempDir(t *testing.T) {
+	testStepTempDir_impl(t)
+}
+
+func TestStepTempDir_notmpdir(t *testing.T) {
+	tempenv := "TMPDIR"
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		tempenv = "TMP"
+	}
+	// Verify empty TMPDIR maps to current working directory
+	oldenv := os.Getenv(tempenv)
+	os.Setenv(tempenv, "")
+	defer os.Setenv(tempenv, oldenv)
+
+	dir1 := testStepTempDir_impl(t)
+
+	// Now set TMPDIR to current directory
+	abspath, err := filepath.Abs(".")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("could not get current working directory")
+	}
+	os.Setenv(tempenv, abspath)
+
+	dir2 := testStepTempDir_impl(t)
+
+	if filepath.Dir(dir1) != filepath.Dir(dir2) {
+		t.Fatalf("temp base directories do not match: %s %s", filepath.Dir(dir1), filepath.Dir(dir2))
+	}
 }