diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go
index dccde08d4..a10fc52f3 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go
@@ -15,36 +15,45 @@ import (
 
 // AccessConfig is for common configuration related to AWS access
 type AccessConfig struct {
-	AccessKey string `mapstructure:"access_key"`
-	SecretKey string `mapstructure:"secret_key"`
-	RawRegion string `mapstructure:"region"`
-	Token     string `mapstructure:"token"`
+	AccessKey   string `mapstructure:"access_key"`
+	SecretKey   string `mapstructure:"secret_key"`
+	RawRegion   string `mapstructure:"region"`
+	Token       string `mapstructure:"token"`
+	ProfileName string `mapstructure:"profile"`
 }
 
 // Config returns a valid aws.Config object for access to AWS services, or
 // an error if the authentication and region couldn't be resolved
 func (c *AccessConfig) Config() (*aws.Config, error) {
-	creds := credentials.NewChainCredentials([]credentials.Provider{
-		&credentials.StaticProvider{Value: credentials.Value{
-			AccessKeyID:     c.AccessKey,
-			SecretAccessKey: c.SecretKey,
-			SessionToken:    c.Token,
-		}},
-		&credentials.EnvProvider{},
-		&credentials.SharedCredentialsProvider{Filename: "", Profile: ""},
-		&ec2rolecreds.EC2RoleProvider{},
-	})
+	var creds *credentials.Credentials
 
 	region, err := c.Region()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
-	return &aws.Config{
-		Region:      aws.String(region),
-		Credentials: creds,
-		MaxRetries:  aws.Int(11),
-	}, nil
+	config := aws.NewConfig().WithRegion(region).WithMaxRetries(11)
+	if c.ProfileName != "" {
+		profile, err := NewFromProfile(c.ProfileName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		creds, err = profile.CredentialsFromProfile(config)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	} else {
+		creds = credentials.NewChainCredentials([]credentials.Provider{
+			&credentials.StaticProvider{Value: credentials.Value{
+				AccessKeyID:     c.AccessKey,
+				SecretAccessKey: c.SecretKey,
+				SessionToken:    c.Token,
+			}},
+			&credentials.EnvProvider{},
+			&credentials.SharedCredentialsProvider{Filename: "", Profile: ""},
+			&ec2rolecreds.EC2RoleProvider{},
+		})
+	}
+	return config.WithCredentials(creds), nil
 }
 
 // Region returns the aws.Region object for access to AWS services, requesting
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/cli_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/cli_config.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88b7a4afd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/cli_config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/credentials"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/sts"
+	"github.com/go-ini/ini"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir"
+)
+
+type CLIConfig struct {
+	ProfileName   string
+	SourceProfile string
+
+	AssumeRoleInput   *sts.AssumeRoleInput
+	SourceCredentials *credentials.Credentials
+
+	profileCfg  *ini.Section
+	profileCred *ini.Section
+}
+
+// Return a new CLIConfig with stored profile settings
+func NewFromProfile(name string) (*CLIConfig, error) {
+	c := &CLIConfig{}
+	c.AssumeRoleInput = new(sts.AssumeRoleInput)
+	err := c.Prepare(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	sessName, err := c.getSessionName(c.profileCfg.Key("role_session_name").Value())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	c.AssumeRoleInput.RoleSessionName = aws.String(sessName)
+	arn := c.profileCfg.Key("role_arn").Value()
+	if arn != "" {
+		c.AssumeRoleInput.RoleArn = aws.String(arn)
+	}
+	id := c.profileCfg.Key("external_id").Value()
+	if id != "" {
+		c.AssumeRoleInput.ExternalId = aws.String(id)
+	}
+	c.SourceCredentials = credentials.NewStaticCredentials(
+		c.profileCred.Key("aws_access_key_id").Value(),
+		c.profileCred.Key("aws_secret_access_key").Value(),
+		c.profileCred.Key("aws_session_token").Value(),
+	)
+	return c, nil
+}
+
+// Return AWS Credentials using current profile. Must supply source config.
+func (c *CLIConfig) CredentialsFromProfile(conf *aws.Config) (*credentials.Credentials, error) {
+	// If the profile name is equal to the source profile, there is no role to assume so return
+	// the source credentials as they were captured.
+	if c.ProfileName == c.SourceProfile {
+		return c.SourceCredentials, nil
+	}
+	srcCfg := aws.NewConfig().Copy(conf).WithCredentials(c.SourceCredentials)
+	svc := sts.New(session.New(), srcCfg)
+	res, err := svc.AssumeRole(c.AssumeRoleInput)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return credentials.NewStaticCredentials(
+		*res.Credentials.AccessKeyId,
+		*res.Credentials.SecretAccessKey,
+		*res.Credentials.SessionToken,
+	), nil
+}
+
+// Sets params in the struct based on the file section
+func (c *CLIConfig) Prepare(name string) error {
+	var err error
+	c.ProfileName = name
+	c.profileCfg, err = configFromName(c.ProfileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	c.SourceProfile = c.profileCfg.Key("source_profile").Value()
+	if c.SourceProfile == "" {
+		c.SourceProfile = c.ProfileName
+	}
+	c.profileCred, err = credsFromName(c.SourceProfile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *CLIConfig) getSessionName(rawName string) (string, error) {
+	if rawName == "" {
+		name := "packer-"
+		host, err := os.Hostname()
+		if err != nil {
+			return name, err
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, host), nil
+	} else {
+		return rawName, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func configFromName(name string) (*ini.Section, error) {
+	filePath := os.Getenv("AWS_CONFIG_FILE")
+	if filePath == "" {
+		home, err := homedir.Dir()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		filePath = path.Join(home, ".aws", "config")
+	}
+	file, err := readFile(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	profileName := fmt.Sprintf("profile %s", name)
+	cfg, err := file.GetSection(profileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return cfg, nil
+}
+
+func credsFromName(name string) (*ini.Section, error) {
+	filePath := os.Getenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE")
+	if filePath == "" {
+		home, err := homedir.Dir()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		filePath = path.Join(home, ".aws", "credentials")
+	}
+	file, err := readFile(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	cfg, err := file.GetSection(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return cfg, nil
+}
+
+func readFile(path string) (*ini.File, error) {
+	cfg, err := ini.Load(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return cfg, nil
+}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/cli_config_test.go b/builder/amazon/common/cli_config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a6dc7ed5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/cli_config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	os.Setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", "")
+	os.Setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY", "")
+	os.Setenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", "")
+	os.Setenv("AWS_SECRET_KEY", "")
+	os.Setenv("AWS_CONFIG_FILE", "")
+	os.Setenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE", "")
+}
+
+func testCLIConfig() *CLIConfig {
+	return &CLIConfig{}
+}
+
+func TestCLIConfigNewFromProfile(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := mockConfig(t)
+
+	c, err := NewFromProfile("testing2")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	if c.AssumeRoleInput.RoleArn != nil {
+		t.Errorf("RoleArn should be nil. Instead %p", c.AssumeRoleInput.RoleArn)
+	}
+	if c.AssumeRoleInput.ExternalId != nil {
+		t.Errorf("ExternalId should be nil. Instead %p", c.AssumeRoleInput.ExternalId)
+	}
+
+	mockConfigClose(t, tmpDir)
+}
+
+func TestAssumeRole(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := mockConfig(t)
+
+	c, err := NewFromProfile("testing1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	// Role
+	e := "arn:aws:iam::123456789011:role/rolename"
+	a := *c.AssumeRoleInput.RoleArn
+	if e != a {
+		t.Errorf("RoleArn value should be %s. Instead %s", e, a)
+	}
+	// Session
+	a = *c.AssumeRoleInput.RoleSessionName
+	e = "testsession"
+	if e != a {
+		t.Errorf("RoleSessionName value should be %s. Instead %s", e, a)
+	}
+
+	config := aws.NewConfig()
+	_, err = c.CredentialsFromProfile(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("Should have errored")
+	}
+	mockConfigClose(t, tmpDir)
+}
+
+func mockConfig(t *testing.T) string {
+	time := time.Now().UnixNano()
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", strconv.FormatInt(time, 10))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	cfg := []byte(`[profile testing1]
+region=us-west-2
+source_profile=testingcredentials
+role_arn = arn:aws:iam::123456789011:role/rolename
+role_session_name = testsession
+
+[profile testing2]
+region=us-west-2
+	`)
+	cfgFile := path.Join(dir, "config")
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(cfgFile, cfg, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	os.Setenv("AWS_CONFIG_FILE", cfgFile)
+
+	crd := []byte(`[testingcredentials]
+aws_access_key_id = foo
+aws_secret_access_key = bar
+
+[testing2]
+aws_access_key_id = baz
+aws_secret_access_key = qux
+	`)
+	crdFile := path.Join(dir, "credentials")
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(crdFile, crd, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	os.Setenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE", crdFile)
+
+	return dir
+}
+
+func mockConfigClose(t *testing.T, dir string) {
+	err := os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+}