diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/block_device.go b/builder/amazon/common/block_device.go
index 482b876f6..fb14a66ae 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/block_device.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/block_device.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package common
 
 import (
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/template/interpolate"
@@ -47,11 +49,14 @@ func buildBlockDevices(b []BlockDevice) []*ec2.BlockDeviceMapping {
 		}
 
 		mapping := &ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{
-			EBS:         ebsBlockDevice,
 			DeviceName:  aws.String(blockDevice.DeviceName),
 			VirtualName: aws.String(blockDevice.VirtualName),
 		}
 
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(blockDevice.VirtualName, "ephemeral") {
+			mapping.EBS = ebsBlockDevice
+		}
+
 		if blockDevice.NoDevice {
 			mapping.NoDevice = aws.String("")
 		}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/block_device_test.go b/builder/amazon/common/block_device_test.go
index 063c480f1..c69ef2efb 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/block_device_test.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/block_device_test.go
@@ -17,17 +17,15 @@ func TestBlockDevice(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Config: &BlockDevice{
 				DeviceName:          "/dev/sdb",
-				VirtualName:         "ephemeral0",
 				SnapshotId:          "snap-1234",
 				VolumeType:          "standard",
 				VolumeSize:          8,
 				DeleteOnTermination: true,
-				IOPS:                1000,
 			},
 
 			Result: &ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{
 				DeviceName:  aws.String("/dev/sdb"),
-				VirtualName: aws.String("ephemeral0"),
+				VirtualName: aws.String(""),
 				EBS: &ec2.EBSBlockDevice{
 					SnapshotID:          aws.String("snap-1234"),
 					VolumeType:          aws.String("standard"),
@@ -55,7 +53,6 @@ func TestBlockDevice(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Config: &BlockDevice{
 				DeviceName:          "/dev/sdb",
-				VirtualName:         "ephemeral0",
 				VolumeType:          "io1",
 				VolumeSize:          8,
 				DeleteOnTermination: true,
@@ -64,7 +61,7 @@ func TestBlockDevice(t *testing.T) {
 
 			Result: &ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{
 				DeviceName:  aws.String("/dev/sdb"),
-				VirtualName: aws.String("ephemeral0"),
+				VirtualName: aws.String(""),
 				EBS: &ec2.EBSBlockDevice{
 					VolumeType:          aws.String("io1"),
 					VolumeSize:          aws.Long(8),
@@ -73,6 +70,17 @@ func TestBlockDevice(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			Config: &BlockDevice{
+				DeviceName:  "/dev/sdb",
+				VirtualName: "ephemeral0",
+			},
+
+			Result: &ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{
+				DeviceName:  aws.String("/dev/sdb"),
+				VirtualName: aws.String("ephemeral0"),
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
@@ -84,11 +92,14 @@ func TestBlockDevice(t *testing.T) {
 		expected := []*ec2.BlockDeviceMapping{tc.Result}
 		got := blockDevices.BuildAMIDevices()
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(expected, got) {
-			t.Fatalf("Bad block device, \nexpected: %s\n\ngot: %s", awsutil.StringValue(expected), awsutil.StringValue(got))
+			t.Fatalf("Bad block device, \nexpected: %s\n\ngot: %s",
+				awsutil.StringValue(expected), awsutil.StringValue(got))
 		}
 
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(expected, blockDevices.BuildLaunchDevices()) {
-			t.Fatalf("Bad block device, \nexpected: %s\n\ngot: %s", awsutil.StringValue(expected), awsutil.StringValue(blockDevices.BuildLaunchDevices()))
+			t.Fatalf("Bad block device, \nexpected: %s\n\ngot: %s",
+				awsutil.StringValue(expected),
+				awsutil.StringValue(blockDevices.BuildLaunchDevices()))
 		}
 	}
 }