diff --git a/packer/rpc/communicator.go b/packer/rpc/communicator.go
index de624a7af..3ea728bc1 100644
--- a/packer/rpc/communicator.go
+++ b/packer/rpc/communicator.go
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ func (c *communicator) Start(cmd *packer.RemoteCmd) (err error) {
 			return
 		}
 
+		log.Printf("[INFO] RPC client: Communicator ended with: %d", finished.ExitStatus)
 		cmd.SetExited(finished.ExitStatus)
 	}()
 
@@ -146,17 +147,28 @@ func (c *communicator) Download(path string, w io.Writer) (err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (c *CommunicatorServer) Start(args *CommunicatorStartArgs, reply *interface{}) (err error) {
+func (c *CommunicatorServer) Start(args *CommunicatorStartArgs, reply *interface{}) (error) {
 	// Build the RemoteCmd on this side so that it all pipes over
 	// to the remote side.
 	var cmd packer.RemoteCmd
 	cmd.Command = args.Command
 
+	// Create a channel to signal we're done so that we can close
+	// our stdin/stdout/stderr streams
 	toClose := make([]io.Closer, 0)
+	doneCh := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		<-doneCh
+		for _, conn := range toClose {
+			defer conn.Close()
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if args.StdinStreamId > 0 {
 		conn, err := c.mux.Dial(args.StdinStreamId)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			close(doneCh)
+			return NewBasicError(err)
 		}
 
 		toClose = append(toClose, conn)
@@ -166,7 +178,8 @@ func (c *CommunicatorServer) Start(args *CommunicatorStartArgs, reply *interface
 	if args.StdoutStreamId > 0 {
 		conn, err := c.mux.Dial(args.StdoutStreamId)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			close(doneCh)
+			return NewBasicError(err)
 		}
 
 		toClose = append(toClose, conn)
@@ -176,38 +189,42 @@ func (c *CommunicatorServer) Start(args *CommunicatorStartArgs, reply *interface
 	if args.StderrStreamId > 0 {
 		conn, err := c.mux.Dial(args.StderrStreamId)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			close(doneCh)
+			return NewBasicError(err)
 		}
 
 		toClose = append(toClose, conn)
 		cmd.Stderr = conn
 	}
 
+
 	// Connect to the response address so we can write our result to it
 	// when ready.
 	responseC, err := c.mux.Dial(args.ResponseStreamId)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		close(doneCh)
+		return NewBasicError(err)
 	}
-
 	responseWriter := gob.NewEncoder(responseC)
 
 	// Start the actual command
 	err = c.c.Start(&cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		close(doneCh)
+		return NewBasicError(err)
+	}
 
 	// Start a goroutine to spin and wait for the process to actual
 	// exit. When it does, report it back to caller...
 	go func() {
+		defer close(doneCh)
 		defer responseC.Close()
-		for _, conn := range toClose {
-			defer conn.Close()
-		}
-
 		cmd.Wait()
+		log.Printf("[INFO] RPC endpoint: Communicator ended with: %d", cmd.ExitStatus)
 		responseWriter.Encode(&CommandFinished{cmd.ExitStatus})
 	}()
 
-	return
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *CommunicatorServer) Upload(args *CommunicatorUploadArgs, reply *interface{}) (err error) {
diff --git a/packer/rpc/muxconn.go b/packer/rpc/muxconn.go
index 0663bc0c7..e29d938bb 100644
--- a/packer/rpc/muxconn.go
+++ b/packer/rpc/muxconn.go
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func (m *MuxConn) openStream(id uint32) (*Stream, error) {
 
 	// Create the stream object and channel where data will be sent to
 	dataR, dataW := io.Pipe()
-	writeCh := make(chan []byte, 10)
+	writeCh := make(chan []byte, 256)
 
 	// Set the data channel so we can write to it.
 	stream := &Stream{
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ func (m *MuxConn) loop() {
 				select {
 				case stream.writeCh <- data:
 				default:
-					log.Printf("[ERR] Failed to write data, buffer full: %d", id)
+					panic(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to write data, buffer full for stream %d", id))
 				}
 			} else {
 				log.Printf("[ERR] Data received for stream in state: %d", stream.state)