diff --git a/packer/core.go b/packer/core.go
index caa18a196..21ea4b8f9 100644
--- a/packer/core.go
+++ b/packer/core.go
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ package packer
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/template"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/template/interpolate"
 )
 
 // Core is the main executor of Packer. If Packer is being used as a
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ type Core struct {
 	ui         Ui
 	template   *template.Template
 	variables  map[string]string
+	builds     map[string]*template.Builder
 }
 
 // CoreConfig is the structure for initializing a new Core. Once a CoreConfig
@@ -38,15 +41,43 @@ func NewCore(c *CoreConfig) (*Core, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Go through and interpolate all the build names. We shuld be able
+	// to do this at this point with the variables.
+	builds := make(map[string]*template.Builder)
+	for _, b := range c.Template.Builders {
+		v, err := interpolate.Render(b.Name, &interpolate.Context{
+			UserVariables: c.Variables,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+				"Error interpolating builder '%s': %s",
+				b.Name, err)
+		}
+
+		builds[v] = b
+	}
+
 	return &Core{
 		cache:      c.Cache,
 		components: c.Components,
 		ui:         c.Ui,
 		template:   c.Template,
 		variables:  c.Variables,
+		builds:     builds,
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// BuildNames returns the builds that are available in this configured core.
+func (c *Core) BuildNames() []string {
+	r := make([]string, 0, len(c.builds))
+	for n, _ := range c.builds {
+		r = append(r, n)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(r)
+
+	return r
+}
+
 // Build returns the Build object for the given name.
 func (c *Core) Build(n string) (Build, error) {
 	// Setup the builder
diff --git a/packer/core_test.go b/packer/core_test.go
index dc7880302..d3f338d12 100644
--- a/packer/core_test.go
+++ b/packer/core_test.go
@@ -2,11 +2,52 @@ package packer
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/template"
 )
 
+func TestCoreBuildNames(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		File   string
+		Vars   map[string]string
+		Result []string
+	}{
+		{
+			"build-names-basic.json",
+			nil,
+			[]string{"something"},
+		},
+
+		{
+			"build-names-func.json",
+			nil,
+			[]string{"TUBES"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		tpl, err := template.ParseFile(fixtureDir(tc.File))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s\n\n%s", tc.File, err)
+		}
+
+		core, err := NewCore(&CoreConfig{
+			Template:  tpl,
+			Variables: tc.Vars,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s\n\n%s", tc.File, err)
+		}
+
+		names := core.BuildNames()
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(names, tc.Result) {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s\n\n%#v", tc.File, names)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCoreValidate(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		File string
diff --git a/packer/test-fixtures/build-names-basic.json b/packer/test-fixtures/build-names-basic.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1b0162551
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/test-fixtures/build-names-basic.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+    "builders": [
+        {"type": "something"}
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/packer/test-fixtures/build-names-func.json b/packer/test-fixtures/build-names-func.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..feb28cf37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/test-fixtures/build-names-func.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+    "builders": [
+        {"type": "{{upper `tubes`}}"}
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/template/interpolate/i.go b/template/interpolate/i.go
index 5f70ed82a..d52653fcf 100644
--- a/template/interpolate/i.go
+++ b/template/interpolate/i.go
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ type Context struct {
 	EnableEnv bool
 }
 
+// Render is shorthand for constructing an I and calling Render.
+func Render(v string, ctx *Context) (string, error) {
+	return (&I{Value: v}).Render(ctx)
+}
+
 // I stands for "interpolation" and is the main interpolation struct
 // in order to render values.
 type I struct {