diff --git a/builder/openstack/builder.go b/builder/openstack/builder.go
index d63e847f2..e745b8db0 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/builder.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/builder.go
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			Flavor:      b.config.Flavor,
 			SourceImage: b.config.SourceImage,
 		},
+		&StepAllocateIp{
+			FloatingIpPool: b.config.FloatingIpPool,
+			FloatingIp:     b.config.FloatingIp,
+		},
 		&common.StepConnectSSH{
 			SSHAddress:     SSHAddress(csp, b.config.SSHPort),
 			SSHConfig:      SSHConfig(b.config.SSHUsername),
diff --git a/builder/openstack/run_config.go b/builder/openstack/run_config.go
index 688d681a5..96388e254 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/run_config.go
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	SSHUsername       string `mapstructure:"ssh_username"`
 	SSHPort           int    `mapstructure:"ssh_port"`
 	OpenstackProvider string `mapstructure:"openstack_provider"`
+	UseFloatingIp     bool   `mapstructure:"use_floating_ip"`
+	FloatingIpPool    string `mapstructure:"floating_ip_pool"`
+	FloatingIp        string `mapstructure:"floating_ip"`
 
 	// Unexported fields that are calculated from others
 	sshTimeout time.Duration
@@ -43,6 +46,10 @@ func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(t *packer.ConfigTemplate) []error {
 		c.RawSSHTimeout = "5m"
 	}
 
+	if c.UseFloatingIp && c.FloatingIpPool == "" {
+		c.FloatingIpPool = "public"
+	}
+
 	// Validation
 	var err error
 	errs := make([]error, 0)
diff --git a/builder/openstack/ssh.go b/builder/openstack/ssh.go
index a27a7f3c4..bdb3d75d6 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/ssh.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/ssh.go
@@ -13,24 +13,35 @@ import (
 // for determining the SSH address based on the server AccessIPv4 setting..
 func SSHAddress(csp gophercloud.CloudServersProvider, port int) func(multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
 	return func(state multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
-		for j := 0; j < 2; j++ {
-			s := state.Get("server").(*gophercloud.Server)
-			if s.AccessIPv4 != "" {
-				return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", s.AccessIPv4, port), nil
-			}
-			if s.AccessIPv6 != "" {
-				return fmt.Sprintf("[%s]:%d", s.AccessIPv6, port), nil
-			}
-			serverState, err := csp.ServerById(s.Id)
+		s := state.Get("server").(*gophercloud.Server)
 
-			if err != nil {
-				return "", err
-			}
-
-			state.Put("server", serverState)
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+		if ip := state.Get("access_ip").(gophercloud.FloatingIp); ip.Ip != "" {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", ip.Ip, port), nil
 		}
 
+		ip_pools, err := s.AllAddressPools()
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", errors.New("Error parsing SSH addresses")
+		}
+		for pool, addresses := range ip_pools {
+			if pool != "" {
+				for _, address := range addresses {
+					if address.Addr != "" {
+						return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", address.Addr, port), nil
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		serverState, err := csp.ServerById(s.Id)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+
+		state.Put("server", serverState)
+		time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+
 		return "", errors.New("couldn't determine IP address for server")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/builder/openstack/step_allocate_ip.go b/builder/openstack/step_allocate_ip.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..28e97b4d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/openstack/step_allocate_ip.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package openstack
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
+	"github.com/rackspace/gophercloud"
+)
+
+type StepAllocateIp struct {
+	FloatingIpPool string
+	FloatingIp     string
+}
+
+func (s *StepAllocateIp) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
+	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
+	csp := state.Get("csp").(gophercloud.CloudServersProvider)
+	server := state.Get("server").(*gophercloud.Server)
+
+	var instanceIp gophercloud.FloatingIp
+	// This is here in case we error out before putting instanceIp into the
+	// statebag below, because it is requested by Cleanup()
+	state.Put("access_ip", instanceIp)
+
+	if s.FloatingIp != "" {
+		instanceIp.Ip = s.FloatingIp
+	} else if s.FloatingIpPool != "" {
+		newIp, err := csp.CreateFloatingIp(s.FloatingIpPool)
+		if err != nil {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating floating ip from pool '%s'", s.FloatingIpPool)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		}
+		instanceIp = newIp
+		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Created temporary floating IP %s...", instanceIp.Ip))
+	}
+
+	if instanceIp.Ip != "" {
+		if err := csp.AssociateFloatingIp(server.Id, instanceIp); err != nil {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Error associating floating IP %s with instance.", instanceIp.Ip)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		} else {
+			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Added floating IP %s to instance...", instanceIp.Ip))
+		}
+	}
+
+	state.Put("access_ip", instanceIp)
+
+	return multistep.ActionContinue
+}
+
+func (s *StepAllocateIp) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {
+	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
+	csp := state.Get("csp").(gophercloud.CloudServersProvider)
+	instanceIp := state.Get("access_ip").(gophercloud.FloatingIp)
+	if s.FloatingIpPool != "" && instanceIp.Id != 0 {
+		if err := csp.DeleteFloatingIp(instanceIp); err != nil {
+			ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error deleting temporary floating IP %s", instanceIp.Ip))
+			return
+		}
+		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Deleted temporary floating IP %s", instanceIp.Ip))
+	}
+}