diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go
index de293731d..50e831c9d 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/ami_config.go
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@ import (
 
 // AMIConfig is for common configuration related to creating AMIs.
 type AMIConfig struct {
-	AMIName         string   `mapstructure:"ami_name"`
-	AMIDescription  string   `mapstructure:"ami_description"`
-	AMIUsers        []string `mapstructure:"ami_users"`
-	AMIGroups       []string `mapstructure:"ami_groups"`
-	AMIProductCodes []string `mapstructure:"ami_product_codes"`
-	AMIRegions      []string `mapstructure:"ami_regions"`
+	AMIName         string            `mapstructure:"ami_name"`
+	AMIDescription  string            `mapstructure:"ami_description"`
+	AMIUsers        []string          `mapstructure:"ami_users"`
+	AMIGroups       []string          `mapstructure:"ami_groups"`
+	AMIProductCodes []string          `mapstructure:"ami_product_codes"`
+	AMIRegions      []string          `mapstructure:"ami_regions"`
+	AMITags         map[string]string `mapstructure:"tags"`
 }
 
 func (c *AMIConfig) Prepare(t *packer.ConfigTemplate) []error {
@@ -87,6 +88,27 @@ func (c *AMIConfig) Prepare(t *packer.ConfigTemplate) []error {
 		c.AMIRegions = regions
 	}
 
+	newTags := make(map[string]string)
+	for k, v := range c.AMITags {
+		k, err := t.Process(k, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			errs = append(errs,
+				fmt.Errorf("Error processing tag key %s: %s", k, err))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		v, err := t.Process(v, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			errs = append(errs,
+				fmt.Errorf("Error processing tag value '%s': %s", v, err))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		newTags[k] = v
+	}
+
+	c.AMITags = newTags
+
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		return errs
 	}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index 342553855..f7bdc48e7 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 package ebs
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/goamz/ec2"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	awscommon "github.com/mitchellh/packer/builder/amazon/common"
@@ -25,9 +24,6 @@ type config struct {
 	awscommon.BlockDevices `mapstructure:",squash"`
 	awscommon.RunConfig    `mapstructure:",squash"`
 
-	// Tags for the AMI
-	Tags map[string]string
-
 	tpl *packer.ConfigTemplate
 }
 
@@ -54,28 +50,6 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, b.config.AMIConfig.Prepare(b.config.tpl)...)
 	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, b.config.RunConfig.Prepare(b.config.tpl)...)
 
-	// Accumulate any errors
-	newTags := make(map[string]string)
-	for k, v := range b.config.Tags {
-		k, err = b.config.tpl.Process(k, nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs,
-				fmt.Errorf("Error processing tag key %s: %s", k, err))
-			continue
-		}
-
-		v, err = b.config.tpl.Process(v, nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs,
-				fmt.Errorf("Error processing tag value '%s': %s", v, err))
-			continue
-		}
-
-		newTags[k] = v
-	}
-
-	b.config.Tags = newTags
-
 	if errs != nil && len(errs.Errors) > 0 {
 		return errs
 	}
@@ -132,9 +106,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		&stepCreateAMI{},
 		&awscommon.StepAMIRegionCopy{
 			Regions: b.config.AMIRegions,
-			Tags:    b.config.Tags,
+			Tags:    b.config.AMITags,
+		},
+		&awscommon.StepCreateTags{
+			Tags: b.config.AMITags,
 		},
-		&awscommon.StepCreateTags{Tags: b.config.Tags},
 		&awscommon.StepModifyAMIAttributes{
 			Description: b.config.AMIDescription,
 			Users:       b.config.AMIUsers,