diff --git a/builder/vmware/builder.go b/builder/vmware/builder.go
index 6cd7575df..6445ac97c 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/builder.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/builder.go
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ type config struct {
 	DiskSize          uint              `mapstructure:"disk_size"`
 	FloppyFiles       []string          `mapstructure:"floppy_files"`
 	GuestOSType       string            `mapstructure:"guest_os_type"`
-	ISOMD5            string            `mapstructure:"iso_md5"`
+	ISOChecksum       string            `mapstructure:"iso_checksum"`
+	ISOChecksumType   string            `mapstructure:"iso_checksum_type"`
 	ISOUrl            string            `mapstructure:"iso_url"`
 	VMName            string            `mapstructure:"vm_name"`
 	OutputDir         string            `mapstructure:"output_directory"`
@@ -152,10 +153,21 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("http_port_min must be less than http_port_max"))
 	}
 
-	if b.config.ISOMD5 == "" {
-		errs = append(errs, errors.New("Due to large file sizes, an iso_md5 is required"))
+	if b.config.ISOChecksum == "" {
+		errs = append(errs, errors.New("Due to large file sizes, an iso_checksum is required"))
 	} else {
-		b.config.ISOMD5 = strings.ToLower(b.config.ISOMD5)
+		b.config.ISOChecksum = strings.ToLower(b.config.ISOChecksum)
+	}
+
+	if b.config.ISOChecksumType == "" {
+		errs = append(errs, errors.New("The iso_checksum_type must be specified."))
+	} else {
+		b.config.ISOChecksumType = strings.ToLower(b.config.ISOChecksumType)
+		if h := common.HashForType(b.config.ISOChecksumType); h == nil {
+			errs = append(
+				errs,
+				fmt.Errorf("Unsupported checksum type: %s", b.config.ISOChecksumType))
+		}
 	}
 
 	if b.config.ISOUrl == "" {
diff --git a/builder/vmware/builder_test.go b/builder/vmware/builder_test.go
index 9b35249d1..be6badd4f 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/builder_test.go
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ import (
 
 func testConfig() map[string]interface{} {
 	return map[string]interface{}{
-		"iso_md5":      "foo",
-		"iso_url":      "http://www.packer.io",
-		"ssh_username": "foo",
+		"iso_checksum":      "foo",
+		"iso_checksum_type": "md5",
+		"iso_url":           "http://www.packer.io",
+		"ssh_username":      "foo",
 
 		packer.BuildNameConfigKey: "foo",
 	}
@@ -57,6 +58,58 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_BootWait(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBuilderPrepare_ISOChecksum(t *testing.T) {
+	var b Builder
+	config := testConfig()
+
+	// Test bad
+	config["iso_checksum"] = ""
+	err := b.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should have error")
+	}
+
+	// Test good
+	config["iso_checksum"] = "FOo"
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if b.config.ISOChecksum != "foo" {
+		t.Fatalf("should've lowercased: %s", b.config.ISOChecksum)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuilderPrepare_ISOChecksumType(t *testing.T) {
+	var b Builder
+	config := testConfig()
+
+	// Test bad
+	config["iso_checksum_type"] = ""
+	err := b.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should have error")
+	}
+
+	// Test good
+	config["iso_checksum_type"] = "mD5"
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if b.config.ISOChecksumType != "md5" {
+		t.Fatalf("should've lowercased: %s", b.config.ISOChecksumType)
+	}
+
+	// Test unknown
+	config["iso_checksum_type"] = "fake"
+	err = b.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should have error")
+	}
+}
 func TestBuilderPrepare_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()
@@ -175,29 +228,6 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_InvalidKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestBuilderPrepare_ISOMD5(t *testing.T) {
-	var b Builder
-	config := testConfig()
-
-	// Test bad
-	config["iso_md5"] = ""
-	err := b.Prepare(config)
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("should have error")
-	}
-
-	// Test good
-	config["iso_md5"] = "FOo"
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.ISOMD5 != "foo" {
-		t.Fatalf("should've lowercased: %s", b.config.ISOMD5)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestBuilderPrepare_ISOUrl(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()
diff --git a/builder/vmware/step_download_iso.go b/builder/vmware/step_download_iso.go
index bea1335f1..0cf12e2a9 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/step_download_iso.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/step_download_iso.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package vmware
 
 import (
-	"crypto/md5"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ func (s stepDownloadISO) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 	config := state["config"].(*config)
 	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
 
-	checksum, err := hex.DecodeString(config.ISOMD5)
+	checksum, err := hex.DecodeString(config.ISOChecksum)
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error parsing checksum: %s", err)
 		state["error"] = err
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ func (s stepDownloadISO) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 		Url:        config.ISOUrl,
 		TargetPath: cachePath,
 		CopyFile:   false,
-		Hash:       md5.New(),
+		Hash:       common.HashForType(config.ISOChecksumType),
 		Checksum:   checksum,
 	}