diff --git a/builder/googlecompute/config.go b/builder/googlecompute/config.go
index bb189b19d..13446a092 100644
--- a/builder/googlecompute/config.go
+++ b/builder/googlecompute/config.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	MachineType          string            `mapstructure:"machine_type"`
 	Metadata             map[string]string `mapstructure:"metadata"`
 	Network              string            `mapstructure:"network"`
+	Subnetwork           string            `mapstructure:"subnetwork"`
 	Address              string            `mapstructure:"address"`
 	Preemptible          bool              `mapstructure:"preemptible"`
 	SourceImage          string            `mapstructure:"source_image"`
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	RawStateTimeout      string            `mapstructure:"state_timeout"`
 	Tags                 []string          `mapstructure:"tags"`
 	UseInternalIP        bool              `mapstructure:"use_internal_ip"`
+	Region               string            `mapstructure:"region"`
 	Zone                 string            `mapstructure:"zone"`
 
 	account         accountFile
@@ -125,6 +127,11 @@ func NewConfig(raws ...interface{}) (*Config, []string, error) {
 		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(
 			errs, errors.New("a zone must be specified"))
 	}
+	if c.Region == "" && len(c.Zone) > 2 {
+		// get region from Zone
+		region := c.Zone[:len(c.Zone)-2]
+		c.Region = region
+	}
 
 	stateTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.RawStateTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/builder/googlecompute/config_test.go b/builder/googlecompute/config_test.go
index 2b450ed9b..5c6ea6334 100644
--- a/builder/googlecompute/config_test.go
+++ b/builder/googlecompute/config_test.go
@@ -168,6 +168,13 @@ func TestImageName(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRegion(t *testing.T) {
+	c, _, _ := NewConfig(testConfig(t))
+	if c.Region != "us-east1" {
+		t.Fatalf("Region should be 'us-east1' given Zone of 'us-east1-a', but is %s", c.Region)
+	}
+}
+
 // Helper stuff below
 
 func testConfig(t *testing.T) map[string]interface{} {
@@ -175,7 +182,7 @@ func testConfig(t *testing.T) map[string]interface{} {
 		"account_file": testAccountFile(t),
 		"project_id":   "hashicorp",
 		"source_image": "foo",
-		"zone":         "us-east-1a",
+		"zone":         "us-east1-a",
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/builder/googlecompute/driver.go b/builder/googlecompute/driver.go
index 495c1e092..1789a988a 100644
--- a/builder/googlecompute/driver.go
+++ b/builder/googlecompute/driver.go
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@ type InstanceConfig struct {
 	Metadata    map[string]string
 	Name        string
 	Network     string
+	Subnetwork  string
 	Address     string
 	Preemptible bool
 	Tags        []string
+	Region      string
 	Zone        string
 }
diff --git a/builder/googlecompute/driver_gce.go b/builder/googlecompute/driver_gce.go
index 91d04255f..f163b744f 100644
--- a/builder/googlecompute/driver_gce.go
+++ b/builder/googlecompute/driver_gce.go
@@ -215,6 +215,25 @@ func (d *driverGCE) RunInstance(c *InstanceConfig) (<-chan error, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// Subnetwork
+	// Validate Subnetwork config now that we have some info about the network
+	if !network.AutoCreateSubnetworks && len(network.Subnetworks) > 0 {
+		// Network appears to be in "custom" mode, so a subnetwork is required
+		if c.Subnetwork == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("a subnetwork must be specified")
+		}
+	}
+	// Get the subnetwork
+	subnetworkSelfLink := ""
+	if c.Subnetwork != "" {
+		d.ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Loading subnetwork: %s for region: %s", c.Subnetwork, c.Region))
+		subnetwork, err := d.service.Subnetworks.Get(d.projectId, c.Region, c.Subnetwork).Do()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		subnetworkSelfLink = subnetwork.SelfLink
+	}
+
 	// If given a regional ip, get it
 	accessconfig := compute.AccessConfig{
 		Name: "AccessConfig created by Packer",
@@ -235,9 +254,10 @@ func (d *driverGCE) RunInstance(c *InstanceConfig) (<-chan error, error) {
 	// Build up the metadata
 	metadata := make([]*compute.MetadataItems, len(c.Metadata))
 	for k, v := range c.Metadata {
+		vCopy := v
 		metadata = append(metadata, &compute.MetadataItems{
 			Key:   k,
-			Value: &v,
+			Value: &vCopy,
 		})
 	}
 
@@ -268,6 +288,7 @@ func (d *driverGCE) RunInstance(c *InstanceConfig) (<-chan error, error) {
 					&accessconfig,
 				},
 				Network: network.SelfLink,
+				Subnetwork: subnetworkSelfLink,
 			},
 		},
 		Scheduling: &compute.Scheduling{
diff --git a/builder/googlecompute/step_create_instance.go b/builder/googlecompute/step_create_instance.go
index f3f16a09f..3f6874f6a 100644
--- a/builder/googlecompute/step_create_instance.go
+++ b/builder/googlecompute/step_create_instance.go
@@ -59,9 +59,11 @@ func (s *StepCreateInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 		Metadata:    config.getInstanceMetadata(sshPublicKey),
 		Name:        name,
 		Network:     config.Network,
+		Subnetwork:  config.Subnetwork,
 		Address:     config.Address,
 		Preemptible: config.Preemptible,
 		Tags:        config.Tags,
+		Region:      config.Region,
 		Zone:        config.Zone,
 	})
 
diff --git a/website/source/docs/builders/googlecompute.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/builders/googlecompute.html.markdown
index cebb1d484..a3171680e 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/builders/googlecompute.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/builders/googlecompute.html.markdown
@@ -139,9 +139,18 @@ builder.
 -   `network` (string) - The Google Compute network to use for the
     launched instance. Defaults to `"default"`.
 
+-   `region` (string) - The region in which to launch the instance. Defaults to
+    to the region hosting the specified `zone`.
+
 -   `state_timeout` (string) - The time to wait for instance state changes.
     Defaults to `"5m"`.
 
+-   `subnetwork` (string) - The Google Compute subnetwork to use for the launced
+     instance. Only required if the `network` has been created with custom
+     subnetting.
+     Note, the region of the subnetwork must match the `region` or `zone` in
+     which the VM is launched.
+
 -   `tags` (array of strings)
 
 -   `use_internal_ip` (boolean) - If true, use the instance's internal IP