diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
index 3ba7074a2..996eb2e09 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
@@ -14,18 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
 )
 
-// see https://api.digitalocean.com/images/?client_id=[client_id]&api_key=[api_key]
-// name="Ubuntu 12.04.4 x64", id=6374128,
-const DefaultImage = "ubuntu-12-04-x64"
-
-// see https://api.digitalocean.com/regions/?client_id=[client_id]&api_key=[api_key]
-// name="New York 3", id=8
-const DefaultRegion = "nyc3"
-
-// see https://api.digitalocean.com/sizes/?client_id=[client_id]&api_key=[api_key]
-// name="512MB", id=66 (the smallest droplet size)
-const DefaultSize = "512mb"
-
 // The unique id for the builder
 const BuilderId = "pearkes.digitalocean"
 
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go
index 20e56b924..f9df863cb 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder_acc_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ func testAccPreCheck(t *testing.T) {
 const testBuilderAccBasic = `
 {
 	"builders": [{
-		"type": "test"
+		"type": "test",
+		"region": "nyc2",
+		"size": "512mb",
+		"image": "ubuntu-12-04-x64"
 	}]
 }
 `
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go
index 878431691..3d2378f2d 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder_test.go
@@ -60,12 +60,8 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_Region(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(warnings) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warnings)
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.Region != DefaultRegion {
-		t.Errorf("found %s, expected %s", b.config.Region, DefaultRegion)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should error")
 	}
 
 	expected := "sfo1"
@@ -95,12 +91,8 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_Size(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(warnings) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warnings)
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.Size != DefaultSize {
-		t.Errorf("found %s, expected %s", b.config.Size, DefaultSize)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should error")
 	}
 
 	expected := "1024mb"
@@ -130,12 +122,8 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_Image(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(warnings) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warnings)
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.Image != DefaultImage {
-		t.Errorf("found %s, expected %s", b.config.Image, DefaultImage)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("should error")
 	}
 
 	expected := "ubuntu-14-04-x64"
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/config.go b/builder/digitalocean/config.go
index 5defe89db..057138633 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/config.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/config.go
@@ -63,18 +63,6 @@ func NewConfig(raws ...interface{}) (*Config, []string, error) {
 		c.APIToken = os.Getenv("DIGITALOCEAN_API_TOKEN")
 	}
 
-	if c.Region == "" {
-		c.Region = DefaultRegion
-	}
-
-	if c.Size == "" {
-		c.Size = DefaultSize
-	}
-
-	if c.Image == "" {
-		c.Image = DefaultImage
-	}
-
 	if c.SnapshotName == "" {
 		// Default to packer-{{ unix timestamp (utc) }}
 		c.SnapshotName = "packer-{{timestamp}}"
@@ -114,6 +102,21 @@ func NewConfig(raws ...interface{}) (*Config, []string, error) {
 			errs, errors.New("api_token for auth must be specified"))
 	}
 
+	if c.Region == "" {
+		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(
+			errs, errors.New("region is required"))
+	}
+
+	if c.Size == "" {
+		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(
+			errs, errors.New("size is required"))
+	}
+
+	if c.Image == "" {
+		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(
+			errs, errors.New("image is required"))
+	}
+
 	sshTimeout, err := time.ParseDuration(c.RawSSHTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
 		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(