diff --git a/builder/vmware/driver_esx5.go b/builder/vmware/driver_esx5.go
index dcfde929b..44394913f 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/driver_esx5.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/driver_esx5.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+// ESX5 driver talks to an ESXi5 hypervisor remotely over SSH to build
+// virtual machines. This driver can only manage one machine at a time.
 type ESX5Driver struct {
 	Host      string
 	Port      uint
@@ -26,7 +28,8 @@ type ESX5Driver struct {
 	Password  string
 	Datastore string
 
-	comm packer.Communicator
+	comm      packer.Communicator
+	outputDir string
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) CompactDisk(diskPathLocal string) error {
@@ -56,7 +59,7 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) Stop(vmxPathLocal string) error {
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Register(vmxPathLocal string) error {
-	vmxPath := d.datastorePath(vmxPathLocal)
+	vmxPath := filepath.Join(d.outputDir, filepath.Base(vmxPathLocal))
 	if err := d.upload(vmxPath, vmxPathLocal); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -64,7 +67,8 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) Register(vmxPathLocal string) error {
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) Unregister(vmxPathLocal string) error {
-	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/unregister", d.datastorePath(vmxPathLocal))
+	vmxPath := filepath.Join(d.outputDir, filepath.Base(vmxPathLocal))
+	return d.sh("vim-cmd", "vmsvc/unregister", vmxPath)
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) UploadISO(localPath string) (string, error) {
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) UploadISO(localPath string) (string, error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	if err := d.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(targetFile)); err != nil {
+	if err := d.mkdir(filepath.Dir(targetFile)); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
@@ -199,17 +203,21 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) SSHAddress(state multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
 	return address, nil
 }
 
-func (d *ESX5Driver) DirExists(path string) (bool, error) {
-	err := d.sh("test", "-e", d.datastorePath(path))
+func (d *ESX5Driver) DirExists() (bool, error) {
+	err := d.sh("test", "-e", d.outputDir)
 	return err == nil, nil
 }
 
-func (d *ESX5Driver) MkdirAll(path string) error {
-	return d.sh("mkdir", "-p", d.datastorePath(path))
+func (d *ESX5Driver) MkdirAll() error {
+	return d.mkdir(d.outputDir)
 }
 
-func (d *ESX5Driver) RemoveAll(path string) error {
-	return d.sh("rm", "-rf", d.datastorePath(path))
+func (d *ESX5Driver) RemoveAll() error {
+	return d.sh("rm", "-rf", d.outputDir)
+}
+
+func (d *ESX5Driver) SetOutputDir(path string) {
+	d.outputDir = d.datastorePath(path)
 }
 
 func (d *ESX5Driver) datastorePath(path string) string {
@@ -279,6 +287,10 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) checkGuestIPHackEnabled() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (d *ESX5Driver) mkdir(path string) error {
+	return d.sh("mkdir", "-p", path)
+}
+
 func (d *ESX5Driver) upload(dst, src string) error {
 	f, err := os.Open(src)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/builder/vmware/output_dir.go b/builder/vmware/output_dir.go
index 37dcaf6e8..14880499c 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/output_dir.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/output_dir.go
@@ -9,24 +9,31 @@ import (
 // so that the output directory can be properly made on remote (ESXi) based
 // VMware products as well as local.
 type OutputDir interface {
-	DirExists(string) (bool, error)
-	MkdirAll(string) error
-	RemoveAll(string) error
+	DirExists() (bool, error)
+	MkdirAll() error
+	RemoveAll() error
+	SetOutputDir(string)
 }
 
 // localOutputDir is an OutputDir implementation where the directory
 // is on the local machine.
-type localOutputDir struct{}
+type localOutputDir struct {
+	dir string
+}
 
-func (localOutputDir) DirExists(path string) (bool, error) {
-	_, err := os.Stat(path)
+func (d *localOutputDir) DirExists() (bool, error) {
+	_, err := os.Stat(d.dir)
 	return err == nil, err
 }
 
-func (localOutputDir) MkdirAll(path string) error {
-	return os.MkdirAll(path, 0755)
+func (d *localOutputDir) MkdirAll() error {
+	return os.MkdirAll(d.dir, 0755)
 }
 
-func (localOutputDir) RemoveAll(path string) error {
-	return os.RemoveAll(path)
+func (d *localOutputDir) RemoveAll() error {
+	return os.RemoveAll(d.dir)
+}
+
+func (d *localOutputDir) SetOutputDir(path string) {
+	d.dir = path
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go b/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go
index 70fb7d197..dc5d9ecb8 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go
@@ -7,14 +7,18 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-type stepPrepareOutputDir struct{}
+type stepPrepareOutputDir struct {
+	dir OutputDir
+}
 
 func (s *stepPrepareOutputDir) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	config := state.Get("config").(*config)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
 	dir := s.outputDir(state)
-	exists, err := dir.DirExists(config.OutputDir)
+	dir.SetOutputDir(config.OutputDir)
+
+	exists, err := dir.DirExists()
 	if err != nil {
 		state.Put("error", err)
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
@@ -22,14 +26,16 @@ func (s *stepPrepareOutputDir) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepActio
 
 	if exists && config.PackerForce {
 		ui.Say("Deleting previous output directory...")
-		dir.RemoveAll(config.OutputDir)
+		dir.RemoveAll()
 	}
 
-	if err := dir.MkdirAll(config.OutputDir); err != nil {
+	if err := dir.MkdirAll(); err != nil {
 		state.Put("error", err)
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
+	s.dir = dir
+
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }
 
@@ -38,19 +44,19 @@ func (s *stepPrepareOutputDir) Cleanup(state multistep.StateBag) {
 	_, halted := state.GetOk(multistep.StateHalted)
 
 	if cancelled || halted {
-		config := state.Get("config").(*config)
 		ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
-		dir := s.outputDir(state)
-		ui.Say("Deleting output directory...")
-		for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
-			err := dir.RemoveAll(config.OutputDir)
-			if err == nil {
-				break
-			}
+		if s.dir != nil {
+			ui.Say("Deleting output directory...")
+			for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+				err := s.dir.RemoveAll()
+				if err == nil {
+					break
+				}
 
-			log.Printf("Error removing output dir: %s", err)
-			time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+				log.Printf("Error removing output dir: %s", err)
+				time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }