diff --git a/builder/openstack/run_config.go b/builder/openstack/run_config.go
index 0625d264c..f8bc3b514 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/run_config.go
@@ -252,14 +252,21 @@ func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	hasOnlySourceImage := len(c.SourceImage) > 0 && len(c.SourceImageName) == 0 && len(c.ExternalSourceImageURL) == 0
-	hasOnlySourceImageName := len(c.SourceImageName) > 0 && len(c.SourceImage) == 0 && len(c.ExternalSourceImageURL) == 0
-	hasOnlyExternalSourceImageURL := len(c.ExternalSourceImageURL) > 0 && len(c.SourceImage) == 0 && len(c.SourceImageName) == 0
-
 	if c.SourceImage == "" && c.SourceImageName == "" && c.ExternalSourceImageURL == "" && c.SourceImageFilters.Filters.Empty() {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("Either a source_image, a source_image_name, an external_source_image_url or source_image_filter must be specified"))
-	} else if !(hasOnlySourceImage || hasOnlySourceImageName || hasOnlyExternalSourceImageURL) {
-		errs = append(errs, errors.New("Only a source_image, a source_image_name or an external_source_image_url can be specified, not multiple."))
+	} else {
+		// Make sure we've only set one image source option
+		thereCanBeOnlyOne := []bool{len(c.SourceImageName) > 0, len(c.SourceImage) > 0, len(c.ExternalSourceImageURL) > 0, !c.SourceImageFilters.Filters.Empty()}
+		numSet := 0
+		for _, val := range thereCanBeOnlyOne {
+			if val {
+				numSet += 1
+			}
+		}
+
+		if numSet > 1 {
+			errs = append(errs, errors.New("Only one of the options source_image, source_image_name, external_source_image_url, or source_image_filter can be specified, not multiple."))
+		}
 	}
 
 	// if external_source_image_format is not set use qcow2 as default
diff --git a/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go b/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go
index dc267076b..70377b217 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_ExternalSourceImageURL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	c = testRunConfig()
 	// test setting both ExternalSourceImageURL and SourceImageName causes an error
 	c.SourceImage = ""
 	c.SourceImageName = "abcd"
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_ExternalSourceImageURL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	c = testRunConfig()
 	// test neither setting SourceImage, SourceImageName or ExternalSourceImageURL causes an error
 	c.SourceImage = ""
 	c.SourceImageName = ""
@@ -157,6 +159,7 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_ExternalSourceImageURL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	c = testRunConfig()
 	// test setting only ExternalSourceImageURL passes
 	c.SourceImage = ""
 	c.SourceImageName = ""
@@ -174,6 +177,27 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_ExternalSourceImageURL(t *testing.T) {
 	if matches, _ := regexp.MatchString(p, c.SourceImageName); !matches {
 		t.Fatalf("invalid format for SourceImageName: %s", c.SourceImageName)
 	}
+
+	c = testRunConfig()
+	// test setting a filter passes
+	c.SourceImage = ""
+	c.SourceImageName = ""
+	c.ExternalSourceImageURL = ""
+	c.SourceImageFilters = ImageFilter{
+		Filters: ImageFilterOptions{
+			Name:       "Ubuntu 16.04",
+			Visibility: "public",
+			Owner:      "1234567890",
+			Tags:       []string{"prod", "ready"},
+			Properties: map[string]string{"os_distro": "ubuntu", "os_version": "16.04"},
+		},
+		MostRecent: true,
+	}
+
+	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Should not error if everything but filter is empty: %s", err)
+	}
+
 }
 
 // This test case confirms that only allowed fields will be set to values