diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/ssm/session.go b/builder/amazon/common/ssm/session.go
index 2c90233e8..350c01ba4 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/ssm/session.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/ssm/session.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ssm/ssmiface"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/builder/amazon/common/awserrors"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/common/retry"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/builder/localexec"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/common/shell-local/localexec"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 )
 
diff --git a/builder/docker/exec.go b/builder/docker/exec.go
index e04461bb6..ee5a01efd 100644
--- a/builder/docker/exec.go
+++ b/builder/docker/exec.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package docker
 import (
 	"os/exec"
 
-	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/builder/localexec"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/common/shell-local/localexec"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 )
 
diff --git a/helper/builder/localexec/run_and_stream.go b/common/shell-local/localexec/run_and_stream.go
similarity index 90%
rename from helper/builder/localexec/run_and_stream.go
rename to common/shell-local/localexec/run_and_stream.go
index f40076cdb..9c598e608 100644
--- a/helper/builder/localexec/run_and_stream.go
+++ b/common/shell-local/localexec/run_and_stream.go
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 )
 
+// RunAndStream allows you to run a local command and stream output to the UI.
+// This does not require use of a shell-local communicator, so is a nice tool
+// for plugins that need to shell out to a local dependency and provide clear
+// output to users.
 func RunAndStream(cmd *exec.Cmd, ui packer.Ui, sensitive []string) error {
 	stdout_r, stdout_w := io.Pipe()
 	stderr_r, stderr_w := io.Pipe()
diff --git a/helper/builder/localexec/run_and_stream_test.go b/common/shell-local/localexec/run_and_stream_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from helper/builder/localexec/run_and_stream_test.go
rename to common/shell-local/localexec/run_and_stream_test.go
diff --git a/common/step_create_cdrom.go b/common/step_create_cdrom.go
index 3a350cce9..0f1c5664d 100644
--- a/common/step_create_cdrom.go
+++ b/common/step_create_cdrom.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/builder/localexec"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/common/shell-local/localexec"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/multistep"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer/tmp"