diff --git a/builder/qemu/builder.go b/builder/qemu/builder.go
index f151bf68c..413591899 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/builder.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/builder.go
@@ -376,19 +376,40 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			HTTPPortMin: b.config.HTTPPortMin,
 			HTTPPortMax: b.config.HTTPPortMax,
 		},
-		new(stepForwardSSH),
+	)
+
+	if b.config.Comm.Type != "none" {
+		steps = append(steps,
+			new(stepForwardSSH),
+		)
+	}
+
+	steps = append(steps,
 		new(stepConfigureVNC),
 		steprun,
 		&stepBootWait{},
 		&stepTypeBootCommand{},
-		&communicator.StepConnect{
-			Config:    &b.config.Comm,
-			Host:      commHost,
-			SSHConfig: sshConfig,
-			SSHPort:   commPort,
-		},
+	)
+
+	if b.config.Comm.Type != "none" {
+		steps = append(steps,
+			&communicator.StepConnect{
+				Config:    &b.config.Comm,
+				Host:      commHost,
+				SSHConfig: sshConfig,
+				SSHPort:   commPort,
+			},
+		)
+	}
+
+	steps = append(steps,
 		new(common.StepProvision),
+	)
+	steps = append(steps,
 		new(stepShutdown),
+	)
+
+	steps = append(steps,
 		new(stepConvertDisk),
 	)
 
diff --git a/builder/qemu/step_run.go b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
index 82bcbe7c0..36ab074f5 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/step_run.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/step_run.go
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 	isoPath := state.Get("iso_path").(string)
 	vncIP := state.Get("vnc_ip").(string)
 	vncPort := state.Get("vnc_port").(uint)
-	sshHostPort := state.Get("sshHostPort").(uint)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 	driver := state.Get("driver").(Driver)
 
@@ -74,10 +73,16 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 	defaultArgs := make(map[string]interface{})
 	var deviceArgs []string
 	var driveArgs []string
+	var sshHostPort uint
 
 	defaultArgs["-name"] = vmName
 	defaultArgs["-machine"] = fmt.Sprintf("type=%s", config.MachineType)
-	defaultArgs["-netdev"] = fmt.Sprintf("user,id=user.0,hostfwd=tcp::%v-:%d", sshHostPort, config.Comm.Port())
+	if config.Comm.Type != "none" {
+		sshHostPort = state.Get("sshHostPort").(uint)
+		defaultArgs["-netdev"] = fmt.Sprintf("user,id=user.0,hostfwd=tcp::%v-:%d", sshHostPort, config.Comm.Port())
+	} else {
+		defaultArgs["-netdev"] = fmt.Sprintf("user,id=user.0")
+	}
 
 	qemuVersion, err := driver.Version()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -157,13 +162,23 @@ func getCommandArgs(bootDrive string, state multistep.StateBag) ([]string, error
 
 		httpPort := state.Get("http_port").(uint)
 		ctx := config.ctx
-		ctx.Data = qemuArgsTemplateData{
-			"10.0.2.2",
-			httpPort,
-			config.HTTPDir,
-			config.OutputDir,
-			config.VMName,
-			sshHostPort,
+		if config.Comm.Type != "none" {
+			ctx.Data = qemuArgsTemplateData{
+				"10.0.2.2",
+				httpPort,
+				config.HTTPDir,
+				config.OutputDir,
+				config.VMName,
+				sshHostPort,
+			}
+		} else {
+			ctx.Data = qemuArgsTemplateData{
+				HTTPIP:    "10.0.2.2",
+				HTTPPort:  httpPort,
+				HTTPDir:   config.HTTPDir,
+				OutputDir: config.OutputDir,
+				Name:      config.VMName,
+			}
 		}
 		newQemuArgs, err := processArgs(config.QemuArgs, &ctx)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/builder/qemu/step_shutdown.go b/builder/qemu/step_shutdown.go
index 127dcff12..2bca7a09e 100644
--- a/builder/qemu/step_shutdown.go
+++ b/builder/qemu/step_shutdown.go
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ package qemu
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 	"log"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 )
 
 // This step shuts down the machine. It first attempts to do so gracefully,
@@ -23,11 +24,29 @@ import (
 type stepShutdown struct{}
 
 func (s *stepShutdown) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
-	comm := state.Get("communicator").(packer.Communicator)
 	config := state.Get("config").(*Config)
 	driver := state.Get("driver").(Driver)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
+	if state.Get("communicator") == nil {
+		cancelCh := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+		go func() {
+			defer close(cancelCh)
+			<-time.After(config.shutdownTimeout)
+		}()
+		ui.Say("Waiting for shutdown...")
+		if ok := driver.WaitForShutdown(cancelCh); ok {
+			log.Println("VM shut down.")
+			return multistep.ActionContinue
+		} else {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to shutdown")
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		}
+	}
+
+	comm := state.Get("communicator").(packer.Communicator)
 	if config.ShutdownCommand != "" {
 		ui.Say("Gracefully halting virtual machine...")
 		log.Printf("Executing shutdown command: %s", config.ShutdownCommand)