diff --git a/builder/amazonebs/builder.go b/builder/amazonebs/builder.go
index 48446bbab..ef00d5546 100644
--- a/builder/amazonebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazonebs/builder.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/builder/common"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 	"log"
-	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
@@ -84,22 +83,6 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if b.config.AccessKey == "" {
-		b.config.AccessKey = os.Getenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID")
-	}
-
-	if b.config.AccessKey == "" {
-		b.config.AccessKey = os.Getenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY")
-	}
-
-	if b.config.SecretKey == "" {
-		b.config.SecretKey = os.Getenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY")
-	}
-
-	if b.config.SecretKey == "" {
-		b.config.SecretKey = os.Getenv("AWS_SECRET_KEY")
-	}
-
 	if b.config.SSHPort == 0 {
 		b.config.SSHPort = 22
 	}
@@ -109,14 +92,6 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 	}
 
 	// Accumulate any errors
-	if b.config.AccessKey == "" {
-		errs = append(errs, errors.New("An access_key must be specified"))
-	}
-
-	if b.config.SecretKey == "" {
-		errs = append(errs, errors.New("A secret_key must be specified"))
-	}
-
 	if b.config.SourceAmi == "" {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("A source_ami must be specified"))
 	}
@@ -163,7 +138,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		panic("region not found")
 	}
 
-	auth := aws.Auth{b.config.AccessKey, b.config.SecretKey}
+	auth, err := aws.GetAuth(b.config.AccessKey, b.config.SecretKey)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	ec2conn := ec2.New(auth, region)
 
 	// Setup the state bag and initial state for the steps
diff --git a/builder/amazonebs/builder_test.go b/builder/amazonebs/builder_test.go
index c03f908bb..03a99cdb3 100644
--- a/builder/amazonebs/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/amazonebs/builder_test.go
@@ -47,55 +47,6 @@ func TestBuilder_Prepare_BadType(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestBuilderPrepare_AccessKey(t *testing.T) {
-	var b Builder
-	config := testConfig()
-
-	// Test good
-	config["access_key"] = "foo"
-	err := b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.AccessKey != "foo" {
-		t.Errorf("access key invalid: %s", b.config.AccessKey)
-	}
-
-	// Test bad
-	delete(config, "access_key")
-	b = Builder{}
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("should have error")
-	}
-
-	// Test env
-	delete(config, "access_key")
-	os.Setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", "foo")
-	defer os.Setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", "")
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.AccessKey != "foo" {
-		t.Errorf("access key invalid: %s", b.config.AccessKey)
-	}
-
-	delete(config, "access_key")
-	os.Setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY", "foo")
-	defer os.Setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY", "")
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.AccessKey != "foo" {
-		t.Errorf("access key invalid: %s", b.config.AccessKey)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestBuilderPrepare_AMIName(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()
@@ -192,55 +143,6 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_Region(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestBuilderPrepare_SecretKey(t *testing.T) {
-	var b Builder
-	config := testConfig()
-
-	// Test good
-	config["secret_key"] = "foo"
-	err := b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.SecretKey != "foo" {
-		t.Errorf("secret key invalid: %s", b.config.SecretKey)
-	}
-
-	// Test bad
-	delete(config, "secret_key")
-	b = Builder{}
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("should have error")
-	}
-
-	// Test env
-	delete(config, "secret_key")
-	os.Setenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", "foo")
-	defer os.Setenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", "")
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.SecretKey != "foo" {
-		t.Errorf("access key invalid: %s", b.config.SecretKey)
-	}
-
-	delete(config, "secret_key")
-	os.Setenv("AWS_SECRET_KEY", "foo")
-	defer os.Setenv("AWS_SECRET_KEY", "")
-	err = b.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if b.config.SecretKey != "foo" {
-		t.Errorf("access key invalid: %s", b.config.SecretKey)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestBuilderPrepare_SourceAmi(t *testing.T) {
 	var b Builder
 	config := testConfig()