diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go
index 60c897ea9..e5fb442ea 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go
@@ -92,29 +92,34 @@ func (s *stepTypeBootCommand) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction
 func (*stepTypeBootCommand) Cleanup(multistep.StateBag) {}
 
 func scancodes(message string) []string {
+	// Scancodes reference: http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/linux/kbd/scancodes-1.html
+  //
+  // Scancodes represent raw keyboard output and are fed to the VM by the
+  // VBoxManage controlvm keyboardputscancode program.
+  //
+  // Scancodes are recorded here in pairs. The first entry represents
+  // the key press and the second entry represents the key release and is
+  // derived from the first by the addition of 0x81.
 	special := make(map[string][]string)
-	special["<bs>"] = []string{"ff", "08"}
-	special["<del>"] = []string{"ff", "ff"}
+	special["<bs>"] = []string{"0e", "8e"}
+	special["<del>"] = []string{"53", "d3"}
 	special["<enter>"] = []string{"1c", "9c"}
 	special["<esc>"] = []string{"01", "81"}
-	special["<f1>"] = []string{"ff", "be"}
-	special["<f2>"] = []string{"ff", "bf"}
-	special["<f3>"] = []string{"ff", "c0"}
-	special["<f4>"] = []string{"ff", "c1"}
-	special["<f5>"] = []string{"ff", "c2"}
-	special["<f6>"] = []string{"ff", "c3"}
-	special["<f7>"] = []string{"ff", "c4"}
-	special["<f8>"] = []string{"ff", "c5"}
-	special["<f9>"] = []string{"ff", "c6"}
-	special["<f10>"] = []string{"ff", "c7"}
-	special["<f11>"] = []string{"ff", "c8"}
-	special["<f12>"] = []string{"ff", "c9"}
+	special["<f1>"] = []string{"3b", "bb"}
+	special["<f2>"] = []string{"3c", "bc"}
+	special["<f3>"] = []string{"3d", "bd"}
+	special["<f4>"] = []string{"3e", "be"}
+	special["<f5>"] = []string{"3f", "bf"}
+	special["<f6>"] = []string{"40", "c0"}
+	special["<f7>"] = []string{"41", "c1"}
+	special["<f8>"] = []string{"42", "c2"}
+	special["<f9>"] = []string{"43", "c3"}
+	special["<f10>"] = []string{"44", "c4"}
 	special["<return>"] = []string{"1c", "9c"}
 	special["<tab>"] = []string{"0f", "8f"}
 
 	shiftedChars := "~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:\"<>?"
 
-	// Scancodes reference: http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/linux/kbd/scancodes-1.html
 	scancodeIndex := make(map[string]uint)
 	scancodeIndex["1234567890-="] = 0x02
 	scancodeIndex["!@#$%^&*()_+"] = 0x02