diff --git a/builder/vmware/driver.go b/builder/vmware/driver.go
index 4df6089fd..bc6d97595 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/driver.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/driver.go
@@ -38,24 +38,36 @@ type Driver interface {
 // NewDriver returns a new driver implementation for this operating
 // system, or an error if the driver couldn't be initialized.
 func NewDriver() (Driver, error) {
-	var driver Driver
+	drivers := []Driver{}
 
 	switch runtime.GOOS {
 	case "darwin":
-		driver = &Fusion5Driver{
-			AppPath: "/Applications/VMware Fusion.app",
+		drivers = []Driver{
+			&Fusion5Driver{
+				AppPath: "/Applications/VMware Fusion.app",
+			},
 		}
 	case "linux":
-		fallthrough
+		drivers = []Driver{
+			new(Workstation9Driver),
+			new(Player5LinuxDriver),
+		}
 	case "windows":
-		driver = &Workstation9Driver{}
+		drivers = []Driver{
+			new(Workstation9Driver),
+		}
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't find driver for OS: %s", runtime.GOOS)
 	}
 
-	if err := driver.Verify(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	errs := ""
+	for _, driver := range drivers {
+		err := driver.Verify()
+		if err == nil {
+			return driver, nil
+		}
+		errs += err.Error() + "\n"
 	}
 
-	return driver, nil
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to initialize any driver:\n%s", errs)
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/driver_player5.go b/builder/vmware/driver_player5.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f154f512e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/vmware/driver_player5.go
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+package vmware
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// Player5LinuxDriver is a driver that can run VMware Player 5 on Linux.
+type Player5LinuxDriver struct {
+	AppPath          string
+	VdiskManagerPath string
+	QemuImgPath      string
+	VmrunPath        string
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) CompactDisk(diskPath string) error {
+	if d.QemuImgPath != "" {
+		return d.qemuCompactDisk(diskPath)
+	}
+
+	defragCmd := exec.Command(d.VdiskManagerPath, "-d", diskPath)
+	if _, _, err := runAndLog(defragCmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	shrinkCmd := exec.Command(d.VdiskManagerPath, "-k", diskPath)
+	if _, _, err := runAndLog(shrinkCmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) qemuCompactDisk(diskPath string) error {
+	cmd := exec.Command(d.QemuImgPath, "convert", "-f", "vmdk", "-O", "vmdk", "-o", "compat6", diskPath, diskPath + ".new")
+	if _, _, err := runAndLog(cmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Remove(diskPath); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Rename(diskPath + ".new", diskPath); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) CreateDisk(output string, size string) error {
+	var cmd *exec.Cmd
+	if d.QemuImgPath != "" {
+		cmd = exec.Command(d.QemuImgPath, "create", "-f", "vmdk", "-o", "compat6", output, size)
+	} else {
+		cmd = exec.Command(d.VdiskManagerPath, "-c", "-s", size, "-a", "lsilogic", "-t", "1", output)
+	}
+	if _, _, err := runAndLog(cmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) IsRunning(vmxPath string) (bool, error) {
+	vmxPath, err := filepath.Abs(vmxPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(d.VmrunPath, "-T", "player", "list")
+	stdout, _, err := runAndLog(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(stdout, "\n") {
+		if line == vmxPath {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) Start(vmxPath string, headless bool) error {
+	guiArgument := "gui"
+	if headless {
+		guiArgument = "nogui"
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(d.VmrunPath, "-T", "player", "start", vmxPath, guiArgument)
+	if _, _, err := runAndLog(cmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) Stop(vmxPath string) error {
+	cmd := exec.Command(d.VmrunPath, "-T", "player", "stop", vmxPath, "hard")
+	if _, _, err := runAndLog(cmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) Verify() error {
+	if err := d.findApp(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("VMware Player application ('vmplayer') not found in path.")
+	}
+
+	if err := d.findVmrun(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Critical application 'vmrun' not found in path.")
+	}
+
+	if err := d.findVdiskManager(); err != nil {
+		if err := d.findQemuImg(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Neither 'vmware-vdiskmanager', not 'qemu-img' found in path.")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) findApp() error {
+	path, err := exec.LookPath("vmplayer")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	d.AppPath = path
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) findVdiskManager() error {
+	path, err := exec.LookPath("vmware-vdiskmanager")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	d.VdiskManagerPath = path
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) findQemuImg() error {
+	path, err := exec.LookPath("qemu-img")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	d.QemuImgPath = path
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) findVmrun() error {
+	path, err := exec.LookPath("vmrun")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	d.VmrunPath = path
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) ToolsIsoPath(flavor string) string {
+	return "/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/" + flavor + ".iso"
+}
+
+func (d *Player5LinuxDriver) DhcpLeasesPath(device string) string {
+	return "/etc/vmware/" + device + "/dhcpd/dhcpd.leases"
+}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go b/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go
index 6919f676c..738bedca3 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/step_prepare_output_dir.go
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ func (stepPrepareOutputDir) Cleanup(state map[string]interface{}) {
 		ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
 
 		ui.Say("Deleting output directory...")
-
 		for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 			err := os.RemoveAll(config.OutputDir)
 			if err == nil {