diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_get_password.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_get_password.go
index 0fdd467eb..37cfe3af6 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_get_password.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_get_password.go
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ func (s *StepGetPassword) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		ui.Say("Waiting for auto-generated password for instance...")
 		ui.Message(
 			"It is normal for this process to take up to 15 minutes,\n" +
-				"but it usually takes around 5. Please wait.")
+				"but it usually takes around 5. Please wait. After the\n" +
+				"password is read, it will printed out below. Since it should\n" +
+				"be a temporary password, this should be a minimal security risk.")
 		password, err = s.waitForPassword(state, cancel)
 		waitDone <- true
 	}()
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ WaitLoop:
 				return multistep.ActionHalt
 			}
 
-			ui.Message("Password retrieved!")
+			ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf(" \nPassword retrieved: %s", password))
 			s.Comm.WinRMPassword = password
 			break WaitLoop
 		case <-timeout:
@@ -121,6 +123,8 @@ func (s *StepGetPassword) waitForPassword(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-cha
 
 			return decryptedPassword, nil
 		}
+
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Password is blank, will retry...")
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
index 92dafa564..021432e77 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package common
 
 import (
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
@@ -53,7 +54,14 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepActi
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
+		// Test if it is encoded already, and if not, encode it
+		if _, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(string(contents)); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[DEBUG] base64 encoding user data...")
+			contents = []byte(base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(contents))
+		}
+
 		userData = string(contents)
+
 	}
 
 	ui.Say("Launching a source AWS instance...")
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go
index d870fd1c3..b65ebb408 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_security_group.go
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/common/uuid"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/helper/communicator"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 )
 
 type StepSecurityGroup struct {
+	CommConfig       *communicator.Config
 	SecurityGroupIds []string
-	SSHPort          int
 	VpcId            string
 
 	createdGroupId string
@@ -30,8 +31,9 @@ func (s *StepSecurityGroup) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
-	if s.SSHPort == 0 {
-		panic("SSHPort must be set to a non-zero value.")
+	port := s.CommConfig.Port()
+	if port == 0 {
+		panic("port must be set to a non-zero value.")
 	}
 
 	// Create the group
@@ -57,15 +59,17 @@ func (s *StepSecurityGroup) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	req := &ec2.AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngressInput{
 		GroupID:    groupResp.GroupID,
 		IPProtocol: aws.String("tcp"),
-		FromPort:   aws.Long(int64(s.SSHPort)),
-		ToPort:     aws.Long(int64(s.SSHPort)),
+		FromPort:   aws.Long(int64(port)),
+		ToPort:     aws.Long(int64(port)),
 		CIDRIP:     aws.String("0.0.0.0/0"),
 	}
 
 	// We loop and retry this a few times because sometimes the security
 	// group isn't available immediately because AWS resources are eventaully
 	// consistent.
-	ui.Say("Authorizing SSH access on the temporary security group...")
+	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf(
+		"Authorizing access to port %d the temporary security group...",
+		port))
 	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 		_, err = ec2conn.AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress(req)
 		if err == nil {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index f61b258f4..162c06e28 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepSecurityGroup{
 			SecurityGroupIds: b.config.SecurityGroupIds,
-			SSHPort:          b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPort,
+			CommConfig:       &b.config.RunConfig.Comm,
 			VpcId:            b.config.VpcId,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepRunSourceInstance{
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index d26cc63e3..ffe1c2da6 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -179,8 +179,8 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			PrivateKeyFile: b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPrivateKey,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepSecurityGroup{
+			CommConfig:       &b.config.RunConfig.Comm,
 			SecurityGroupIds: b.config.SecurityGroupIds,
-			SSHPort:          b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPort,
 			VpcId:            b.config.VpcId,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepRunSourceInstance{
diff --git a/helper/communicator/config.go b/helper/communicator/config.go
index f0cb78df7..72dc69b7e 100644
--- a/helper/communicator/config.go
+++ b/helper/communicator/config.go
@@ -31,6 +31,18 @@ type Config struct {
 	WinRMTimeout  time.Duration `mapstructure:"winrm_timeout"`
 }
 
+// Port returns the port that will be used for access based on config.
+func (c *Config) Port() int {
+	switch c.Type {
+	case "ssh":
+		return c.SSHPort
+	case "winrm":
+		return c.WinRMPort
+	default:
+		return 0
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *Config) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 	if c.Type == "" {
 		c.Type = "ssh"