diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
index 5c5830d17..c0453ba6b 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 				EnableAMISriovNetSupport: b.config.AMISriovNetSupport,
 				EnableAMIENASupport:      b.config.AMIENASupport,
 				AmiFilters:               b.config.SourceAmiFilter,
+				AMIVirtType:              b.config.AMIVirtType,
 			},
 			&StepCheckRootDevice{},
 		)
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
index 5e57c2fbf..cb7a08b51 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type StepSourceAMIInfo struct {
 	SourceAmi                string
 	EnableAMISriovNetSupport bool
 	EnableAMIENASupport      bool
+	AMIVirtType              string
 	AmiFilters               AmiFilterOptions
 }
 
@@ -105,11 +106,13 @@ func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mul
 
 	// Enhanced Networking can only be enabled on HVM AMIs.
 	// See http://goo.gl/icuXh5
-	if (s.EnableAMIENASupport || s.EnableAMISriovNetSupport) && *image.VirtualizationType != "hvm" {
-		err := fmt.Errorf("Cannot enable enhanced networking, source AMI '%s' is not HVM", s.SourceAmi)
-		state.Put("error", err)
-		ui.Error(err.Error())
-		return multistep.ActionHalt
+	if s.EnableAMIENASupport || s.EnableAMISriovNetSupport {
+		err = s.canEnableEnhancedNetworking(image)
+		if err != nil {
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		}
 	}
 
 	state.Put("source_image", image)
@@ -117,3 +120,16 @@ func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) Run(_ context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mul
 }
 
 func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) Cleanup(multistep.StateBag) {}
+
+func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) canEnableEnhancedNetworking(image *ec2.Image) error {
+	if s.AMIVirtType == "hvm" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if s.AMIVirtType != "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot enable enhanced networking, AMIVirtType '%s' is not HVM", s.AMIVirtType)
+	}
+	if *image.VirtualizationType != "hvm" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot enable enhanced networking, source AMI '%s' is not HVM", s.SourceAmi)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info_test.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0734bda1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestStepSourceAmiInfo_PVImage(t *testing.T) {
+	err := new(StepSourceAMIInfo).canEnableEnhancedNetworking(&ec2.Image{
+		VirtualizationType: aws.String("paravirtual"),
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestStepSourceAmiInfo_HVMImage(t *testing.T) {
+	err := new(StepSourceAMIInfo).canEnableEnhancedNetworking(&ec2.Image{
+		VirtualizationType: aws.String("hvm"),
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestStepSourceAmiInfo_PVImageWithAMIVirtPV(t *testing.T) {
+	stepSourceAMIInfo := StepSourceAMIInfo{
+		AMIVirtType: "paravirtual",
+	}
+	err := stepSourceAMIInfo.canEnableEnhancedNetworking(&ec2.Image{
+		VirtualizationType: aws.String("paravirtual"),
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestStepSourceAmiInfo_PVImageWithAMIVirtHVM(t *testing.T) {
+	stepSourceAMIInfo := StepSourceAMIInfo{
+		AMIVirtType: "hvm",
+	}
+	err := stepSourceAMIInfo.canEnableEnhancedNetworking(&ec2.Image{
+		VirtualizationType: aws.String("paravirtual"),
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index 2fd29e87f..9184ea760 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			EnableAMISriovNetSupport: b.config.AMISriovNetSupport,
 			EnableAMIENASupport:      b.config.AMIENASupport,
 			AmiFilters:               b.config.SourceAmiFilter,
+			AMIVirtType:              b.config.AMIVirtType,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepKeyPair{
 			Debug:                b.config.PackerDebug,
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go
index d9d5157a6..98f45de4d 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			EnableAMISriovNetSupport: b.config.AMISriovNetSupport,
 			EnableAMIENASupport:      b.config.AMIENASupport,
 			AmiFilters:               b.config.SourceAmiFilter,
+			AMIVirtType:              b.config.AMIVirtType,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepKeyPair{
 			Debug:                b.config.PackerDebug,
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index 051546d89..d7a3a43b2 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			EnableAMISriovNetSupport: b.config.AMISriovNetSupport,
 			EnableAMIENASupport:      b.config.AMIENASupport,
 			AmiFilters:               b.config.SourceAmiFilter,
+			AMIVirtType:              b.config.AMIVirtType,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepKeyPair{
 			Debug:                b.config.PackerDebug,