diff --git a/packer/build.go b/packer/build.go
index 475f34718..f88044a6c 100644
--- a/packer/build.go
+++ b/packer/build.go
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ type coreBuild struct {
 	hooks          map[string][]Hook
 	postProcessors [][]coreBuildPostProcessor
 	provisioners   []coreBuildProvisioner
+	variables      map[string]string
 
 	debug         bool
 	force         bool
diff --git a/packer/template.go b/packer/template.go
index 995d66342..0bef1e6c3 100644
--- a/packer/template.go
+++ b/packer/template.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 // "interface{}" pointers since we actually don't know what their contents
 // are until we read the "type" field.
 type rawTemplate struct {
+	Variables      map[string]string
 	Builders       []map[string]interface{}
 	Hooks          map[string][]string
 	Provisioners   []map[string]interface{}
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ type rawTemplate struct {
 // The Template struct represents a parsed template, parsed into the most
 // completed form it can be without additional processing by the caller.
 type Template struct {
+	Variables      map[string]string
 	Builders       map[string]rawBuilderConfig
 	Hooks          map[string][]string
 	PostProcessors [][]rawPostProcessorConfig
@@ -123,11 +125,17 @@ func ParseTemplate(data []byte) (t *Template, err error) {
 	}
 
 	t = &Template{}
+	t.Variables = make(map[string]string)
 	t.Builders = make(map[string]rawBuilderConfig)
 	t.Hooks = rawTpl.Hooks
 	t.PostProcessors = make([][]rawPostProcessorConfig, len(rawTpl.PostProcessors))
 	t.Provisioners = make([]rawProvisionerConfig, len(rawTpl.Provisioners))
 
+	// Gather all the variables
+	for k, v := range rawTpl.Variables {
+		t.Variables[k] = v
+	}
+
 	// Gather all the builders
 	for i, v := range rawTpl.Builders {
 		var raw rawBuilderConfig
@@ -412,6 +420,7 @@ func (t *Template) Build(name string, components *ComponentFinder) (b Build, err
 		hooks:          hooks,
 		postProcessors: postProcessors,
 		provisioners:   provisioners,
+		variables:      t.Variables,
 	}
 
 	return
diff --git a/packer/template_test.go b/packer/template_test.go
index c2f133634..2e9cff079 100644
--- a/packer/template_test.go
+++ b/packer/template_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+func testComponentFinder() *ComponentFinder {
+	builderFactory := func(n string) (Builder, error) { return testBuilder(), nil }
+	ppFactory := func(n string) (PostProcessor, error) { return new(TestPostProcessor), nil }
+	provFactory := func(n string) (Provisioner, error) { return new(TestProvisioner), nil }
+	return &ComponentFinder{
+		Builder:       builderFactory,
+		PostProcessor: ppFactory,
+		Provisioner:   provFactory,
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParseTemplate_Basic(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := asserts.NewTestingAsserts(t, true)
 
@@ -300,6 +311,28 @@ func TestParseTemplate_Provisioners(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotNil(result.Provisioners[0].rawConfig, "should have raw config")
 }
 
+func TestParseTemplate_Variables(t *testing.T) {
+	data := `
+	{
+		"variables": {
+			"foo": "bar",
+			"bar": ""
+		},
+
+		"builders": [{"type": "something"}]
+	}
+	`
+
+	result, err := ParseTemplate([]byte(data))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if result.Variables == nil || len(result.Variables) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad vars: %#v", result.Variables)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTemplate_BuildNames(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := asserts.NewTestingAsserts(t, true)
 
@@ -613,3 +646,39 @@ func TestTemplate_Build_ProvisionerOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(len(coreBuild.provisioners), 1, "should have one provisioner")
 	assert.Equal(len(coreBuild.provisioners[0].config), 2, "should have two configs on the provisioner")
 }
+
+func TestTemplateBuild_variables(t *testing.T) {
+	data := `
+	{
+		"variables": {
+			"foo": "bar"
+		},
+
+		"builders": [
+			{
+				"name": "test1",
+				"type": "test-builder"
+			}
+		]
+	}
+	`
+
+	template, err := ParseTemplate([]byte(data))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	build, err := template.Build("test1", testComponentFinder())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	coreBuild, ok := build.(*coreBuild)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("couldn't convert!")
+	}
+
+	if len(coreBuild.variables) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad vars: %#v", coreBuild.variables)
+	}
+}