diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/ssh.go b/builder/amazon/common/ssh.go
index 64479e841..3057bf171 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/ssh.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/ssh.go
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ package common
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	packerssh "github.com/mitchellh/packer/communicator/ssh"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/agent"
 )
 
 type ec2Describer interface {
@@ -67,8 +70,26 @@ func SSHHost(e ec2Describer, private bool) func(multistep.StateBag) (string, err
 // SSHConfig returns a function that can be used for the SSH communicator
 // config for connecting to the instance created over SSH using the private key
 // or password.
-func SSHConfig(username, password string) func(multistep.StateBag) (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
+func SSHConfig(useAgent bool, username, password string) func(multistep.StateBag) (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
 	return func(state multistep.StateBag) (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
+		if useAgent {
+			authSock := os.Getenv("SSH_AUTH_SOCK")
+			if authSock == "" {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("SSH_AUTH_SOCK is not set")
+			}
+
+			sshAgent, err := net.Dial("unix", authSock)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Cannot connect to SSH Agent socket %q: %s", authSock, err)
+			}
+
+			return &ssh.ClientConfig{
+				User: username,
+				Auth: []ssh.AuthMethod{
+					ssh.PublicKeysCallback(agent.NewClient(sshAgent).Signers),
+				},
+			}, nil
+		}
 
 		privateKey, hasKey := state.GetOk("privateKey")
 		if hasKey {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
index 0cb35f15e..ed3890374 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_key_pair.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 type StepKeyPair struct {
 	Debug                bool
+	SSHAgentAuth         bool
 	DebugKeyPath         string
 	TemporaryKeyPairName string
 	KeyPairName          string
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
 	if s.PrivateKeyFile != "" {
-		ui.Say("Using existing ssh private key")
+		ui.Say("Using existing SSH private key")
 		privateKeyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(s.PrivateKeyFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf(
@@ -39,6 +40,17 @@ func (s *StepKeyPair) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		return multistep.ActionContinue
 	}
 
+	if s.SSHAgentAuth && s.KeyPairName == "" {
+		ui.Say("Using SSH Agent with key pair in Source AMI")
+		return multistep.ActionContinue
+	}
+
+	if s.SSHAgentAuth && s.KeyPairName != "" {
+		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Using SSH Agent for existing key pair %s", s.KeyPairName))
+		state.Put("keyPair", s.KeyPairName)
+		return multistep.ActionContinue
+	}
+
 	if s.TemporaryKeyPairName == "" {
 		ui.Say("Not using temporary keypair")
 		state.Put("keyPair", "")
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index b98cf19fa..c0ab2e44d 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 				ec2conn,
 				b.config.SSHPrivateIp),
 			SSHConfig: awscommon.SSHConfig(
+				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHAgentAuth,
 				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHUsername,
 				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPassword),
 		},
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index 5672f6dc7..36fdfc85a 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 				ec2conn,
 				b.config.SSHPrivateIp),
 			SSHConfig: awscommon.SSHConfig(
+				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHAgentAuth,
 				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHUsername,
 				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPassword),
 		},
diff --git a/helper/communicator/config.go b/helper/communicator/config.go
index 7c36e70d9..66e4e96fa 100644
--- a/helper/communicator/config.go
+++ b/helper/communicator/config.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	SSHPrivateKey         string        `mapstructure:"ssh_private_key_file"`
 	SSHPty                bool          `mapstructure:"ssh_pty"`
 	SSHTimeout            time.Duration `mapstructure:"ssh_timeout"`
+	SSHAgentAuth          bool          `mapstructure:"ssh_agent_auth"`
 	SSHDisableAgent       bool          `mapstructure:"ssh_disable_agent"`
 	SSHHandshakeAttempts  int           `mapstructure:"ssh_handshake_attempts"`
 	SSHBastionHost        string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_host"`
diff --git a/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-ebs.html.md b/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-ebs.html.md
index 1780dc2c2..bc3c560ad 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-ebs.html.md
+++ b/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-ebs.html.md
@@ -217,11 +217,20 @@ builder.
     `Linux/UNIX (Amazon VPC)`, `SUSE Linux (Amazon VPC)`, `Windows (Amazon VPC)`
 
 -   `ssh_keypair_name` (string) - If specified, this is the key that will be
-    used for SSH with the machine. By default, this is blank, and Packer will
+    used for SSH with the machine. The key must match a key pair name loaded
+    up into Amazon EC2.  By default, this is blank, and Packer will
     generate a temporary keypair unless
     [`ssh_password`](/docs/templates/communicator.html#ssh_password) is used.
     [`ssh_private_key_file`](/docs/templates/communicator.html#ssh_private_key_file)
-    must be specified with this.
+    or `ssh_agent_auth` must be specified when `ssh_keypair_name` is utilized.
+
+-   `ssh_agent_auth` (boolean) - If true, the local SSH agent will be used to
+    authenticate connections to the source instance. No temporary keypair will
+    be created, and the values of `ssh_password` and `ssh_private_key_file` will
+    be ignored. To use this option with a key pair already configured in the source
+    AMI, leave the `ssh_keypair_name` blank. To associate an existing key pair
+    in AWS with the source instance, set the `ssh_keypair_name` field to the name
+    of the key pair.
 
 -   `ssh_private_ip` (boolean) - If true, then SSH will always use the private
     IP if available.
diff --git a/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-instance.html.md b/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-instance.html.md
index c7a42b2e6..9bc526e52 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-instance.html.md
+++ b/website/source/docs/builders/amazon-instance.html.md
@@ -238,8 +238,16 @@ builder.
     generate a temporary keypair unless
     [`ssh_password`](/docs/templates/communicator.html#ssh_password) is used.
     [`ssh_private_key_file`](/docs/templates/communicator.html#ssh_private_key_file)
-    must be specified when `ssh_keypair_name` is utilized.
+    or `ssh_agent_auth` must be specified when `ssh_keypair_name` is utilized.
 
+-   `ssh_agent_auth` (boolean) - If true, the local SSH agent will be used to
+    authenticate connections to the source instance. No temporary keypair will
+    be created, and the values of `ssh_password` and `ssh_private_key_file` will
+    be ignored. To use this option with a key pair already configured in the source
+    AMI, leave the `ssh_keypair_name` blank. To associate an existing key pair
+    in AWS with the source instance, set the `ssh_keypair_name` field to the name
+    of the key pair.
+    
 -   `ssh_private_ip` (boolean) - If true, then SSH will always use the private
     IP if available.