diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/builder.go b/builder/virtualbox/builder.go
index 7383e010b..fdd30db95 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/builder.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/builder.go
@@ -226,6 +226,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 
 	b.runner.Run(state)
 
+	// If there was an error, return that
+	if rawErr, ok := state["error"]; ok {
+		return nil, rawErr.(error)
+	}
+
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_attach_iso.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_attach_iso.go
index fe1c4df0c..abcde9469 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_attach_iso.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_attach_iso.go
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ func (s *stepAttachISO) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 		"--medium", isoPath,
 	}
 	if err := driver.VBoxManage(command...); err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error attaching hard drive: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error attaching ISO: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_create_disk.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_create_disk.go
index a197d1816..e48825e21 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_create_disk.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_create_disk.go
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateDisk) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 	ui.Say("Creating hard drive...")
 	err := driver.VBoxManage(command...)
 	if err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error creating hard drive: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating hard drive: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -40,7 +42,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateDisk) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 	controllerName := "IDE Controller"
 	err = driver.VBoxManage("storagectl", vmName, "--name", controllerName, "--add", "ide")
 	if err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error creating disk controller: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating disk controller: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -54,7 +58,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateDisk) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 		"--medium", path,
 	}
 	if err := driver.VBoxManage(command...); err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error attaching hard drive: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error attaching hard drive: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_create_vm.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_create_vm.go
index 29f07e0dd..3e21c5bd7 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_create_vm.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_create_vm.go
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ func (s *stepCreateVM) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 	for _, command := range commands {
 		err := driver.VBoxManage(command...)
 		if err != nil {
-			ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error creating VM: %s", err))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating VM: %s", err)
+			state["error"] = err
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_download_iso.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_download_iso.go
index a0fadbf56..a4b19f56a 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_download_iso.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_download_iso.go
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ func (s stepDownloadISO) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 
 	checksum, err := hex.DecodeString(config.ISOMD5)
 	if err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error parsing checksum: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error parsing checksum: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -57,12 +59,14 @@ func (s stepDownloadISO) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 	progressTicker := time.NewTicker(5 * time.Second)
 	defer progressTicker.Stop()
 
-DownloadWaitLoop:
+	DownloadWaitLoop:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case err := <-downloadCompleteCh:
 			if err != nil {
-				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error downloading ISO: %s", err))
+				err := fmt.Errorf("Error downloading ISO: %s", err)
+				state["error"] = err
+				ui.Error(err.Error())
 			}
 
 			break DownloadWaitLoop
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_export.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_export.go
index d2a04a857..e29aabf0b 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_export.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_export.go
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ func (s *stepExport) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 	ui.Say("Exporting virtual machine...")
 	err := driver.VBoxManage(command...)
 	if err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error exporting virtual machine: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error exporting virtual machine: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_forward_ssh.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_forward_ssh.go
index 8fcf78f45..aee47bf1c 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_forward_ssh.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_forward_ssh.go
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ func (s *stepForwardSSH) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction
 		fmt.Sprintf("packerssh,tcp,127.0.0.1,%d,,%d", sshHostPort, config.SSHPort),
 	}
 	if err := driver.VBoxManage(command...); err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error creating port forwarding rule: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating port forwarding rule: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_prepare_output_dir.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_prepare_output_dir.go
index 86213cb2d..14e0fc7ff 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_prepare_output_dir.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_prepare_output_dir.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ func (stepPrepareOutputDir) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepActi
 	config := state["config"].(*config)
 
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(config.OutputDir, 0755); err != nil {
+		state["error"] = err
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_run.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_run.go
index 18a918f0f..3ac1d22c3 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_run.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_run.go
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ func (s *stepRun) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 	ui.Say("Starting the virtual machine...")
 	command := []string{"startvm", vmName, "--type", "gui"}
 	if err := driver.VBoxManage(command...); err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error starting VM: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error starting VM: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_shutdown.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_shutdown.go
index acff92a2b..9b250a843 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_shutdown.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_shutdown.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package virtualbox
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
@@ -34,7 +35,9 @@ func (s *stepShutdown) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 		log.Printf("Executing shutdown command: %s", config.ShutdownCommand)
 		cmd := &packer.RemoteCmd{Command: config.ShutdownCommand}
 		if err := comm.Start(cmd); err != nil {
-			ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to send shutdown command: %s", err))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Failed to send shutdown command: %s", err)
+			state["error"] = err
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 
@@ -52,7 +55,9 @@ func (s *stepShutdown) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 
 			select {
 			case <-shutdownTimer:
-				ui.Error("Timeout while waiting for machine to shut down.")
+				err := errors.New("Timeout while waiting for machine to shut down.")
+				state["error"] = err
+				ui.Error(err.Error())
 				return multistep.ActionHalt
 			default:
 				time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
@@ -61,7 +66,9 @@ func (s *stepShutdown) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
 	} else {
 		ui.Say("Halting the virtual machine...")
 		if err := driver.Stop(vmName); err != nil {
-			ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error stopping VM: %s", err))
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Error stopping VM: %s", err)
+			state["error"] = err
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_suppress_messages.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_suppress_messages.go
index 4197e47d6..5a6a2acce 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_suppress_messages.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_suppress_messages.go
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ func (stepSuppressMessages) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepActi
 
 	log.Println("Suppressing annoying messages in VirtualBox")
 	if err := driver.SuppressMessages(); err != nil {
-		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error configuring VirtualBox to suppress messages: %s", err))
+		err := fmt.Errorf("Error configuring VirtualBox to suppress messages: %s", err)
+		state["error"] = err
+		ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go b/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go
index 6257aa435..23d019268 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/step_type_boot_command.go
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ func (s *stepTypeBootCommand) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAc
 			}
 
 			if err := driver.VBoxManage("controlvm", vmName, "keyboardputscancode", code); err != nil {
-				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error sending boot command: %s", err))
+				err := fmt.Errorf("Error sending boot command: %s", err)
+				state["error"] = err
+				ui.Error(err.Error())
 				return multistep.ActionHalt
 			}
 		}