diff --git a/communicator/ssh/connect.go b/communicator/ssh/connect.go
index b280f3ead..43277595c 100644
--- a/communicator/ssh/connect.go
+++ b/communicator/ssh/connect.go
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package ssh
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"time"
+
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
 )
 
 // ConnectFunc is a convenience method for returning a function
@@ -23,3 +26,43 @@ func ConnectFunc(network, addr string) func() (net.Conn, error) {
 		return c, nil
 	}
 }
+
+// BastionConnectFunc is a convenience method for returning a function
+// that connects to a host over a bastion connection.
+func BastionConnectFunc(
+	bProto string,
+	bAddr string,
+	bConf *ssh.ClientConfig,
+	proto string,
+	addr string) func() (net.Conn, error) {
+	return func() (net.Conn, error) {
+		// Connect to the bastion
+		bastion, err := ssh.Dial(bProto, bAddr, bConf)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to bastion: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		// Connect through to the end host
+		conn, err := bastion.Dial(proto, addr)
+		if err != nil {
+			bastion.Close()
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// Wrap it up so we close both things properly
+		return &bastionConn{
+			Conn:    conn,
+			Bastion: bastion,
+		}, nil
+	}
+}
+
+type bastionConn struct {
+	net.Conn
+	Bastion *ssh.Client
+}
+
+func (c *bastionConn) Close() error {
+	c.Conn.Close()
+	return c.Bastion.Close()
+}
diff --git a/helper/communicator/config.go b/helper/communicator/config.go
index 4c316ff69..4d10bbbb6 100644
--- a/helper/communicator/config.go
+++ b/helper/communicator/config.go
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	SSHPty               bool          `mapstructure:"ssh_pty"`
 	SSHTimeout           time.Duration `mapstructure:"ssh_timeout"`
 	SSHHandshakeAttempts int           `mapstructure:"ssh_handshake_attempts"`
+	SSHBastionHost       string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_host"`
+	SSHBastionPort       int           `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_port"`
+	SSHBastionUsername   string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_username"`
+	SSHBastionPassword   string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_password"`
+	SSHBastionPrivateKey string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_private_key_file"`
 
 	// WinRM
 	WinRMUser     string        `mapstructure:"winrm_username"`
@@ -77,6 +82,12 @@ func (c *Config) prepareSSH(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 		c.SSHHandshakeAttempts = 10
 	}
 
+	if c.SSHBastionHost != "" {
+		if c.SSHBastionPort == 0 {
+			c.SSHBastionPort = 22
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Validation
 	var errs []error
 	if c.SSHUsername == "" {
@@ -93,6 +104,13 @@ func (c *Config) prepareSSH(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if c.SSHBastionHost != "" {
+		if c.SSHBastionPassword == "" && c.SSHBastionPrivateKey == "" {
+			errs = append(errs, errors.New(
+				"ssh_bastion_password or ssh_bastion_private_key_file must be specified"))
+		}
+	}
+
 	return errs
 }
 
diff --git a/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go b/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go
index 4b664fe4c..fd6b585f8 100644
--- a/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go
+++ b/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"net"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	commonssh "github.com/mitchellh/packer/common/ssh"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/communicator/ssh"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 	gossh "golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
@@ -79,6 +81,24 @@ func (s *StepConnectSSH) Cleanup(multistep.StateBag) {
 }
 
 func (s *StepConnectSSH) waitForSSH(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-chan struct{}) (packer.Communicator, error) {
+	// Determine if we're using a bastion host, and if so, retrieve
+	// that configuration. This configuration doesn't change so we
+	// do this one before entering the retry loop.
+	var bProto, bAddr string
+	var bConf *gossh.ClientConfig
+	if s.Config.SSHBastionHost != "" {
+		// The protocol is hardcoded for now, but may be configurable one day
+		bProto = "tcp"
+		bAddr = fmt.Sprintf(
+			"%s:%d", s.Config.SSHBastionHost, s.Config.SSHBastionPort)
+
+		conf, err := sshBastionConfig(s.Config)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error configuring bastion: %s", err)
+		}
+		bConf = conf
+	}
+
 	handshakeAttempts := 0
 
 	var comm packer.Communicator
@@ -117,10 +137,18 @@ func (s *StepConnectSSH) waitForSSH(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-chan stru
 			continue
 		}
 
-		address := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", host, port)
-
 		// Attempt to connect to SSH port
-		connFunc := ssh.ConnectFunc("tcp", address)
+		var connFunc func() (net.Conn, error)
+		address := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", host, port)
+		if bAddr != "" {
+			// We're using a bastion host, so use the bastion connfunc
+			connFunc = ssh.BastionConnectFunc(
+				bProto, bAddr, bConf, "tcp", address)
+		} else {
+			// No bastion host, connect directly
+			connFunc = ssh.ConnectFunc("tcp", address)
+		}
+
 		nc, err := connFunc()
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("[DEBUG] TCP connection to SSH ip/port failed: %s", err)
@@ -164,3 +192,27 @@ func (s *StepConnectSSH) waitForSSH(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-chan stru
 
 	return comm, nil
 }
+
+func sshBastionConfig(config *Config) (*gossh.ClientConfig, error) {
+	auth := make([]gossh.AuthMethod, 0, 2)
+	if config.SSHBastionPassword != "" {
+		auth = append(auth,
+			gossh.Password(config.SSHBastionPassword),
+			gossh.KeyboardInteractive(
+				ssh.PasswordKeyboardInteractive(config.SSHBastionPassword)))
+	}
+
+	if config.SSHBastionPrivateKey != "" {
+		signer, err := commonssh.FileSigner(config.SSHBastionPrivateKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		auth = append(auth, gossh.PublicKeys(signer))
+	}
+
+	return &gossh.ClientConfig{
+		User: config.SSHBastionUsername,
+		Auth: auth,
+	}, nil
+}