diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/builder.go b/builder/vmware/iso/builder.go
index 2cfab3e79..68e3b42fc 100755
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/builder.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/builder.go
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	RemotePassword       string `mapstructure:"remote_password"`
 	RemotePrivateKey     string `mapstructure:"remote_private_key_file"`
 
+	CommConfig communicator.Config `mapstructure:",squash"`
+
 	ctx interpolate.Context
 }
 
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/builder_test.go b/builder/vmware/iso/builder_test.go
index bb2149506..022dee961 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/builder_test.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/builder_test.go
@@ -338,3 +338,61 @@ func TestBuilderPrepare_VNCPort(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBuilderPrepare_CommConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test Winrm
+	{
+		config := testConfig()
+		config["communicator"] = "winrm"
+		config["winrm_username"] = "username"
+		config["winrm_password"] = "password"
+		config["winrm_host"] = "1.2.3.4"
+
+		var b Builder
+		warns, err := b.Prepare(config)
+		if len(warns) > 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warns)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		if b.config.CommConfig.WinRMUser != "username" {
+			t.Errorf("bad winrm_username: %s", b.config.CommConfig.WinRMUser)
+		}
+		if b.config.CommConfig.WinRMPassword != "password" {
+			t.Errorf("bad winrm_password: %s", b.config.CommConfig.WinRMPassword)
+		}
+		if host := b.config.CommConfig.Host(); host != "1.2.3.4" {
+			t.Errorf("bad host: %s", host)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Test SSH
+	{
+		config := testConfig()
+		config["communicator"] = "ssh"
+		config["ssh_username"] = "username"
+		config["ssh_password"] = "password"
+		config["ssh_host"] = "1.2.3.4"
+
+		var b Builder
+		warns, err := b.Prepare(config)
+		if len(warns) > 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warns)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		if b.config.CommConfig.SSHUsername != "username" {
+			t.Errorf("bad ssh_username: %s", b.config.CommConfig.SSHUsername)
+		}
+		if b.config.CommConfig.SSHPassword != "password" {
+			t.Errorf("bad ssh_password: %s", b.config.CommConfig.SSHPassword)
+		}
+		if host := b.config.CommConfig.Host(); host != "1.2.3.4" {
+			t.Errorf("bad host: %s", host)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
index f5814caea..2e048d2df 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5.go
@@ -239,6 +239,11 @@ func (d *ESX5Driver) CommHost(state multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
 		return address.(string), nil
 	}
 
+	if address := config.CommConfig.Host(); address != "" {
+		state.Put("vm_address", address)
+		return address, nil
+	}
+
 	r, err := d.esxcli("network", "vm", "list")
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
diff --git a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go
index 65add0712..c59c3e46f 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/iso/driver_esx5_test.go
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package iso
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	vmwcommon "github.com/mitchellh/packer/builder/vmware/common"
 	"net"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	vmwcommon "github.com/mitchellh/packer/builder/vmware/common"
 )
 
 func TestESX5Driver_implDriver(t *testing.T) {
@@ -33,3 +35,44 @@ func TestESX5Driver_HostIP(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Expected string, %s but got %s", expected_host, host))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestESX5Driver_CommHost(t *testing.T) {
+	const expected_host = "127.0.0.1"
+
+	config := testConfig()
+	config["communicator"] = "winrm"
+	config["winrm_username"] = "username"
+	config["winrm_password"] = "password"
+	config["winrm_host"] = expected_host
+
+	var b Builder
+	warns, err := b.Prepare(config)
+	if len(warns) > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", warns)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+	if host := b.config.CommConfig.Host(); host != expected_host {
+		t.Fatalf("setup failed, bad host name: %s", host)
+	}
+
+	state := new(multistep.BasicStateBag)
+	state.Put("config", &b.config)
+
+	var driver ESX5Driver
+	host, err := driver.CommHost(state)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should not have error: %s", err)
+	}
+	if host != expected_host {
+		t.Errorf("bad host name: %s", host)
+	}
+	address, ok := state.GetOk("vm_address")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Error("state not updated with vm_address")
+	}
+	if address.(string) != expected_host {
+		t.Errorf("bad vm_address: %s", address.(string))
+	}
+}