diff --git a/communicator/ssh/connect.go b/communicator/ssh/connect.go
index 43277595c..7622a90e3 100644
--- a/communicator/ssh/connect.go
+++ b/communicator/ssh/connect.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+	"golang.org/x/net/proxy"
 )
 
 // ConnectFunc is a convenience method for returning a function
@@ -27,6 +28,25 @@ func ConnectFunc(network, addr string) func() (net.Conn, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+// ConnectFunc is a convenience method for returning a function
+// that connects to a host using SOCKS5 proxy
+func ProxyConnectFunc(socksProxy string, socksAuth *proxy.Auth, network, addr string) func() (net.Conn, error) {
+	return func() (net.Conn, error) {
+		// create a socks5 dialer
+		dialer, err := proxy.SOCKS5("tcp", socksProxy, socksAuth, proxy.Direct)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Can't connect to the proxy: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		c, err := dialer.Dial(network, addr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		return c, nil
+	}
+}
+
 // BastionConnectFunc is a convenience method for returning a function
 // that connects to a host over a bastion connection.
 func BastionConnectFunc(
diff --git a/helper/communicator/config.go b/helper/communicator/config.go
index 243ca224d..d89a0ac27 100644
--- a/helper/communicator/config.go
+++ b/helper/communicator/config.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	SSHBastionPassword        string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_password"`
 	SSHBastionPrivateKey      string        `mapstructure:"ssh_bastion_private_key_file"`
 	SSHFileTransferMethod     string        `mapstructure:"ssh_file_transfer_method"`
+	SSHProxyHost              string        `mapstructure:"ssh_proxy_host"`
+	SSHProxyPort              int           `mapstructure:"ssh_proxy_port"`
+	SSHProxyUsername          string        `mapstructure:"ssh_proxy_username"`
+	SSHProxyPassword          string        `mapstructure:"ssh_proxy_password"`
 
 	// WinRM
 	WinRMUser               string        `mapstructure:"winrm_username"`
@@ -141,6 +145,12 @@ func (c *Config) prepareSSH(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if c.SSHProxyHost != "" {
+		if c.SSHProxyPort == 0 {
+			c.SSHProxyPort = 1080
+		}
+	}
+
 	if c.SSHFileTransferMethod == "" {
 		c.SSHFileTransferMethod = "scp"
 	}
diff --git a/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go b/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go
index 669d52410..9179f57e8 100644
--- a/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go
+++ b/helper/communicator/step_connect_ssh.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
 	gossh "golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/agent"
+	"golang.org/x/net/proxy"
 )
 
 // StepConnectSSH is a step that only connects to SSH.
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ func (s *StepConnectSSH) waitForSSH(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-chan stru
 	// do this one before entering the retry loop.
 	var bProto, bAddr string
 	var bConf *gossh.ClientConfig
+	var pAddr string
+	var pAuth *proxy.Auth
 	if s.Config.SSHBastionHost != "" {
 		// The protocol is hardcoded for now, but may be configurable one day
 		bProto = "tcp"
@@ -101,6 +104,16 @@ func (s *StepConnectSSH) waitForSSH(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-chan stru
 		bConf = conf
 	}
 
+	if s.Config.SSHProxyHost != "" {
+		pAddr = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", s.Config.SSHProxyHost, s.Config.SSHProxyPort)
+		if s.Config.SSHProxyUsername != "" {
+			pAuth = new(proxy.Auth)
+			pAuth.User = s.Config.SSHBastionUsername
+			pAuth.Password = s.Config.SSHBastionPassword
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	handshakeAttempts := 0
 
 	var comm packer.Communicator
@@ -146,6 +159,9 @@ func (s *StepConnectSSH) waitForSSH(state multistep.StateBag, cancel <-chan stru
 			// We're using a bastion host, so use the bastion connfunc
 			connFunc = ssh.BastionConnectFunc(
 				bProto, bAddr, bConf, "tcp", address)
+		} else if pAddr != "" {
+			// Connect via SOCKS5 proxy
+			connFunc = ssh.ProxyConnectFunc(pAddr, pAuth, "tcp", address)
 		} else {
 			// No bastion host, connect directly
 			connFunc = ssh.ConnectFunc("tcp", address)