diff --git a/builder/alicloud/ecs/client.go b/builder/alicloud/ecs/client.go
index ac599049f..c18a1585c 100644
--- a/builder/alicloud/ecs/client.go
+++ b/builder/alicloud/ecs/client.go
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ func (c *ClientWrapper) WaitForExpected(args *WaitForExpectArgs) (responses.AcsR
 		timeoutPoint = time.Now().Add(args.RetryTimeout)
 	}
 
+	var lastResponse responses.AcsResponse
 	var lastError error
 
 	for i := 0; ; i++ {
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ func (c *ClientWrapper) WaitForExpected(args *WaitForExpectArgs) (responses.AcsR
 		}
 
 		response, err := args.RequestFunc()
+		lastResponse = response
 		lastError = err
 
 		evalResult := args.EvalFunc(response, err)
@@ -180,17 +182,21 @@ func (c *ClientWrapper) WaitForExpected(args *WaitForExpectArgs) (responses.AcsR
 			return response, nil
 		}
 		if evalResult.stopRetry {
-			return nil, err
+			return response, err
 		}
 
 		time.Sleep(args.RetryInterval)
 	}
 
-	if args.RetryTimeout > 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("evaluate failed after %d seconds timeout with %d seconds retry interval: %s", int(args.RetryTimeout.Seconds()), int(args.RetryInterval.Seconds()), lastError)
+	if lastError == nil {
+		lastError = fmt.Errorf("<no error>")
 	}
 
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("evaluate failed after %d times retry with %d seconds retry interval: %s", args.RetryTimes, int(args.RetryInterval.Seconds()), lastError)
+	if args.RetryTimeout > 0 {
+		return lastResponse, fmt.Errorf("evaluate failed after %d seconds timeout with %d seconds retry interval: %s", int(args.RetryTimeout.Seconds()), int(args.RetryInterval.Seconds()), lastError)
+	}
+
+	return lastResponse, fmt.Errorf("evaluate failed after %d times retry with %d seconds retry interval: %s", args.RetryTimes, int(args.RetryInterval.Seconds()), lastError)
 }
 
 func (c *ClientWrapper) WaitForInstanceStatus(regionId string, instanceId string, expectedStatus string) (responses.AcsResponse, error) {
diff --git a/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_create_image.go b/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_create_image.go
index 6b460d35b..f69842733 100644
--- a/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_create_image.go
+++ b/builder/alicloud/ecs/step_create_image.go
@@ -52,17 +52,18 @@ func (s *stepCreateAlicloudImage) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.State
 	imageId := createImageResponse.(*ecs.CreateImageResponse).ImageId
 
 	imagesResponse, err := client.WaitForImageStatus(config.AlicloudRegion, imageId, ImageStatusAvailable, time.Duration(s.WaitSnapshotReadyTimeout)*time.Second)
-	if err != nil {
-		return halt(state, err, "Timeout waiting for image to be created")
-	}
 
+	// save image first for cleaning up if timeout
 	images := imagesResponse.(*ecs.DescribeImagesResponse).Images.Image
 	if len(images) == 0 {
 		return halt(state, err, "Unable to find created image")
 	}
-
 	s.image = &images[0]
 
+	if err != nil {
+		return halt(state, err, "Timeout waiting for image to be created")
+	}
+
 	var snapshotIds []string
 	for _, device := range images[0].DiskDeviceMappings.DiskDeviceMapping {
 		snapshotIds = append(snapshotIds, device.SnapshotId)