diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 55b3339e5..052d07552 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ Hardware customization:
 
 Provisioning:
 * `ssh_username` - [**mandatory**] username in guest OS.
-* `ssh_password` - [**mandatory if ssh_private_key_file is not present**] password in guest OS.
-* `ssh_private_key_file` - [**mandatory if ssh_password is not present**] password in guest OS.
+* `ssh_password` or `ssh_private_key_file` - [**mandatory**] password or SSH-key filename to access a guest OS.
 
 Post-processing:
 * `shutdown_command` - VMware guest tools are used by default.
diff --git a/builder.go b/builder.go
index a669abd47..132bd9383 100644
--- a/builder.go
+++ b/builder.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		},
 		&StepRun{},
 		&communicator.StepConnect{
-			Config:    &b.config.Config,
+			Config:    &b.config.Comm,
 			Host:      commHost,
 			SSHConfig: sshConfig,
 		},
diff --git a/builder_acc_test.go b/builder_acc_test.go
index c35011ed1..431528f6f 100644
--- a/builder_acc_test.go
+++ b/builder_acc_test.go
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ func checkLinkedClone(t *testing.T) builderT.TestCheckFunc {
 			t.Fatalf("Cannot read VM properties: %v", err)
 		}
 
-		if len(vmInfo.LayoutEx.Disk[0].Chain) != 3 {
+		if len(vmInfo.LayoutEx.Disk[0].Chain) != 2 {
 			t.Error("Not a linked clone")
 		}
 
@@ -378,6 +378,21 @@ func checkRAMReservation(t *testing.T) builderT.TestCheckFunc {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBuilderAcc_sshKey(t *testing.T) {
+	builderT.Test(t, builderT.TestCase{
+		Builder:  &Builder{},
+		Template: sshKeyConfig(),
+	})
+}
+
+func sshKeyConfig() string {
+	config := defaultConfig()
+	config["ssh_password"] = ""
+	config["ssh_private_key_file"] = "test-key.pem"
+	config["linked_clone"] = true // speed up
+	return renderConfig(config)
+}
+
 func TestBuilderAcc_snapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	builderT.Test(t, builderT.TestCase{
 		Builder:  &Builder{},
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index d68ee51aa..5c25da4d1 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ConnectConfig 			`mapstructure:",squash"`
 	CloneConfig 			`mapstructure:",squash"`
 	HardwareConfig 			`mapstructure:",squash"`
-	communicator.Config 	`mapstructure:",squash"`
+	Comm communicator.Config 	`mapstructure:",squash"`
 	ShutdownConfig         	`mapstructure:",squash"`
 	CreateSnapshot    bool 	`mapstructure:"create_snapshot"`
 	ConvertToTemplate bool 	`mapstructure:"convert_to_template"`
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func NewConfig(raws ...interface{}) (*Config, []string, error) {
 	}
 
 	errs := new(packer.MultiError)
-	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, c.Config.Prepare(&c.ctx)...)
+	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, c.Comm.Prepare(&c.ctx)...)
 	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, c.ConnectConfig.Prepare()...)
 	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, c.CloneConfig.Prepare()...)
 	errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, c.HardwareConfig.Prepare()...)
diff --git a/ssh.go b/ssh.go
index 4ffdef905..863ce4e58 100644
--- a/ssh.go
+++ b/ssh.go
@@ -16,18 +16,10 @@ func commHost(state multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
 func sshConfig(state multistep.StateBag) (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
 	config := state.Get("config").(*Config)
 
-	clientConfig := &ssh.ClientConfig{
-		User: config.Config.SSHUsername,
-		Auth: []ssh.AuthMethod{
-			ssh.Password(config.Config.SSHPassword),
-			ssh.KeyboardInteractive(
-				packerssh.PasswordKeyboardInteractive(config.Config.SSHPassword)),
-		},
-		HostKeyCallback: ssh.InsecureIgnoreHostKey(),
-	}
+	var auth []ssh.AuthMethod
 
-	if config.Config.SSHPrivateKey != "" {
-		privateKey, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config.Config.SSHPrivateKey)
+	if config.Comm.SSHPrivateKey != "" {
+		privateKey, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config.Comm.SSHPrivateKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error loading configured private key file: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -37,8 +29,20 @@ func sshConfig(state multistep.StateBag) (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error setting up SSH config: %s", err)
 		}
 
-		clientConfig.Auth = []ssh.AuthMethod{ssh.PublicKeys(signer)}
+		auth = []ssh.AuthMethod{ssh.PublicKeys(signer)}
+	} else {
+		auth = []ssh.AuthMethod{
+			ssh.Password(config.Comm.SSHPassword),
+			ssh.KeyboardInteractive(
+				packerssh.PasswordKeyboardInteractive(config.Comm.SSHPassword)),
+		}
 	}
 
+	clientConfig := &ssh.ClientConfig{
+		User:            config.Comm.SSHUsername,
+		HostKeyCallback: ssh.InsecureIgnoreHostKey(),
+	}
+	clientConfig.Auth = auth
+
 	return clientConfig, nil
 }
diff --git a/test-key.pem b/test-key.pem
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8dad2ecd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-key.pem
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
+MIIEowIBAAKCAQEA2J9w3cbqMJSDTCUtFW3qRHhqgXbSOW32anqEWQYvW48WKXJm
+ZmuuSViC0tcAMCnX8pu5YGlAMCi5RBDtdoE9mZzUCfE4Q1Om42S2jKRrSSbhU9Ts
+8jTRL0V81Tja64SEt5l1dDHS5sgNJy8C4nWaWob1HT+YloPEllj80ogwoQoL3ufp
+r5me/TOrA3ApHXewWm0feBkkkuN6NkL1Z9sILCstLrjD+RVEOvI/wrHZEaLpYJ4P
+LgS8LmTNKaFafmqwgcC4VcA4kVbhxw9X385v+mQLqpiOJa+vS51dT2qINEw+80Y+
+HL7k7OIZTLg803wubI3rUZQ/2PX/STBq1zO9RwIDAQABAoIBAAmrDBGJ6Dfk2PtU
+CXAUaMlHipFeqUFQ7BeSgkeq5AA1IasV5QYbNjslzSj12ZdMtsuoMZzg9bFwj9w+
+2SpZ2FL70ebjsjwnBqLNguxCBlvMdXAVZ8Hjo5Z1hn3JvNOYJYhAPCLEeoI8WYHv
+MjTDRPFXZqc4iGnnVaXUMOyAkZMOV6sMQzvuJad4x7gvQGRhCgcdnFdGbVs+MZQc
+WPI6cO6imj27F6rJK3W6s5XcSjDbkpytf2wUuWYgck93Fdm3kYy3ER6B3P/MiM95
+qGRmg6OuEYbXAr4ytamjKUThl83SGvDS89N5SIjS5rgrEBgrOFBgMhjG/ibaxbrh
+c84oplECgYEA+vyI4VUYgce8voYmdDijlM/NwPbCpD3SGiyXIYcDN1i/CUdDhBYh
+z4982H6I1b2cg+veBWICro9Dp20CpfGtXT6Y3o1yNWkbKlosd+f2Us10fG1gkcyI
+TiZCYaJPrtdoTT0vMKbdUbkgn0FLNbW1TCh5FQ7K7RXhDonb9BbsTzkCgYEA3PMu
+bv/MgaET654GAItudazJmh4FfR905w59yVNJfe+7iG/f5zzv7vIpaERvBo245hcu
+IaO8QbW5OKYuCaNIjGOSd1uxN5ytcOHcf1bmjS+WRQdu/FR5v9BM0BY66NFjqKMb
+dZLXVZPnU3EOqCKmi9SI2VOVKrDL5XzMOHhL8H8CgYBFJh5wNomx993AgCVID/LB
+pR8C8vldVsrz+yUIT7JLJWA8pi2rzo0yKk4zN2lrufnNPsbEpOQoQ8BX+GiqX5Ns
+BTsI1d+JZ5Pcb0uhHX94ALL/NQNOKBPFtDTFwXpCqYZLAXhm5xJC2cZrGgommhGB
+EgWKD7FI8KY44zJ+ZXJlwQKBgGvw/eFKZI17tPCp3cLMW2VvyXnaatIK2SC8SqVd
+ZAz7XoG0Lg2ZDpqMgcAnlpn8CLWX43iZtjHf5qIPRXR96cZ0KqzXBcfmajE4lnE7
+chzNf7sve4AYgPY9fBk4kwUEroxHSvXwi/SJ8jwogoGPlA/CAC00ES6u+p2dj2OT
+GX5fAoGBAM6saTeyjAjLDE/vlPM9OButsoj5CJg7DklRgrRuRyygbyRBudafslnl
+8e4+4mlXEBwKDnrDTtXFhX1Ur95/w/4GjyFXO/TB/Tmn+vaEBQTzgViKc2cJ/yay
+ttiF6oJh9EjCaFDTz5P11wX7DajRux/2tUcBXX/C3FcGhNEkVb2P
+-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
diff --git a/test-key.pub b/test-key.pub
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..c4c14bb04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-key.pub
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDYn3DdxuowlINMJS0VbepEeGqBdtI5bfZqeoRZBi9bjxYpcmZma65JWILS1wAwKdfym7lgaUAwKLlEEO12gT2ZnNQJ8ThDU6bjZLaMpGtJJuFT1OzyNNEvRXzVONrrhIS3mXV0MdLmyA0nLwLidZpahvUdP5iWg8SWWPzSiDChCgve5+mvmZ79M6sDcCkdd7BabR94GSSS43o2QvVn2wgsKy0uuMP5FUQ68j/CsdkRoulgng8uBLwuZM0poVp+arCBwLhVwDiRVuHHD1ffzm/6ZAuqmI4lr69LnV1Paog0TD7zRj4cvuTs4hlMuDzTfC5sjetRlD/Y9f9JMGrXM71H