diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
index 729ebce13..c44c5db05 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/run_config.go
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@ import (
 
 var reShutdownBehavior = regexp.MustCompile("^(stop|terminate)$")
 
+type DynamicAmiOptions struct {
+	Filters     map[*string]*string
+	Owners      []*string
+	Most_recent bool
+}
+
+func (d *DynamicAmiOptions) Validate() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
 // RunConfig contains configuration for running an instance from a source
 // AMI and details on how to access that launched image.
 type RunConfig struct {
@@ -24,6 +34,7 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	InstanceType                      string            `mapstructure:"instance_type"`
 	RunTags                           map[string]string `mapstructure:"run_tags"`
 	SourceAmi                         string            `mapstructure:"source_ami"`
+	DynamicSourceAmi                  DynamicAmiOptions `mapstructure:"dynamic_source_ami"`
 	SpotPrice                         string            `mapstructure:"spot_price"`
 	SpotPriceAutoProduct              string            `mapstructure:"spot_price_auto_product"`
 	DisableStopInstance               bool              `mapstructure:"disable_stop_instance"`
@@ -57,7 +68,7 @@ func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 	// Validation
 	errs := c.Comm.Prepare(ctx)
 	if c.SourceAmi == "" {
-		errs = append(errs, errors.New("A source_ami must be specified"))
+		errs = append(errs, errors.New("A source_ami or dynamic_source_ami must be specified"))
 	}
 
 	if c.InstanceType == "" {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
index 6eeb59604..34146081d 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
@@ -84,24 +84,18 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepActi
 	}
 
 	ui.Say("Launching a source AWS instance...")
-	imageResp, err := ec2conn.DescribeImages(&ec2.DescribeImagesInput{
-		ImageIds: []*string{&s.SourceAMI},
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("There was a problem with the source AMI: %s", err))
+	image, ok := state.Get("source_image").(*ec2.Image)
+	if !ok {
+		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("source_image type assertion failed"))
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
+	s.SourceAMI = *image.ImageId
 
-	if len(imageResp.Images) != 1 {
-		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf("The source AMI '%s' could not be found.", s.SourceAMI))
-		return multistep.ActionHalt
-	}
-
-	if s.ExpectedRootDevice != "" && *imageResp.Images[0].RootDeviceType != s.ExpectedRootDevice {
+	if s.ExpectedRootDevice != "" && *image.RootDeviceType != s.ExpectedRootDevice {
 		state.Put("error", fmt.Errorf(
 			"The provided source AMI has an invalid root device type.\n"+
 				"Expected '%s', got '%s'.",
-			s.ExpectedRootDevice, *imageResp.Images[0].RootDeviceType))
+			s.ExpectedRootDevice, image.RootDeviceType))
 		return multistep.ActionHalt
 	}
 
@@ -156,16 +150,16 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepActi
 
 	if spotPrice == "" || spotPrice == "0" {
 		runOpts := &ec2.RunInstancesInput{
-			KeyName:                           &keyName,
-			ImageId:                           &s.SourceAMI,
-			InstanceType:                      &s.InstanceType,
-			UserData:                          &userData,
-			MaxCount:                          aws.Int64(1),
-			MinCount:                          aws.Int64(1),
-			IamInstanceProfile:                &ec2.IamInstanceProfileSpecification{Name: &s.IamInstanceProfile},
-			BlockDeviceMappings:               s.BlockDevices.BuildLaunchDevices(),
-			Placement:                         &ec2.Placement{AvailabilityZone: &s.AvailabilityZone},
-			EbsOptimized:                      &s.EbsOptimized,
+			KeyName:             &keyName,
+			ImageId:             &s.SourceAMI,
+			InstanceType:        &s.InstanceType,
+			UserData:            &userData,
+			MaxCount:            aws.Int64(1),
+			MinCount:            aws.Int64(1),
+			IamInstanceProfile:  &ec2.IamInstanceProfileSpecification{Name: &s.IamInstanceProfile},
+			BlockDeviceMappings: s.BlockDevices.BuildLaunchDevices(),
+			Placement:           &ec2.Placement{AvailabilityZone: &s.AvailabilityZone},
+			EbsOptimized:        &s.EbsOptimized,
 		}
 
 		if s.SubnetId != "" && s.AssociatePublicIpAddress {
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
index 479faed66..a349f3bd9 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_source_ami_info.go
@@ -16,14 +16,37 @@ import (
 type StepSourceAMIInfo struct {
 	SourceAmi          string
 	EnhancedNetworking bool
+	AmiFilters         DynamicAmiOptions
+}
+
+// Build a slice of AMI filter options from the filters provided.
+func buildAmiFilters(input map[*string]*string) []*ec2.Filter {
+	var filters []*ec2.Filter
+	for k, v := range input {
+		/*m := v.(map[string]interface{})
+		  var filterValues []*string
+		  for _, e := range m["values"].([]interface{}) {
+		      filterValues = append(filterValues, aws.String(e.(string)))
+		  }*/
+		filters = append(filters, &ec2.Filter{
+			Name:   k,
+			Values: []*string{v},
+		})
+	}
+	return filters
 }
 
 func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
-	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Inspecting the source AMI (%s)...", s.SourceAmi))
-	imageResp, err := ec2conn.DescribeImages(&ec2.DescribeImagesInput{ImageIds: []*string{&s.SourceAmi}})
+	params := &ec2.DescribeImagesInput{}
+	params.Filters = buildAmiFilters(s.AmiFilters.Filters)
+	params.Owners = s.AmiFilters.Owners
+	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Using AMI Filters %v", params))
+	imageResp, err := ec2conn.DescribeImages(params)
+	//ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Inspecting the source AMI (%s)...", s.SourceAmi))
+	//imageResp, err := ec2conn.DescribeImages(&ec2.DescribeImagesInput{ImageIds: []*string{&s.SourceAmi}})
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error querying AMI: %s", err)
 		state.Put("error", err)
@@ -39,6 +62,7 @@ func (s *StepSourceAMIInfo) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	}
 
 	image := imageResp.Images[0]
+	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Got Image %v", image))
 
 	// Enhanced Networking (SriovNetSupport) can only be enabled on HVM AMIs.
 	// See http://goo.gl/icuXh5
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index 638efa5a3..4566679ec 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		&awscommon.StepSourceAMIInfo{
 			SourceAmi:          b.config.SourceAmi,
 			EnhancedNetworking: b.config.AMIEnhancedNetworking,
+			AmiFilters:         b.config.DynamicSourceAmi,
 		},
 		&awscommon.StepKeyPair{
 			Debug:                b.config.PackerDebug,