diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
index 388061bee..80d6ae1b9 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/builder.go
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	state := new(multistep.BasicStateBag)
 	state.Put("config", &b.config)
 	state.Put("ec2", ec2conn)
+	state.Put("awsSession", session)
 	state.Put("hook", hook)
 	state.Put("ui", ui)
 	state.Put("wrappedCommand", CommandWrapper(wrappedCommand))
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	artifact := &awscommon.Artifact{
 		Amis:           state.Get("amis").(map[string]string),
 		BuilderIdValue: BuilderId,
-		Conn:           ec2conn,
+		Session:        session,
 	}
 
 	return artifact, nil
diff --git a/builder/amazon/chroot/step_instance_info.go b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_instance_info.go
index 00fd10dde..652808952 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/chroot/step_instance_info.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/chroot/step_instance_info.go
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ type StepInstanceInfo struct{}
 
 func (s *StepInstanceInfo) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
+	session := state.Get("awsSession").(*session.Session)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 
 	// Get our own instance ID
 	ui.Say("Gathering information about this EC2 instance...")
 
-	sess := session.New()
-	ec2meta := ec2metadata.New(sess)
+	ec2meta := ec2metadata.New(session)
 	identity, err := ec2meta.GetInstanceIdentityDocument()
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf(
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/artifact.go b/builder/amazon/common/artifact.go
index 1c3817d6f..90d7dec10 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/artifact.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/artifact.go
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 )
 
 // Artifact is an artifact implementation that contains built AMIs.
 type Artifact struct {
-	AccessConfig *AccessConfig
-
 	// A map of regions to AMI IDs.
 	Amis map[string]string
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ type Artifact struct {
 	BuilderIdValue string
 
 	// EC2 connection for performing API stuff.
-	Conn *ec2.EC2
+	Session *session.Session
 }
 
 func (a *Artifact) BuilderId() string {
@@ -69,11 +69,9 @@ func (a *Artifact) Destroy() error {
 	for region, imageId := range a.Amis {
 		log.Printf("Deregistering image ID (%s) from region (%s)", imageId, region)
 
-		session, err := a.AccessConfig.Session()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		regionConn := ec2.New(session)
+		regionConn := ec2.New(a.Session, &aws.Config{
+			Region: aws.String(region),
+		})
 
 		// Get image metadata
 		imageResp, err := regionConn.DescribeImages(&ec2.DescribeImagesInput{
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go
index 89a388205..d3183c7a7 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/awserr"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	retry "github.com/hashicorp/packer/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 type StepCreateTags struct {
-	AccessConfig *AccessConfig
 	Tags         map[string]string
 	SnapshotTags map[string]string
 	Ctx          interpolate.Context
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type StepCreateTags struct {
 
 func (s *StepCreateTags) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
+	session := state.Get("awsSession").(*session.Session)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 	amis := state.Get("amis").(map[string]string)
 
@@ -36,22 +37,16 @@ func (s *StepCreateTags) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	}
 
 	// Adds tags to AMIs and snapshots
-	for ami := range amis {
+	for region, ami := range amis {
 		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Adding tags to AMI (%s)...", ami))
 
-		// Declare list of resources to tag
-		session, err := s.AccessConfig.Session()
-		if err != nil {
-			err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating AWS session: %s", err)
-			state.Put("error", err)
-			ui.Error(err.Error())
-			return multistep.ActionHalt
-		}
-		regionconn := ec2.New(session)
+		regionConn := ec2.New(session, &aws.Config{
+			Region: aws.String(region),
+		})
 
 		// Retrieve image list for given AMI
 		resourceIds := []*string{&ami}
-		imageResp, err := regionconn.DescribeImages(&ec2.DescribeImagesInput{
+		imageResp, err := regionConn.DescribeImages(&ec2.DescribeImagesInput{
 			ImageIds: resourceIds,
 		})
 
@@ -103,7 +98,7 @@ func (s *StepCreateTags) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 		// Retry creating tags for about 2.5 minutes
 		err = retry.Retry(0.2, 30, 11, func(_ uint) (bool, error) {
 			// Tag images and snapshots
-			_, err := regionconn.CreateTags(&ec2.CreateTagsInput{
+			_, err := regionConn.CreateTags(&ec2.CreateTagsInput{
 				Resources: resourceIds,
 				Tags:      amiTags,
 			})
@@ -116,7 +111,7 @@ func (s *StepCreateTags) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 
 			// Override tags on snapshots
 			if len(snapshotTags) > 0 {
-				_, err = regionconn.CreateTags(&ec2.CreateTagsInput{
+				_, err = regionConn.CreateTags(&ec2.CreateTagsInput{
 					Resources: snapshotIds,
 					Tags:      snapshotTags,
 				})
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_modify_ami_attributes.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_modify_ami_attributes.go
index 3e86e5391..295d98ce9 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_modify_ami_attributes.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_modify_ami_attributes.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ type StepModifyAMIAttributes struct {
 
 func (s *StepModifyAMIAttributes) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
 	ec2conn := state.Get("ec2").(*ec2.EC2)
+	session := state.Get("awsSession").(*session.Session)
 	ui := state.Get("ui").(packer.Ui)
 	amis := state.Get("amis").(map[string]string)
 
@@ -152,22 +153,13 @@ func (s *StepModifyAMIAttributes) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAc
 	// Modifying image attributes
 	for region, ami := range amis {
 		ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Modifying attributes on AMI (%s)...", ami))
-		awsConfig := aws.Config{
-			Credentials: ec2conn.Config.Credentials,
-			Region:      aws.String(region),
-		}
-		session, err := session.NewSession(&awsConfig)
-		if err != nil {
-			err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating AWS session: %s", err)
-			state.Put("error", err)
-			ui.Error(err.Error())
-			return multistep.ActionHalt
-		}
-		regionconn := ec2.New(session)
+		regionConn := ec2.New(session, &aws.Config{
+			Region: aws.String(region),
+		})
 		for name, input := range options {
 			ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Modifying: %s", name))
 			input.ImageId = &ami
-			_, err := regionconn.ModifyImageAttribute(input)
+			_, err := regionConn.ModifyImageAttribute(input)
 			if err != nil {
 				err := fmt.Errorf("Error modify AMI attributes: %s", err)
 				state.Put("error", err)
@@ -181,16 +173,13 @@ func (s *StepModifyAMIAttributes) Run(state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAc
 	for region, region_snapshots := range snapshots {
 		for _, snapshot := range region_snapshots {
 			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Modifying attributes on snapshot (%s)...", snapshot))
-			awsConfig := aws.Config{
-				Credentials: ec2conn.Config.Credentials,
-				Region:      aws.String(region),
-			}
-			session := session.New(&awsConfig)
-			regionconn := ec2.New(session)
+			regionConn := ec2.New(session, &aws.Config{
+				Region: aws.String(region),
+			})
 			for name, input := range snapshotOptions {
 				ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("Modifying: %s", name))
 				input.SnapshotId = &snapshot
-				_, err := regionconn.ModifySnapshotAttribute(input)
+				_, err := regionConn.ModifySnapshotAttribute(input)
 				if err != nil {
 					err := fmt.Errorf("Error modify snapshot attributes: %s", err)
 					state.Put("error", err)
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
index 392162652..e22901a74 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/builder.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	state := new(multistep.BasicStateBag)
 	state.Put("config", b.config)
 	state.Put("ec2", ec2conn)
+	state.Put("awsSession", session)
 	state.Put("hook", hook)
 	state.Put("ui", ui)
 
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	artifact := &awscommon.Artifact{
 		Amis:           state.Get("amis").(map[string]string),
 		BuilderIdValue: BuilderId,
-		Conn:           ec2conn,
+		Session:        session,
 	}
 
 	return artifact, nil
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go b/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go
index 4831b8ba7..c622a4b73 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebssurrogate/builder.go
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	state := new(multistep.BasicStateBag)
 	state.Put("config", &b.config)
 	state.Put("ec2", ec2conn)
+	state.Put("awsSession", session)
 	state.Put("hook", hook)
 	state.Put("ui", ui)
 
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		artifact := &awscommon.Artifact{
 			Amis:           amis.(map[string]string),
 			BuilderIdValue: BuilderId,
-			Conn:           ec2conn,
+			Session:        session,
 		}
 
 		return artifact, nil
diff --git a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
index 59c329515..776f4fc67 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/instance/builder.go
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	state := new(multistep.BasicStateBag)
 	state.Put("config", &b.config)
 	state.Put("ec2", ec2conn)
+	state.Put("awsSession", session)
 	state.Put("hook", hook)
 	state.Put("ui", ui)
 
@@ -341,7 +342,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 	artifact := &awscommon.Artifact{
 		Amis:           state.Get("amis").(map[string]string),
 		BuilderIdValue: BuilderId,
-		Conn:           ec2conn,
+		Session:        session,
 	}
 
 	return artifact, nil
diff --git a/post-processor/amazon-import/post-processor.go b/post-processor/amazon-import/post-processor.go
index c9cbd2077..90e87d6c7 100644
--- a/post-processor/amazon-import/post-processor.go
+++ b/post-processor/amazon-import/post-processor.go
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ func (p *PostProcessor) PostProcess(ui packer.Ui, artifact packer.Artifact) (pac
 			*config.Region: createdami,
 		},
 		BuilderIdValue: BuilderId,
-		Conn:           ec2conn,
+		Session:        session,
 	}
 
 	if !p.config.SkipClean {