diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/driver.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/driver.go
index dcb036a26..9f09dcf6a 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/common/driver.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/driver.go
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ type Driver interface {
 	// Create a SCSI controller.
 	CreateSCSIController(vm string, controller string) error
 
+	// Create a VirtIO controller.
+	CreateVirtIOController(vm string, controller string) error
+
 	// Create an NVME controller
 	CreateNVMeController(vm string, controller string, portcount int) error
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_4_2.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_4_2.go
index 92ba12acf..56d0b5e49 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_4_2.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_4_2.go
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ func (d *VBox42Driver) CreateNVMeController(vmName string, name string, portcoun
 }
 
 func (d *VBox42Driver) CreateSCSIController(vmName string, name string) error {
-
 	command := []string{
 		"storagectl", vmName,
 		"--name", name,
@@ -75,6 +74,17 @@ func (d *VBox42Driver) CreateSCSIController(vmName string, name string) error {
 	return d.VBoxManage(command...)
 }
 
+func (d *VBox42Driver) CreateVirtIOController(vmName string, name string) error {
+	command := []string{
+		"storagectl", vmName,
+		"--name", name,
+		"--add", "VirtIO",
+		"--controller", "VirtIO",
+	}
+
+	return d.VBoxManage(command...)
+}
+
 func (d *VBox42Driver) RemoveFloppyControllers(vmName string) error {
 	var stdout bytes.Buffer
 
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_mock.go b/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_mock.go
index 58dc5f749..a8e73a44f 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_mock.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/common/driver_mock.go
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ type DriverMock struct {
 	CreateSCSIControllerController string
 	CreateSCSIControllerErr        error
 
+	CreateVirtIOControllerVM         string
+	CreateVirtIOControllerController string
+	CreateVirtIOControllerErr        error
+
 	CreateNVMeControllerVM         string
 	CreateNVMeControllerController string
 	CreateNVMeControllerErr        error
@@ -78,6 +82,12 @@ func (d *DriverMock) CreateSCSIController(vm string, controller string) error {
 	return d.CreateSCSIControllerErr
 }
 
+func (d *DriverMock) CreateVirtIOController(vm string, controller string) error {
+	d.CreateVirtIOControllerVM = vm
+	d.CreateVirtIOControllerController = vm
+	return d.CreateVirtIOControllerErr
+}
+
 func (d *DriverMock) CreateNVMeController(vm string, controller string, portcount int) error {
 	d.CreateNVMeControllerVM = vm
 	d.CreateNVMeControllerController = vm
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/iso/builder.go b/builder/virtualbox/iso/builder.go
index 5cc5541f1..562410f50 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/iso/builder.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/iso/builder.go
@@ -186,11 +186,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) ([]string, []string, error) {
 	}
 
 	switch b.config.HardDriveInterface {
-	case "ide", "sata", "scsi", "pcie":
+	case "ide", "sata", "scsi", "pcie", "virtio":
 		// do nothing
 	default:
 		errs = packersdk.MultiErrorAppend(
-			errs, errors.New("hard_drive_interface can only be ide, sata, pcie or scsi"))
+			errs, errors.New("hard_drive_interface can only be ide, sata, pcie, scsi or virtio"))
 	}
 
 	if b.config.SATAPortCount == 0 {
diff --git a/builder/virtualbox/iso/step_create_disk.go b/builder/virtualbox/iso/step_create_disk.go
index 6b3c620dc..3826fa3d1 100644
--- a/builder/virtualbox/iso/step_create_disk.go
+++ b/builder/virtualbox/iso/step_create_disk.go
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ func (s *stepCreateDisk) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mult
 			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
+	} else if config.HardDriveInterface == "virtio" {
+		if err := driver.CreateVirtIOController(vmName, "VirtIO Controller"); err != nil {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating disk controller: %s", err)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		}
 	} else if config.HardDriveInterface == "pcie" {
 		if err := driver.CreateNVMeController(vmName, "NVMe Controller", config.NVMePortCount); err != nil {
 			err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating NVMe controller: %s", err)
@@ -86,13 +93,11 @@ func (s *stepCreateDisk) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mult
 	controllerName := "IDE Controller"
 	if config.HardDriveInterface == "sata" {
 		controllerName = "SATA Controller"
-	}
-
-	if config.HardDriveInterface == "scsi" {
+	} else if config.HardDriveInterface == "scsi" {
 		controllerName = "SCSI Controller"
-	}
-
-	if config.HardDriveInterface == "pcie" {
+	} else if config.HardDriveInterface == "virtio" {
+		controllerName = "VirtIO Controller"
+	} else if config.HardDriveInterface == "pcie" {
 		controllerName = "NVMe Controller"
 	}