diff --git a/builder/vmware/builder.go b/builder/vmware/builder.go
index ae44fb215..c4fbe0931 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/builder.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/builder.go
@@ -284,7 +284,11 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 		&stepConfigureVNC{},
 		&stepRun{},
 		&stepTypeBootCommand{},
-		&stepWaitForSSH{},
+		&common.StepConnectSSH{
+			SSHAddress:     sshAddress,
+			SSHConfig:      sshConfig,
+			SSHWaitTimeout: b.config.sshWaitTimeout,
+		},
 		&stepUploadTools{},
 		&stepProvision{},
 		&stepShutdown{},
diff --git a/builder/vmware/ssh.go b/builder/vmware/ssh.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66d477e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/vmware/ssh.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package vmware
+
+import (
+	gossh "code.google.com/p/go.crypto/ssh"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/communicator/ssh"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+)
+
+func sshAddress(state map[string]interface{}) (string, error) {
+	config := state["config"].(*config)
+	vmxPath := state["vmx_path"].(string)
+
+	log.Println("Lookup up IP information...")
+	f, err := os.Open(vmxPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	vmxBytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	vmxData := ParseVMX(string(vmxBytes))
+
+	var ok bool
+	macAddress := ""
+	if macAddress, ok = vmxData["ethernet0.address"]; !ok || macAddress == "" {
+		if macAddress, ok = vmxData["ethernet0.generatedAddress"]; !ok || macAddress == "" {
+			return "", errors.New("couldn't find MAC address in VMX")
+		}
+	}
+
+	ipLookup := &DHCPLeaseGuestLookup{
+		Device:     "vmnet8",
+		MACAddress: macAddress,
+	}
+
+	ipAddress, err := ipLookup.GuestIP()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("IP lookup failed: %s", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("IP lookup failed: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("Detected IP: %s", ipAddress)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", ipAddress, config.SSHPort), nil
+}
+
+func sshConfig(state map[string]interface{}) (*gossh.ClientConfig, error) {
+	config := state["config"].(*config)
+
+	return &gossh.ClientConfig{
+		User: config.SSHUser,
+		Auth: []gossh.ClientAuth{
+			gossh.ClientAuthPassword(ssh.Password(config.SSHPassword)),
+			gossh.ClientAuthKeyboardInteractive(
+				ssh.PasswordKeyboardInteractive(config.SSHPassword)),
+		},
+	}, nil
+}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/step_wait_for_ssh.go b/builder/vmware/step_wait_for_ssh.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 84e475454..000000000
--- a/builder/vmware/step_wait_for_ssh.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,183 +0,0 @@
-package vmware
-
-import (
-	gossh "code.google.com/p/go.crypto/ssh"
-	"errors"
-	"fmt"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/communicator/ssh"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"log"
-	"os"
-	"time"
-)
-
-// This step waits for SSH to become available and establishes an SSH
-// connection.
-//
-// Uses:
-//   config *config
-//   ui     packer.Ui
-//   vmx_path string
-//
-// Produces:
-//   communicator packer.Communicator
-type stepWaitForSSH struct {
-	cancel bool
-	comm   packer.Communicator
-}
-
-func (s *stepWaitForSSH) Run(state map[string]interface{}) multistep.StepAction {
-	config := state["config"].(*config)
-	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
-
-	var comm packer.Communicator
-	var err error
-
-	waitDone := make(chan bool, 1)
-	go func() {
-		comm, err = s.waitForSSH(state)
-		waitDone <- true
-	}()
-
-	log.Printf("Waiting for SSH, up to timeout: %s", config.sshWaitTimeout.String())
-	timeout := time.After(config.sshWaitTimeout)
-WaitLoop:
-	for {
-		// Wait for either SSH to become available, a timeout to occur,
-		// or an interrupt to come through.
-		select {
-		case <-waitDone:
-			if err != nil {
-				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error waiting for SSH: %s", err))
-				return multistep.ActionHalt
-			}
-
-			s.comm = comm
-			state["communicator"] = comm
-			break WaitLoop
-		case <-timeout:
-			ui.Error("Timeout waiting for SSH.")
-			s.cancel = true
-			return multistep.ActionHalt
-		case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
-			if _, ok := state[multistep.StateCancelled]; ok {
-				log.Println("Interrupt detected, quitting waiting for SSH.")
-				return multistep.ActionHalt
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return multistep.ActionContinue
-}
-
-func (s *stepWaitForSSH) Cleanup(map[string]interface{}) {
-	if s.comm != nil {
-		// TODO: close
-		s.comm = nil
-	}
-}
-
-// Reads the network information for lookup via DHCP.
-func (s *stepWaitForSSH) dhcpLeaseLookup(vmxPath string) (GuestIPFinder, error) {
-	f, err := os.Open(vmxPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer f.Close()
-
-	vmxBytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(f)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	vmxData := ParseVMX(string(vmxBytes))
-
-	var ok bool
-	macAddress := ""
-	if macAddress, ok = vmxData["ethernet0.address"]; !ok || macAddress == "" {
-		if macAddress, ok = vmxData["ethernet0.generatedAddress"]; !ok || macAddress == "" {
-			return nil, errors.New("couldn't find MAC address in VMX")
-		}
-	}
-
-	return &DHCPLeaseGuestLookup{"vmnet8", macAddress}, nil
-}
-
-// This blocks until SSH becomes available, and sends the communicator
-// on the given channel.
-func (s *stepWaitForSSH) waitForSSH(state map[string]interface{}) (packer.Communicator, error) {
-	config := state["config"].(*config)
-	ui := state["ui"].(packer.Ui)
-	vmxPath := state["vmx_path"].(string)
-
-	handshakeAttempts := 0
-
-	ui.Say("Waiting for SSH to become available...")
-	var comm packer.Communicator
-	for {
-		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
-
-		if s.cancel {
-			log.Println("SSH wait cancelled. Exiting loop.")
-			return nil, errors.New("SSH wait cancelled")
-		}
-
-		// First we wait for the IP to become available...
-		log.Println("Lookup up IP information...")
-		ipLookup, err := s.dhcpLeaseLookup(vmxPath)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("Can't lookup via DHCP lease: %s", err)
-		}
-
-		ip, err := ipLookup.GuestIP()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("IP lookup failed: %s", err)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		log.Printf("Detected IP: %s", ip)
-
-		// Attempt to connect to SSH port
-		connFunc := ssh.ConnectFunc(
-			"tcp", fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", ip, config.SSHPort), 5*time.Minute)
-		nc, err := connFunc()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("TCP connection to SSH ip/port failed: %s", err)
-			continue
-		}
-		nc.Close()
-
-		// Then we attempt to connect via SSH
-		config := &ssh.Config{
-			Connection: connFunc,
-			SSHConfig: &gossh.ClientConfig{
-				User: config.SSHUser,
-				Auth: []gossh.ClientAuth{
-					gossh.ClientAuthPassword(ssh.Password(config.SSHPassword)),
-					gossh.ClientAuthKeyboardInteractive(
-						ssh.PasswordKeyboardInteractive(config.SSHPassword)),
-				},
-			},
-		}
-
-		comm, err = ssh.New(config)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("SSH handshake err: %s", err)
-
-			handshakeAttempts += 1
-			if handshakeAttempts < 10 {
-				// Try to connect via SSH a handful of times
-				continue
-			}
-
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		ui.Say("Connected via SSH!")
-		break
-	}
-
-	return comm, nil
-}