diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go b/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go
index 2be4cf3ef..6ce2e1438 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/access_config.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func (c *AccessConfig) Session() (*session.Session, error) {
 
 	cp, err := c.session.Config.Credentials.Get()
 
-	if isAWSErr(err, "NoCredentialProviders", "") {
+	if IsAWSErr(err, "NoCredentialProviders", "") {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("No valid credential sources found for AWS Builder. " +
 			"Please see https://www.packer.io/docs/builders/amazon#specifying-amazon-credentials " +
 			"for more information on providing credentials for the AWS Builder.")
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/helper_funcs.go b/builder/amazon/common/helper_funcs.go
index f614b15ef..5f75e2568 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/helper_funcs.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/helper_funcs.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func DestroyAMIs(imageids []*string, ec2conn *ec2.EC2) error {
 		err = retry.Config{
 			Tries: 11,
 			ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool {
-				return isAWSErr(err, "UnauthorizedOperation", "")
+				return IsAWSErr(err, "UnauthorizedOperation", "")
 			},
 			RetryDelay: (&retry.Backoff{InitialBackoff: 200 * time.Millisecond, MaxBackoff: 30 * time.Second, Multiplier: 2}).Linear,
 		}.Run(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func DestroyAMIs(imageids []*string, ec2conn *ec2.EC2) error {
 				err = retry.Config{
 					Tries: 11,
 					ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool {
-						return isAWSErr(err, "UnauthorizedOperation", "")
+						return IsAWSErr(err, "UnauthorizedOperation", "")
 					},
 					RetryDelay: (&retry.Backoff{InitialBackoff: 200 * time.Millisecond, MaxBackoff: 30 * time.Second, Multiplier: 2}).Linear,
 				}.Run(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func DestroyAMIs(imageids []*string, ec2conn *ec2.EC2) error {
 //  * err is of type awserr.Error
 //  * Error.Code() matches code
 //  * Error.Message() contains message
-func isAWSErr(err error, code string, message string) bool {
+func IsAWSErr(err error, code string, message string) bool {
 	if err, ok := err.(awserr.Error); ok {
 		return err.Code() == code && strings.Contains(err.Message(), message)
 	}
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/ssm_driver.go b/builder/amazon/common/ssm_driver.go
index e37475595..5ba73c8bd 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/ssm_driver.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/ssm_driver.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (d *SSMDriver) StartSession(ctx context.Context, input ssm.StartSessionInpu
 
 	var output *ssm.StartSessionOutput
 	err := retry.Config{
-		ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool { return isAWSErr(err, "TargetNotConnected", "") },
+		ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool { return IsAWSErr(err, "TargetNotConnected", "") },
 		RetryDelay:  (&retry.Backoff{InitialBackoff: 200 * time.Millisecond, MaxBackoff: 60 * time.Second, Multiplier: 2}).Linear,
 	}.Run(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 		output, err = d.SvcClient.StartSessionWithContext(ctx, &input)
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go
index 1a6257c18..15ed105d0 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_create_tags.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (s *StepCreateTags) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mult
 
 		// Retry creating tags for about 2.5 minutes
 		err = retry.Config{Tries: 11, ShouldRetry: func(error) bool {
-			if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidAMIID.NotFound", "") || isAWSErr(err, "InvalidSnapshot.NotFound", "") {
+			if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidAMIID.NotFound", "") || IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidSnapshot.NotFound", "") {
 				return true
 			}
 			return false
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_pre_validate.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_pre_validate.go
index 3125cc698..b86e04f61 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_pre_validate.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_pre_validate.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (s *StepPreValidate) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) mul
 			err := retry.Config{
 				Tries: 11,
 				ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool {
-					if isAWSErr(err, "AuthFailure", "") {
+					if IsAWSErr(err, "AuthFailure", "") {
 						log.Printf("Waiting for Vault-generated AWS credentials" +
 							" to pass authentication... trying again.")
 						return true
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func (s *StepPreValidate) checkVpc(conn ec2iface.EC2API) error {
 	}
 
 	res, err := conn.DescribeVpcs(&ec2.DescribeVpcsInput{VpcIds: []*string{aws.String(s.VpcId)}})
-	if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidVpcID.NotFound", "") || err != nil {
+	if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidVpcID.NotFound", "") || err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving VPC information for vpc_id %s: %s", s.VpcId, err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
index 7b8610c06..34f0c076a 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_source_instance.go
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBa
 	err = retry.Config{
 		Tries: 11,
 		ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool {
-			if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidParameterValue", "iamInstanceProfile") {
+			if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidParameterValue", "iamInstanceProfile") {
 				return true
 			}
 			return false
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBa
 		return err
 	})
 
-	if isAWSErr(err, "VPCIdNotSpecified", "No default VPC for this user") && subnetId == "" {
+	if IsAWSErr(err, "VPCIdNotSpecified", "No default VPC for this user") && subnetId == "" {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error launching source instance: a valid Subnet Id was not specified")
 		state.Put("error", err)
 		ui.Error(err.Error())
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBa
 
 	var r *ec2.DescribeInstancesOutput
 	err = retry.Config{Tries: 11, ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool {
-		if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
+		if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
 			return true
 		}
 		return false
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSourceInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBa
 		ec2Tags.Report(ui)
 		// Retry creating tags for about 2.5 minutes
 		err = retry.Config{Tries: 11, ShouldRetry: func(error) bool {
-			if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
+			if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
 				return true
 			}
 			return false
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go
index acf6b0478..6ae97985e 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_run_spot_instance.go
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ func (s *StepRunSpotInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag)
 
 	// Retry creating tags for about 2.5 minutes
 	err = retry.Config{Tries: 11, ShouldRetry: func(error) bool {
-		if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
+		if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
 			return true
 		}
 		return false
diff --git a/builder/amazon/common/step_stop_ebs_instance.go b/builder/amazon/common/step_stop_ebs_instance.go
index 9c90269d3..794f1c6bb 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/common/step_stop_ebs_instance.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/common/step_stop_ebs_instance.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (s *StepStopEBSBackedInstance) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.Sta
 
 		// Work around this by retrying a few times, up to about 5 minutes.
 		err := retry.Config{Tries: 6, ShouldRetry: func(error) bool {
-			if isAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
+			if IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidInstanceID.NotFound", "") {
 				return true
 			}
 			return false
diff --git a/builder/amazon/ebs/step_create_ami.go b/builder/amazon/ebs/step_create_ami.go
index c9163d720..799737617 100644
--- a/builder/amazon/ebs/step_create_ami.go
+++ b/builder/amazon/ebs/step_create_ami.go
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	awscommon "github.com/hashicorp/packer/builder/amazon/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/common/random"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/common/retry"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/multistep"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 )
@@ -48,7 +50,26 @@ func (s *stepCreateAMI) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multi
 		BlockDeviceMappings: config.AMIMappings.BuildEC2BlockDeviceMappings(),
 	}
 
-	createResp, err := ec2conn.CreateImage(createOpts)
+	var createResp *ec2.CreateImageOutput
+	var err error
+
+	// Create a timeout for the CreateImage call.
+	timeoutCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Minute*15)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	err = retry.Config{
+		Tries: 0,
+		ShouldRetry: func(err error) bool {
+			if awscommon.IsAWSErr(err, "InvalidParameterValue", "Instance is not in state") {
+				return true
+			}
+			return false
+		},
+		RetryDelay: (&retry.Backoff{InitialBackoff: 200 * time.Millisecond, MaxBackoff: 30 * time.Second, Multiplier: 2}).Linear,
+	}.Run(timeoutCtx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		createResp, err = ec2conn.CreateImage(createOpts)
+		return err
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("Error creating AMI: %s", err)
 		state.Put("error", err)