diff --git a/builder/openstack/builder.go b/builder/openstack/builder.go
index ab60afc0e..6d178c6ef 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/builder.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/builder.go
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ package openstack
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/common"
 	"log"
 
+	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/common"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/helper/communicator"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/helper/config"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/packer"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/template/interpolate"
@@ -19,9 +20,10 @@ const BuilderId = "mitchellh.openstack"
 
 type Config struct {
 	common.PackerConfig `mapstructure:",squash"`
-	AccessConfig        `mapstructure:",squash"`
-	ImageConfig         `mapstructure:",squash"`
-	RunConfig           `mapstructure:",squash"`
+
+	AccessConfig `mapstructure:",squash"`
+	ImageConfig  `mapstructure:",squash"`
+	RunConfig    `mapstructure:",squash"`
 
 	ctx interpolate.Context
 }
@@ -88,10 +90,13 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ui packer.Ui, hook packer.Hook, cache packer.Cache) (packe
 			FloatingIpPool: b.config.FloatingIpPool,
 			FloatingIp:     b.config.FloatingIp,
 		},
-		&common.StepConnectSSH{
-			SSHAddress:     SSHAddress(computeClient, b.config.SSHInterface, b.config.SSHPort),
-			SSHConfig:      SSHConfig(b.config.SSHUsername),
-			SSHWaitTimeout: b.config.SSHTimeout(),
+		&communicator.StepConnect{
+			Config: &b.config.RunConfig.Comm,
+			SSHAddress: SSHAddress(
+				computeClient,
+				b.config.SSHInterface,
+				b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHPort),
+			SSHConfig: SSHConfig(b.config.RunConfig.Comm.SSHUsername),
 		},
 		&common.StepProvision{},
 		&stepCreateImage{},
diff --git a/builder/openstack/run_config.go b/builder/openstack/run_config.go
index 4a6a1b81f..a758b0dd1 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/run_config.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/run_config.go
@@ -2,21 +2,19 @@ package openstack
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
-	"time"
 
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/helper/communicator"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/template/interpolate"
 )
 
 // RunConfig contains configuration for running an instance from a source
 // image and details on how to access that launched image.
 type RunConfig struct {
+	Comm         communicator.Config `mapstructure:",squash"`
+	SSHInterface string              `mapstructure:"ssh_interface"`
+
 	SourceImage      string   `mapstructure:"source_image"`
 	Flavor           string   `mapstructure:"flavor"`
-	RawSSHTimeout    string   `mapstructure:"ssh_timeout"`
-	SSHUsername      string   `mapstructure:"ssh_username"`
-	SSHPort          int      `mapstructure:"ssh_port"`
-	SSHInterface     string   `mapstructure:"ssh_interface"`
 	AvailabilityZone string   `mapstructure:"availability_zone"`
 	RackconnectWait  bool     `mapstructure:"rackconnect_wait"`
 	FloatingIpPool   string   `mapstructure:"floating_ip_pool"`
@@ -27,23 +25,12 @@ type RunConfig struct {
 	// Not really used, but here for BC
 	OpenstackProvider string `mapstructure:"openstack_provider"`
 	UseFloatingIp     bool   `mapstructure:"use_floating_ip"`
-
-	// Unexported fields that are calculated from others
-	sshTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
 func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 	// Defaults
-	if c.SSHUsername == "" {
-		c.SSHUsername = "root"
-	}
-
-	if c.SSHPort == 0 {
-		c.SSHPort = 22
-	}
-
-	if c.RawSSHTimeout == "" {
-		c.RawSSHTimeout = "5m"
+	if c.Comm.SSHUsername == "" {
+		c.Comm.SSHUsername = "root"
 	}
 
 	if c.UseFloatingIp && c.FloatingIpPool == "" {
@@ -51,8 +38,7 @@ func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 	}
 
 	// Validation
-	var err error
-	errs := make([]error, 0)
+	errs := c.Comm.Prepare(ctx)
 	if c.SourceImage == "" {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("A source_image must be specified"))
 	}
@@ -61,18 +47,5 @@ func (c *RunConfig) Prepare(ctx *interpolate.Context) []error {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("A flavor must be specified"))
 	}
 
-	if c.SSHUsername == "" {
-		errs = append(errs, errors.New("An ssh_username must be specified"))
-	}
-
-	c.sshTimeout, err = time.ParseDuration(c.RawSSHTimeout)
-	if err != nil {
-		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Failed parsing ssh_timeout: %s", err))
-	}
-
 	return errs
 }
-
-func (c *RunConfig) SSHTimeout() time.Duration {
-	return c.sshTimeout
-}
diff --git a/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go b/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go
index 16b89b352..113934a29 100644
--- a/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go
+++ b/builder/openstack/run_config_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package openstack
 import (
 	"os"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/mitchellh/packer/helper/communicator"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -17,7 +19,10 @@ func testRunConfig() *RunConfig {
 	return &RunConfig{
 		SourceImage: "abcd",
 		Flavor:      "m1.small",
-		SSHUsername: "root",
+
+		Comm: communicator.Config{
+			SSHUsername: "foo",
+		},
 	}
 }
 
@@ -47,41 +52,28 @@ func TestRunConfigPrepare_SourceImage(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestRunConfigPrepare_SSHPort(t *testing.T) {
 	c := testRunConfig()
-	c.SSHPort = 0
+	c.Comm.SSHPort = 0
 	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	if c.SSHPort != 22 {
-		t.Fatalf("invalid value: %d", c.SSHPort)
+	if c.Comm.SSHPort != 22 {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid value: %d", c.Comm.SSHPort)
 	}
 
-	c.SSHPort = 44
+	c.Comm.SSHPort = 44
 	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	if c.SSHPort != 44 {
-		t.Fatalf("invalid value: %d", c.SSHPort)
-	}
-}
-
-func TestRunConfigPrepare_SSHTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	c := testRunConfig()
-	c.RawSSHTimeout = ""
-	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	c.RawSSHTimeout = "bad"
-	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	if c.Comm.SSHPort != 44 {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid value: %d", c.Comm.SSHPort)
 	}
 }
 
 func TestRunConfigPrepare_SSHUsername(t *testing.T) {
 	c := testRunConfig()
-	c.SSHUsername = ""
+	c.Comm.SSHUsername = ""
 	if err := c.Prepare(nil); len(err) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}