diff --git a/packer/template.go b/packer/template.go
index 2a1c34f99..8e5ee8188 100644
--- a/packer/template.go
+++ b/packer/template.go
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ type rawTemplate struct {
 // The Template struct represents a parsed template, parsed into the most
 // completed form it can be without additional processing by the caller.
 type Template struct {
-	Name     string
-	Builders map[string]rawBuilderConfig
-	Hooks    map[string][]string
+	Name         string
+	Builders     map[string]rawBuilderConfig
+	Hooks        map[string][]string
+	Provisioners []rawProvisionerConfig
 }
 
 // The rawBuilderConfig struct represents a raw, unprocessed builder
@@ -34,6 +35,14 @@ type rawBuilderConfig struct {
 	rawConfig   interface{}
 }
 
+// rawProvisionerConfig represents a raw, unprocessed provisioner configuration.
+// It contains the type of the provisioner as well as the raw configuration
+// that is handed to the provisioner for it to process.
+type rawProvisionerConfig struct {
+	pType     string
+	rawConfig interface{}
+}
+
 // ParseTemplate takes a byte slice and parses a Template from it, returning
 // the template and possibly errors while loading the template. The error
 // could potentially be a MultiError, representing multiple errors. Knowing
@@ -50,6 +59,7 @@ func ParseTemplate(data []byte) (t *Template, err error) {
 	t.Name = rawTpl.Name
 	t.Builders = make(map[string]rawBuilderConfig)
 	t.Hooks = rawTpl.Hooks
+	t.Provisioners = make([]rawProvisionerConfig, len(rawTpl.Provisioners))
 
 	errors := make([]error, 0)
 
@@ -94,6 +104,26 @@ func ParseTemplate(data []byte) (t *Template, err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Gather all the provisioners
+	for i, v := range rawTpl.Provisioners {
+		rawType, ok := v["type"]
+		if !ok {
+			errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf("provisioner %d: missing 'type'", i+1))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		typeName, ok := rawType.(string)
+		if !ok {
+			errors = append(errors, fmt.Errorf("provisioner %d: type must be a string", i+1))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		t.Provisioners[i] = rawProvisionerConfig{
+			typeName,
+			v,
+		}
+	}
+
 	// If there were errors, we put it into a MultiError and return
 	if len(errors) > 0 {
 		err = &MultiError{errors}
diff --git a/packer/template_test.go b/packer/template_test.go
index 00754b0e3..de9c89381 100644
--- a/packer/template_test.go
+++ b/packer/template_test.go
@@ -165,6 +165,57 @@ func TestParseTemplate_Hooks(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(hooks, []string{"foo", "bar"}, "hooks should be correct")
 }
 
+func TestParseTemplate_ProvisionerWithoutType(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := asserts.NewTestingAsserts(t, true)
+
+	data := `
+	{
+		"name": "my-image",
+		"provisioners": [{}]
+	}
+	`
+
+	_, err := ParseTemplate([]byte(data))
+	assert.NotNil(err, "should have error")
+}
+
+func TestParseTemplate_ProvisionerWithNonStringType(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := asserts.NewTestingAsserts(t, true)
+
+	data := `
+	{
+		"name": "my-image",
+		"provisioners": [{
+			"type": 42
+		}]
+	}
+	`
+
+	_, err := ParseTemplate([]byte(data))
+	assert.NotNil(err, "should have error")
+}
+
+func TestParseTemplate_Provisioners(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := asserts.NewTestingAsserts(t, true)
+
+	data := `
+	{
+		"name": "my-image",
+		"provisioners": [
+			{
+				"type": "shell"
+			}
+		]
+	}
+	`
+
+	result, err := ParseTemplate([]byte(data))
+	assert.Nil(err, "should not error")
+	assert.NotNil(result, "template should not be nil")
+	assert.Length(result.Provisioners, 1, "should have one provisioner")
+	assert.Equal(result.Provisioners[0].pType, "shell", "provisioner should be shell")
+}
+
 func TestTemplate_BuildNames(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := asserts.NewTestingAsserts(t, true)