diff --git a/arch-template.json b/arch-template.json
index 1726cf9..9bf0a6b 100644
--- a/arch-template.json
+++ b/arch-template.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
             "disk_size": 20480,
             "ssh_username": "root",
             "ssh_password": "vagrant",
-            "shutdown_command": "systemctl poweroff"
+            "shutdown_command": "systemctl start poweroff.timer"
         }
     ],
     "post-processors": [
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 384aa9d..5d0dc92 100644
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ cat <<-EOF > "${TARGET_DIR}${CONFIG_SCRIPT}"
 	/usr/bin/curl --output /home/vagrant/.ssh/authorized_keys https://raw.github.com/mitchellh/vagrant/master/keys/vagrant.pub
 	/usr/bin/chown vagrant:users /home/vagrant/.ssh/authorized_keys
 	/usr/bin/chmod 0600 /home/vagrant/.ssh/authorized_keys
+	# workaround for shutdown race condition: http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.arch.general/48739
+	/usr/bin/curl --output /etc/systemd/system/poweroff.timer https://raw.github.com/elasticdog/packer-arch/master/poweroff.timer
 
 	# clean up
 	/usr/bin/pacman -Rcns --noconfirm gptfdisk
diff --git a/poweroff.timer b/poweroff.timer
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2310ffb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/poweroff.timer
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Delayed poweroff
+
+[Timer]
+OnActiveSec=1
+Unit=poweroff.target