diff --git a/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.0u2-x86_64/definition.rb b/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.0u2-x86_64/definition.rb
index bbcf4b28..59c7df85 100644
--- a/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.0u2-x86_64/definition.rb
+++ b/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.0u2-x86_64/definition.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     :ssh_login_timeout => "10000000", :ssh_user => "root", :ssh_password => "vagrant", :ssh_key => "",
     :ssh_host_port => "7222", :ssh_guest_port => "22",
     :sudo_cmd => "echo '%p'|sudo -S sh '%f'",
-    :shutdown_cmd => "/bin/halt",
+    :shutdown_cmd => "poweroff",
     :postinstall_files => ["vagrant_key.py", "vnc_enable.sh" ], :postinstall_timeout => 10000,
     :vmfusion => { :vm_options => { 'enable_hypervisor_support' => true,  'download_tools' => false } }
 })
diff --git a/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.1-x86_64/definition.rb b/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.1-x86_64/definition.rb
index d09b3154..ea3d4d4f 100644
--- a/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.1-x86_64/definition.rb
+++ b/templates/VMware-ESXi-5.1-x86_64/definition.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     :ssh_login_timeout => "10000000", :ssh_user => "root", :ssh_password => "vagrant", :ssh_key => "",
     :ssh_host_port => "7222", :ssh_guest_port => "22",
     :sudo_cmd => "echo '%p'|sudo -S sh '%f'",
-    :shutdown_cmd => "/bin/halt",
+    :shutdown_cmd => "poweroff",
     :postinstall_files => ["vagrant_key.py", "vnc_enable.sh" ], :postinstall_timeout => 10000,
     # Enable Hypervisor support to allow 64-bit guest VMs
     :vmfusion => { :vm_options => { 'enable_hypervisor_support' => true,  'download_tools' => false } }