diff --git a/hcl2template/utils.go b/hcl2template/utils.go
index 8c3b55ed584..d3d0cb29447 100644
--- a/hcl2template/utils.go
+++ b/hcl2template/utils.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gobwas/glob"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/hcl/v2"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/hcl/v2/hclsyntax"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/hcl2template/repl"
 	hcl2shim "github.com/hashicorp/packer/hcl2template/shim"
 	"github.com/zclconf/go-cty/cty"
@@ -187,22 +188,47 @@ func ConvertPluginConfigValueToHCLValue(v interface{}) (cty.Value, error) {
 	return buildValue, nil
 }
 
+// GetVarsByType walks through a hcl body, and gathers all the Traversals that
+// have a root type matching one of the specified top-level labels.
+//
+// This will only work on finite, expanded, HCL bodies.
 func GetVarsByType(block *hcl.Block, topLevelLabels ...string) []hcl.Traversal {
-	attributes, _ := block.Body.JustAttributes()
-
-	var vars []hcl.Traversal
-
-	for _, attr := range attributes {
-		for _, variable := range attr.Expr.Variables() {
-			rootLabel := variable.RootName()
-			for _, label := range topLevelLabels {
-				if label == rootLabel {
-					vars = append(vars, variable)
-					break
-				}
+	var travs []hcl.Traversal
+
+	switch body := block.Body.(type) {
+	case *hclsyntax.Body:
+		travs = getVarsByTypeForHCLSyntaxBody(body)
+	default:
+		attrs, _ := body.JustAttributes()
+		for _, attr := range attrs {
+			travs = append(travs, attr.Expr.Variables()...)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var rets []hcl.Traversal
+	for _, t := range travs {
+		varRootname := t.RootName()
+		for _, lbl := range topLevelLabels {
+			if varRootname == lbl {
+				rets = append(rets, t)
+				break
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	return vars
+	return rets
+}
+
+func getVarsByTypeForHCLSyntaxBody(body *hclsyntax.Body) []hcl.Traversal {
+	var rets []hcl.Traversal
+
+	for _, attr := range body.Attributes {
+		rets = append(rets, attr.Expr.Variables()...)
+	}
+
+	for _, block := range body.Blocks {
+		rets = append(rets, getVarsByTypeForHCLSyntaxBody(block.Body)...)
+	}
+
+	return rets
 }