diff --git a/builder/proxmox/common/step_finalize_config.go b/builder/proxmox/common/step_finalize_config.go
index ec44befe..9ac850fb 100644
--- a/builder/proxmox/common/step_finalize_config.go
+++ b/builder/proxmox/common/step_finalize_config.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 	packersdk "github.com/hashicorp/packer-plugin-sdk/packer"
 )
 
-// stepFinalizeTemplateConfig does any required modifications to the configuration _after_
+// stepFinalizeConfig does any required modifications to the configuration _after_
 // the VM has been converted into a template, such as updating name and description, or
 // unmounting the installation ISO.
 type stepFinalizeConfig struct{}
@@ -149,6 +149,18 @@ func (s *stepFinalizeConfig) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag)
 		}
 	}
 
+	// When build artifact is to be a VM, return a running VM
+	if c.SkipConvertToTemplate {
+		ui.Say("skip_convert_to_template set, resuming VM")
+		_, err := client.StartVm(vmRef)
+		if err != nil {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Error starting VM: %s", err)
+			state.Put("error", err)
+			ui.Error(err.Error())
+			return multistep.ActionHalt
+		}
+	}
+
 	return multistep.ActionContinue
 }
 
diff --git a/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm.go b/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm.go
index 3781c6b1..8f3b11d3 100644
--- a/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm.go
+++ b/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm.go
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ type vmStarter interface {
 	GetVmConfig(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (vmConfig map[string]interface{}, err error)
 	GetVmRefsByName(vmName string) (vmrs []*proxmox.VmRef, err error)
 	SetVmConfig(*proxmox.VmRef, map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, error)
+	GetVmState(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (vmState map[string]interface{}, err error)
 	StartVm(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error)
+	StopVm(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error)
 }
 
 var (
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ var (
 
 // Check if the given builder configuration maps to an existing VM template on the Proxmox cluster.
 // Returns an empty *proxmox.VmRef when no matching ID or name is found.
-func getExistingTemplate(c *Config, client vmStarter) (*proxmox.VmRef, error) {
+func getExistingTemplate(c *Config, client vmStarter) (*proxmox.VmRef, string, error) {
 	vmRef := &proxmox.VmRef{}
 	if c.VMID > 0 {
 		log.Printf("looking up VM with ID %d", c.VMID)
@@ -57,9 +59,9 @@ func getExistingTemplate(c *Config, client vmStarter) (*proxmox.VmRef, error) {
 			notFoundError := fmt.Sprintf("vm '%d' not found", c.VMID)
 			if err.Error() == notFoundError {
 				log.Println(err.Error())
-				return &proxmox.VmRef{}, nil
+				return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", nil
 			}
-			return &proxmox.VmRef{}, err
+			return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", err
 		}
 		log.Printf("found VM with ID %d", vmRef.VmId())
 	} else {
@@ -71,30 +73,33 @@ func getExistingTemplate(c *Config, client vmStarter) (*proxmox.VmRef, error) {
 			notFoundError := fmt.Sprintf("vm '%s' not found", c.TemplateName)
 			if err.Error() == notFoundError {
 				log.Println(err.Error())
-				return &proxmox.VmRef{}, nil
+				return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", nil
 			}
-			return &proxmox.VmRef{}, err
+			return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", err
 		}
 		if len(vmRefs) > 1 {
 			vmIDs := []int{}
 			for _, vmr := range vmRefs {
 				vmIDs = append(vmIDs, vmr.VmId())
 			}
-			return &proxmox.VmRef{}, fmt.Errorf("found multiple VMs with name '%s', IDs: %v", c.TemplateName, vmIDs)
+			return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", fmt.Errorf("found multiple VMs with name '%s', IDs: %v", c.TemplateName, vmIDs)
 		}
 		vmRef = vmRefs[0]
 		log.Printf("found VM with name '%s' (ID: %d)", c.TemplateName, vmRef.VmId())
 	}
+	if c.SkipConvertToTemplate {
+		return vmRef, "VM", nil
+	}
 	log.Printf("check if VM %d is a template", vmRef.VmId())
 	vmConfig, err := client.GetVmConfig(vmRef)
 	if err != nil {
-		return &proxmox.VmRef{}, err
+		return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", err
 	}
 	log.Printf("VM %d template: %d", vmRef.VmId(), vmConfig["template"])
 	if vmConfig["template"] == nil {
-		return &proxmox.VmRef{}, fmt.Errorf("found matching VM (ID: %d, name: %s), but it is not a template", vmRef.VmId(), vmConfig["name"])
+		return &proxmox.VmRef{}, "", fmt.Errorf("found matching VM (ID: %d, name: %s), but it is not a template", vmRef.VmId(), vmConfig["name"])
 	}
-	return vmRef, nil
+	return vmRef, "VM template", nil
 }
 
 func (s *stepStartVM) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multistep.StepAction {
@@ -162,21 +167,38 @@ func (s *stepStartVM) Run(ctx context.Context, state multistep.StateBag) multist
 
 	if c.PackerForce {
 		ui.Say("Force set, checking for existing artifact on PVE cluster")
-		vmRef, err := getExistingTemplate(c, client)
+		vmRef, vmType, err := getExistingTemplate(c, client)
 		if err != nil {
 			state.Put("error", err)
 			ui.Error(err.Error())
 			return multistep.ActionHalt
 		}
 		if vmRef.VmId() != 0 {
-			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("found existing VM template with ID %d on PVE node %s, deleting it", vmRef.VmId(), vmRef.Node()))
+			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("found existing %s with ID %d on PVE node %s, deleting it", vmType, vmRef.VmId(), vmRef.Node()))
+			// If building a VM artifact and c.PackerForce is true,
+			// running VMs can't be deleted. Stop before deleting.
+			vmState, err := client.GetVmState(vmRef)
+			if err != nil {
+				state.Put("error", err)
+				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("error getting VM state: %s", err.Error()))
+				return multistep.ActionHalt
+			}
+			if vmState["status"] == "running" {
+				log.Printf("VM %d running, stopping for deletion", vmRef.VmId())
+				_, err = client.StopVm(vmRef)
+				if err != nil {
+					state.Put("error", err)
+					ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("error stopping %s: %s", vmType, err.Error()))
+					return multistep.ActionHalt
+				}
+			}
 			_, err = client.DeleteVm(vmRef)
 			if err != nil {
 				state.Put("error", err)
-				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("error deleting VM template: %s", err.Error()))
+				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("error deleting %s: %s", vmType, err.Error()))
 				return multistep.ActionHalt
 			}
-			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Successfully deleted VM template %d", vmRef.VmId()))
+			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Successfully deleted %s %d", vmType, vmRef.VmId()))
 		} else {
 			ui.Say("No existing artifact found")
 		}
diff --git a/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm_test.go b/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm_test.go
index a228778b..25280834 100644
--- a/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm_test.go
+++ b/builder/proxmox/common/step_start_vm_test.go
@@ -116,9 +116,11 @@ func TestCleanupStartVM(t *testing.T) {
 type startVMMock struct {
 	create      func(*proxmox.VmRef, proxmox.ConfigQemu, multistep.StateBag) error
 	startVm     func(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error)
+	stopVm      func(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error)
 	setVmConfig func(*proxmox.VmRef, map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, error)
 	getNextID   func(id int) (int, error)
 	getVmConfig func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (vmConfig map[string]interface{}, err error)
+	getVmState  func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (vmState map[string]interface{}, err error)
 	checkVmRef  func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (err error)
 	getVmByName func(vmName string) (vmrs []*proxmox.VmRef, err error)
 	deleteVm    func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (exitStatus string, err error)
@@ -130,6 +132,9 @@ func (m *startVMMock) Create(vmRef *proxmox.VmRef, config proxmox.ConfigQemu, st
 func (m *startVMMock) StartVm(vmRef *proxmox.VmRef) (string, error) {
 	return m.startVm(vmRef)
 }
+func (m *startVMMock) StopVm(vmRef *proxmox.VmRef) (string, error) {
+	return m.stopVm(vmRef)
+}
 func (m *startVMMock) SetVmConfig(vmRef *proxmox.VmRef, config map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 	return m.setVmConfig(vmRef, config)
 }
@@ -139,6 +144,9 @@ func (m *startVMMock) GetNextID(id int) (int, error) {
 func (m *startVMMock) GetVmConfig(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	return m.getVmConfig(vmr)
 }
+func (m *startVMMock) GetVmState(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+	return m.getVmState(vmr)
+}
 func (m *startVMMock) CheckVmRef(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (err error) {
 	return m.checkVmRef(vmr)
 }
@@ -189,6 +197,9 @@ func TestStartVM(t *testing.T) {
 				startVm: func(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error) {
 					return "", nil
 				},
+				stopVm: func(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error) {
+					return "", nil
+				},
 				setVmConfig: func(*proxmox.VmRef, map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 					return nil, nil
 				},
@@ -308,6 +319,7 @@ func TestStartVMWithForce(t *testing.T) {
 		expectedAction       multistep.StepAction
 		mockGetVmRefsByName  func(vmName string) (vmrs []*proxmox.VmRef, err error)
 		mockGetVmConfig      func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error)
+		mockGetVmState       func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error)
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "Delete existing VM when it's a template and force is enabled",
@@ -323,6 +335,9 @@ func TestStartVMWithForce(t *testing.T) {
 				// proxmox-api-go returns a float for "template"
 				return map[string]interface{}{"template": 1.0}, nil
 			},
+			mockGetVmState: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+				return map[string]interface{}{"status": "stopped"}, nil
+			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Don't delete VM when it's not a template",
@@ -337,6 +352,9 @@ func TestStartVMWithForce(t *testing.T) {
 			mockGetVmConfig: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 				return map[string]interface{}{}, nil
 			},
+			mockGetVmState: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+				return map[string]interface{}{"status": "stopped"}, nil
+			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Don't delete VM when force disabled",
@@ -390,6 +408,9 @@ func TestStartVMWithForce(t *testing.T) {
 			mockGetVmConfig: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 				return map[string]interface{}{"template": 1.0}, nil
 			},
+			mockGetVmState: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+				return map[string]interface{}{"status": "running"}, nil
+			},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -403,6 +424,9 @@ func TestStartVMWithForce(t *testing.T) {
 				startVm: func(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error) {
 					return "", nil
 				},
+				stopVm: func(*proxmox.VmRef) (string, error) {
+					return "", nil
+				},
 				setVmConfig: func(*proxmox.VmRef, map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 					return nil, nil
 				},
@@ -418,6 +442,9 @@ func TestStartVMWithForce(t *testing.T) {
 				getVmConfig: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (config map[string]interface{}, err error) {
 					return c.mockGetVmConfig(vmr)
 				},
+				getVmState: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (config map[string]interface{}, err error) {
+					return c.mockGetVmState(vmr)
+				},
 				deleteVm: func(vmr *proxmox.VmRef) (exitStatus string, err error) {
 					deleteWasCalled = true
 					return "", nil