diff --git a/provisioner/guest_commands.go b/provisioner/guest_commands.go
index 1d2d1597f..47edb1768 100644
--- a/provisioner/guest_commands.go
+++ b/provisioner/guest_commands.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ var guestOSTypeCommands = map[string]guestOSTypeCommand{
 		chmod:     "echo 'skipping chmod %s %s'", // no-op
 		mkdir:     "powershell.exe -Command \"New-Item -ItemType directory -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Path %s\"",
 		removeDir: "powershell.exe -Command \"rm %s -recurse -force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue\"",
-		statPath:  "powershell.exe -Command \"test-path %s\"",
+		statPath:  "powershell.exe -Command { if (test-path %s) { exit 0 } else { exit 1 } }",
 		mv:        "powershell.exe -Command \"mv %s %s\"",
 	},
 }
diff --git a/provisioner/salt-masterless/provisioner.go b/provisioner/salt-masterless/provisioner.go
index 53eb59aaa..f1ae1fe84 100644
--- a/provisioner/salt-masterless/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/salt-masterless/provisioner.go
@@ -302,8 +302,10 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 		dst = p.guestOSTypeConfig.stateRoot
 	}
 
-	if err = p.removeDir(ui, comm, dst); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to clear salt tree: %s", err)
+	if err = p.statPath(ui, comm, dst); err != nil {
+		if err = p.removeDir(ui, comm, dst); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Unable to clear salt tree: %s", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err = p.moveFile(ui, comm, dst, src); err != nil {
@@ -326,9 +328,10 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 			dst = p.guestOSTypeConfig.pillarRoot
 		}
 
-		// only remove path if it exists or windows throws a fit
-		if err = p.removeDir(ui, comm, dst); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Unable to clear pillar root: %s", err)
+		if err = p.statPath(ui, comm, dst); err != nil {
+			if err = p.removeDir(ui, comm, dst); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Unable to clear pillar root: %s", err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		if err = p.moveFile(ui, comm, dst, src); err != nil {