diff --git a/provisioner/puppet-masterless/provisioner.go b/provisioner/puppet-masterless/provisioner.go
index 4c19526d2..1fb2d4bc6 100644
--- a/provisioner/puppet-masterless/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/puppet-masterless/provisioner.go
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// The main manifest file to apply to kick off the entire thing.
 	ManifestFile string `mapstructure:"manifest_file"`
 
-	// The manifest dir, e.g. for includes
+	// A directory of manifest files that will be uploaded to the remote
+	// machine.
 	ManifestDir string `mapstructure:"manifest_dir"`
 
 	// If true, `sudo` will NOT be used to execute Puppet.
@@ -214,8 +215,10 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 	// Upload manifest dir if set
 	remoteManifestDir := ""
 	if p.config.ManifestDir != "" {
-		var err error
-		remoteManifestDir, err = p.uploadManifestDir(ui, comm)
+		ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"Uploading manifest directory from: %s", p.config.ManifestDir))
+		remoteManifestDir = fmt.Sprintf("%s/manifests", p.config.StagingDir)
+		err := p.uploadDirectory(ui, comm, remoteManifestDir, p.config.ManifestDir)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Error uploading manifest dir: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -298,22 +301,6 @@ func (p *Provisioner) uploadHieraConfig(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator)
 	return path, nil
 }
 
-func (p *Provisioner) uploadManifestDir(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) (string, error) {
-	ui.Message("Uploading manifest dir...")
-	path, err := os.Open(p.config.ManifestDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	defer path.Close()
-
-	targetPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/manifests", p.config.StagingDir)
-	if err := p.uploadDirectory(ui, comm, targetPath, p.config.ManifestDir); err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error uploading manifest dir: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	return targetPath, nil
-}
-
 func (p *Provisioner) uploadManifests(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) (string, error) {
 	// Create the remote manifests directory...
 	ui.Message("Uploading manifests...")
diff --git a/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-masterless.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-masterless.html.markdown
index 85a1d5f89..b35bea711 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-masterless.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/provisioners/puppet-masterless.html.markdown
@@ -58,13 +58,14 @@ Optional parameters:
   configuration to be uploaded to the remote machine. Hiera data directories
   must be uploaded using the file provisioner separately.
 
+* `manifest_dir` (string) - The path to a local directory with manifests
+  to be uploaded to the remote machine. This is useful if your main
+  manifest file uses imports.
+
 * `module_paths` (array of strings) - This is an array of paths to module
   directories on your local filesystem. These will be uploaded to the remote
   machine. By default, this is empty.
 
-* `manifest_dir` (string) - The path to a local directory with
-  manifests to be uploaded to the remote machine.
-
 * `prevent_sudo` (boolean) - By default, the configured commands that are
   executed to run Puppet are executed with `sudo`. If this is true,
   then the sudo will be omitted.