diff --git a/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go b/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go
index 156870747..5cf921740 100644
--- a/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go
@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 		p.config.LocalPort = "0"
 	}
 
+	if len(p.config.InventoryDirectory) > 0 {
+		err = validateDirectoryConfig(p.config.InventoryDirectory, "inventory_directory", true)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println(p.config.InventoryDirectory, "does not exist")
+			errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	err = p.getVersion()
 	if err != nil {
 		errs = packer.MultiErrorAppend(errs, err)
@@ -383,6 +391,21 @@ func validateFileConfig(name string, config string, req bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func validateDirectoryConfig(name string, config string, req bool) error {
+	if req {
+		if name == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s must be specified.", config)
+		}
+	}
+	info, err := os.Stat(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %s is invalid: %s", config, name, err)
+	} else if !info.IsDir() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %s must point to a directory", config, name)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 type userKey struct {
 	ssh.PublicKey
 	privKeyFile string
diff --git a/provisioner/ansible/provisioner_test.go b/provisioner/ansible/provisioner_test.go
index cd9a7e95f..5882af346 100644
--- a/provisioner/ansible/provisioner_test.go
+++ b/provisioner/ansible/provisioner_test.go
@@ -76,12 +76,6 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
-
-	config["inventory_directory"] = "some_directory"
-	err = p.Prepare(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
 }
 
 func TestProvisionerPrepare_PlaybookFile(t *testing.T) {
@@ -252,6 +246,52 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_LocalPort(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestProvisionerPrepare_InventoryDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	var p Provisioner
+	config := testConfig(t)
+	defer os.Remove(config["command"].(string))
+
+	hostkey_file, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "hostkey")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(hostkey_file.Name())
+
+	publickey_file, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "publickey")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(publickey_file.Name())
+
+	playbook_file, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "playbook")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(playbook_file.Name())
+
+	config["ssh_host_key_file"] = hostkey_file.Name()
+	config["ssh_authorized_key_file"] = publickey_file.Name()
+	config["playbook_file"] = playbook_file.Name()
+
+	config["inventory_directory"] = "doesnotexist"
+	err = p.Prepare(config)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("should error if inventory_directory does not exist")
+	}
+
+	inventoryDirectory, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "some_inventory_dir")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(inventoryDirectory)
+
+	config["inventory_directory"] = inventoryDirectory
+	err = p.Prepare(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAnsibleGetVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	if os.Getenv("PACKER_ACC") == "" {
 		t.Skip("This test is only run with PACKER_ACC=1 and it requires Ansible to be installed")