diff --git a/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go b/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go
index 02b58c910d..ec72f7debf 100644
--- a/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go
+++ b/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go
@@ -236,10 +236,29 @@ func TestResourceProvider_linuxCreateConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 
-		"String Attributes": {
+		"Attributes": {
 			Config: testConfig(t, map[string]interface{}{
-				"attributes": `{"key1":{"subkey1":{"subkey2a":["val1","val2","val3"],` +
-					`"subkey2b":{"subkey3":"value3"}}},"key2":"value2"}`,
+				"attributes": []map[string]interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"key1": []map[string]interface{}{
+							map[string]interface{}{
+								"subkey1": []map[string]interface{}{
+									map[string]interface{}{
+										"subkey2a": []interface{}{
+											"val1", "val2", "val3",
+										},
+										"subkey2b": []map[string]interface{}{
+											map[string]interface{}{
+												"subkey3": "value3",
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						"key2": "value2",
+					},
+				},
 				"node_name":              "nodename1",
 				"prevent_sudo":           true,
 				"run_list":               []interface{}{"cookbook::recipe"},
@@ -262,29 +281,10 @@ func TestResourceProvider_linuxCreateConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 
-		"Map Attributes": {
+		"Attributes JSON": {
 			Config: testConfig(t, map[string]interface{}{
-				"attributes": []map[string]interface{}{
-					map[string]interface{}{
-						"key1": []map[string]interface{}{
-							map[string]interface{}{
-								"subkey1": []map[string]interface{}{
-									map[string]interface{}{
-										"subkey2a": []interface{}{
-											"val1", "val2", "val3",
-										},
-										"subkey2b": []map[string]interface{}{
-											map[string]interface{}{
-												"subkey3": "value3",
-											},
-										},
-									},
-								},
-							},
-						},
-						"key2": "value2",
-					},
-				},
+				"attributes_json": `{"key1":{"subkey1":{"subkey2a":["val1","val2","val3"],` +
+					`"subkey2b":{"subkey3":"value3"}}},"key2":"value2"}`,
 				"node_name":              "nodename1",
 				"prevent_sudo":           true,
 				"run_list":               []interface{}{"cookbook::recipe"},
diff --git a/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go b/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go
index 14afaad669..085603948f 100644
--- a/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go
+++ b/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ ENV['no_proxy'] = "{{ join .NOProxy "," }}"
 // Provisioner represents a specificly configured chef provisioner
 type Provisioner struct {
 	Attributes            interface{} `mapstructure:"attributes"`
+	AttributesJSON        string      `mapstructure:"attributes_json"`
 	ClientOptions         []string    `mapstructure:"client_options"`
 	DisableReporting      bool        `mapstructure:"disable_reporting"`
 	Environment           string      `mapstructure:"environment"`
@@ -235,11 +236,9 @@ func (r *ResourceProvisioner) Validate(c *terraform.ResourceConfig) (ws []string
 		ws = append(ws, "secret_key_path is deprecated, please use "+
 			"secret_key instead and load the key contents via file()")
 	}
-	if attrs, ok := c.Config["attributes"]; ok {
-		if _, ok := attrs.(string); !ok {
-			ws = append(ws, "using map style attribute values is deprecated, "+
-				" please use a single raw JSON string instead")
-		}
+	if _, ok := c.Config["attributes"]; ok {
+		ws = append(ws, "using map style attribute values is deprecated, "+
+			" please use a single raw JSON string instead")
 	}
 
 	return ws, es
@@ -299,19 +298,18 @@ func (r *ResourceProvisioner) decodeConfig(c *terraform.ResourceConfig) (*Provis
 	}
 
 	if attrs, ok := c.Config["attributes"]; ok {
-		switch attrs := attrs.(type) {
-		case string:
-			var m map[string]interface{}
-			if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(attrs), &m); err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing the attributes: %v", err)
-			}
-			p.Attributes = m
-		default:
-			p.Attributes, err = rawToJSON(attrs)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing the attributes: %v", err)
-			}
+		p.Attributes, err = rawToJSON(attrs)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing the attributes: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if attrs, ok := c.Config["attributes_json"]; ok {
+		var m map[string]interface{}
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(attrs.(string)), &m); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing the attributes: %v", err)
 		}
+		p.Attributes = m
 	}
 
 	return p, nil
diff --git a/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go b/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go
index 5067057950..8dd0dee28e 100644
--- a/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go
+++ b/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go
@@ -153,10 +153,29 @@ func TestResourceProvider_windowsCreateConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 
-		"String Attributes": {
+		"Attributes": {
 			Config: testConfig(t, map[string]interface{}{
-				"attributes": `{"key1":{"subkey1":{"subkey2a":["val1","val2","val3"],` +
-					`"subkey2b":{"subkey3":"value3"}}},"key2":"value2"}`,
+				"attributes": []map[string]interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"key1": []map[string]interface{}{
+							map[string]interface{}{
+								"subkey1": []map[string]interface{}{
+									map[string]interface{}{
+										"subkey2a": []interface{}{
+											"val1", "val2", "val3",
+										},
+										"subkey2b": []map[string]interface{}{
+											map[string]interface{}{
+												"subkey3": "value3",
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						"key2": "value2",
+					},
+				},
 				"node_name":              "nodename1",
 				"run_list":               []interface{}{"cookbook::recipe"},
 				"secret_key_path":        "test-fixtures/encrypted_data_bag_secret",
@@ -178,29 +197,10 @@ func TestResourceProvider_windowsCreateConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 
-		"Map Attributes": {
+		"Attributes JSON": {
 			Config: testConfig(t, map[string]interface{}{
-				"attributes": []map[string]interface{}{
-					map[string]interface{}{
-						"key1": []map[string]interface{}{
-							map[string]interface{}{
-								"subkey1": []map[string]interface{}{
-									map[string]interface{}{
-										"subkey2a": []interface{}{
-											"val1", "val2", "val3",
-										},
-										"subkey2b": []map[string]interface{}{
-											map[string]interface{}{
-												"subkey3": "value3",
-											},
-										},
-									},
-								},
-							},
-						},
-						"key2": "value2",
-					},
-				},
+				"attributes_json": `{"key1":{"subkey1":{"subkey2a":["val1","val2","val3"],` +
+					`"subkey2b":{"subkey3":"value3"}}},"key2":"value2"}`,
 				"node_name":              "nodename1",
 				"run_list":               []interface{}{"cookbook::recipe"},
 				"secret_key_path":        "test-fixtures/encrypted_data_bag_secret",
diff --git a/website/source/docs/provisioners/chef.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/provisioners/chef.html.markdown
index 9e5a8b9a93..9345272697 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/provisioners/chef.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/provisioners/chef.html.markdown
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ available on the target machine.
 resource "aws_instance" "web" {
     ...
     provisioner "chef"  {
-        attributes = <<EOF
+        attributes_json = <<EOF
         {
             "key": "value",
             "app": {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ resource "aws_instance" "web" {
 
 The following arguments are supported:
 
-* `attributes (string)` - (Optional) A raw JSON string with initial node attributes
+* `attributes_json (string)` - (Optional) A raw JSON string with initial node attributes
   for the new node. These can also be loaded from a file on disk using the [`file()`
   interpolation function](/docs/configuration/interpolation.html#file_path_).
 
@@ -128,5 +128,6 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 These are supported for backwards compatibility and may be removed in a
 future version:
 
-* `validation_key_path (string)` - __Deprecated: please use `validation_key` instead__.
+* `attributes (map)` - __Deprecated: please use `attributes_json` instead__.
 * `secret_key_path (string)` - __Deprecated: please use `secret_key` instead__.
+* `validation_key_path (string)` - __Deprecated: please use `validation_key` instead__.