diff --git a/plugins/provisioners/ansible/config.rb b/plugins/provisioners/ansible/config.rb
index de01835cd..c0d072855 100644
--- a/plugins/provisioners/ansible/config.rb
+++ b/plugins/provisioners/ansible/config.rb
@@ -35,12 +35,31 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       def validate(machine)
         errors = []
         
+        # Validate that a playbook path was provided
         if !playbook
           errors << I18n.t("vagrant.provisioners.ansible.no_playbook")
         end
+        
+        # Validate the existence of said playbook on the host
+        if playbook
+          expanded_path = Pathname.new(playbook).expand_path(machine.env.root_path)
+          if !expanded_path.file?
+            errors << I18n.t("vagrant.provisioners.ansible.playbook_path_invalid",
+                              :path => expanded_path)
+          end
+        end
+        
+        # Validate the existence of the inventory_file, if specified
+        if inventory_file
+          expanded_path = Pathname.new(inventory_file).expand_path(machine.env.root_path)
+          if !expanded_path.file?
+            errors << I18n.t("vagrant.provisioners.ansible.inventory_file_path_invalid",
+                              :path => expanded_path)
+          end
+        end
 
         { "ansible provisioner" => errors }
       end
     end
   end
-end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/locales/en.yml b/templates/locales/en.yml
index 307da6ce8..54041273b 100644
--- a/templates/locales/en.yml
+++ b/templates/locales/en.yml
@@ -1017,7 +1017,9 @@ en:
         upload_path_not_set: "`upload_path` must be set for the shell provisioner."
       
       ansible:
-        no_playbook: "`playbook` must be set for the ansible provisioner."
+        no_playbook: "`playbook` must be set for the Ansible provisioner."
+        playbook_path_invalid: "`playbook` for the Ansible provisioner does not exist on the host system: %{path}"
+        inventory_file_path_invalid: "`inventory_file` for the Ansible provisioner does not exist on the host system: %{path}"
 
     guest:
       base: