diff --git a/plugins/provisioners/ansible/helpers.rb b/plugins/provisioners/ansible/helpers.rb
index 9795ab923..9c79891ac 100644
--- a/plugins/provisioners/ansible/helpers.rb
+++ b/plugins/provisioners/ansible/helpers.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         command.each do |arg|
           if arg =~ /(--start-at-task|--limit)=(.+)/
             shell_arg << "#{$1}='#{$2}'"
+          elsif arg =~ /(--extra-vars)=(.+)/
+            shell_arg << %Q(%s="%s") % [$1, $2.gsub('\\', '\\\\\\').gsub('"', %Q(\\"))]
           else
             shell_arg << arg
           end
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/provisioners/ansible/provisioner_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/provisioners/ansible/provisioner_test.rb
index 31354a79c..f6ee38d7a 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/provisioners/ansible/provisioner_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/provisioners/ansible/provisioner_test.rb
@@ -732,6 +732,24 @@ VF
       end
     end
 
+    context "with extra_vars option defined" do
+      describe "with a hash value" do
+        before do
+          config.extra_vars = { var1: %Q(string with 'apostrophes', \\, " and =), var2: { x: 42 } }
+        end
+
+        it_should_set_optional_arguments({ "extra_vars" => "--extra-vars={\"var1\":\"string with 'apostrophes', \\\\, \\\" and =\",\"var2\":{\"x\":42}}" })
+      end
+
+      describe "with a string value referring to file path (with the '@' prefix)" do
+        before do
+          config.extra_vars = "@#{existing_file}"
+        end
+
+        it_should_set_optional_arguments({ "extra_vars" => "--extra-vars=@#{File.expand_path(__FILE__)}" })
+      end
+    end
+
     # The Vagrant Ansible provisioner does not validate the coherency of
     # argument combinations, and let ansible-playbook complain.
     describe "with a maximum of options" do
@@ -741,7 +759,7 @@ VF
         ssh_info[:private_key_path] = ['/my/key1', '/my/key2']
 
         # command line arguments
-        config.extra_vars = "@#{existing_file}"
+        config.extra_vars = { var1: %Q(string with 'apostrophes', \\, " and =), var2: { x: 42 } }
         config.sudo = true
         config.sudo_user = 'deployer'
         config.verbose = "vvv"
@@ -761,7 +779,7 @@ VF
 
       it_should_set_arguments_and_environment_variables 20, 4, true
       it_should_explicitly_enable_ansible_ssh_control_persist_defaults
-      it_should_set_optional_arguments({  "extra_vars"          => "--extra-vars=@#{File.expand_path(__FILE__)}",
+      it_should_set_optional_arguments({  "extra_vars"          => "--extra-vars={\"var1\":\"string with 'apostrophes', \\\\, \\\" and =\",\"var2\":{\"x\":42}}",
                                           "sudo"                => "--sudo",
                                           "sudo_user"           => "--sudo-user=deployer",
                                           "verbose"             => "-vvv",
@@ -786,7 +804,7 @@ VF
 
       it "shows the ansible-playbook command, with additional quotes when required" do
         expect(machine.env.ui).to receive(:detail).with { |full_command|
-          expect(full_command).to eq("PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR=true ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING=true ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS='-o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i '/my/key1' -i '/my/key2' -o ForwardAgent=yes -o ControlMaster=no -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s' ansible-playbook --connection=ssh --timeout=30 --ask-sudo-pass --ask-vault-pass --limit='machine*:&vagrant:!that_one' --inventory-file=#{generated_inventory_dir} --extra-vars=@#{File.expand_path(__FILE__)} --sudo --sudo-user=deployer -vvv --vault-password-file=#{File.expand_path(__FILE__)} --tags=db,www --skip-tags=foo,bar --start-at-task='an awesome task' --why-not --su-user=foot --ask-su-pass --limit='all' --private-key=./myself.key playbook.yml")
+          expect(full_command).to eq(%Q(PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR=true ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING=true ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS='-o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i '/my/key1' -i '/my/key2' -o ForwardAgent=yes -o ControlMaster=no -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s' ansible-playbook --connection=ssh --timeout=30 --ask-sudo-pass --ask-vault-pass --limit='machine*:&vagrant:!that_one' --inventory-file=#{generated_inventory_dir} --extra-vars="{\\"var1\\":\\"string with 'apostrophes', \\\\\\\\, \\\\\\" and =\\",\\"var2\\":{\\"x\\":42}}" --sudo --sudo-user=deployer -vvv --vault-password-file=#{File.expand_path(__FILE__)} --tags=db,www --skip-tags=foo,bar --start-at-task='an awesome task' --why-not --su-user=foot --ask-su-pass --limit='all' --private-key=./myself.key playbook.yml))
         }
       end
     end