diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a8534b3c0..d615f41c9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ## 0.9.4 (unreleased)
 
   - Match VM names that have parens, brackets, etc.
+  - Detect when the VirtualBox kernel module is not loaded and error. [GH-677]
 
 ## 0.9.3 (January 24, 2012)
 
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/driver/virtualbox.rb b/lib/vagrant/driver/virtualbox.rb
index 10ce51cc0..8a37f4e0b 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/driver/virtualbox.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/driver/virtualbox.rb
@@ -117,7 +117,12 @@ module Vagrant
 
         # Note: We split this into multiple lines because apparently "".split("_")
         # is [], so we have to check for an empty array in between.
-        parts = execute("--version").split("_")
+        output = execute("--version")
+        if output =~ /vboxdrv kernel module is not loaded/
+          raise Errors::VirtualBoxKernelModuleNotLoaded
+        end
+
+        parts = output.split("_")
         return nil if parts.empty?
         parts[0].split("r")[0]
       end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/errors.rb b/lib/vagrant/errors.rb
index 3d3ccc1ff..5e928f07b 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/errors.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/errors.rb
@@ -343,6 +343,11 @@ module Vagrant
       error_key(:virtualbox_not_detected)
     end
 
+    class VirtualBoxKernelModuleNotLoaded < VagrantError
+      status_code(70)
+      error_key(:virtualbox_kernel_module_not_loaded)
+    end
+
     class VMBaseMacNotSpecified < VagrantError
       status_code(47)
       error_key(:no_base_mac, "vagrant.actions.vm.match_mac")
diff --git a/templates/locales/en.yml b/templates/locales/en.yml
index 65797eb36..59f15b5ba 100644
--- a/templates/locales/en.yml
+++ b/templates/locales/en.yml
@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ en:
         listed below to use Vagrant:
 
         %{supported_versions}
+      virtualbox_kernel_module_not_loaded: |-
+        VirtualBox is complaining that the kernel module is not loaded. Please
+        run `VBoxManage --version` to see the error message which should contain
+        instructions on how to fix this error.
       virtualbox_not_detected: |-
         Vagrant could not detect VirtualBox! Make sure VirtualBox is properly installed.
         Vagrant uses the `VBoxManage` binary that ships with VirtualBox, and requires