diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
index 7ba763337..6e2856c08 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ module Vagrant
         env.ui.info I18n.t("vagrant.provisioners.chef.json")
 
         # Set up initial configuration
-        data = {
-          :config => env.config.to_hash,
-          :directory => env.config.vm.shared_folders["v-root"][:guestpath],
-        }
+        data, default_share = { :config => env.config.to_hash }, env.config.vm.shared_folders["v-root"]
+
+        # Add the directory on the guest if the default shared folder exists
+        data[:directory] = default_share[:guestpath] if default_share
 
         # And wrap it under the "vagrant" namespace
         data = { :vagrant => data }
diff --git a/test/unit/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb b/test/unit/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb
index c629fb5c8..b54cbdb20 100644
--- a/test/unit/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb
@@ -186,6 +186,13 @@ class ChefProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       end
     end
 
+    should "not add the directory if the 'v-root' shared folder doesn't exist" do
+      @env.config.vm.shared_folders.delete("v-root")
+      assert_json do |data|
+        assert !data["vagrant"].has_key?("directory")
+      end
+    end
+
     should "add the config to the JSON" do
       assert_json do |data|
         assert_equal @env.config.ssh.username, data["vagrant"]["config"]["ssh"]["username"]