diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1c996dcc4..d74421af6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ## 0.6.4 (unreleased)
 
+  - Basic validation added for Chef configuration (both solo and server).
   - Top config class is now available in all `Vagrant::Config::Base`
     subclasses, which is useful for config validation.
   - Subcommand help shows proper full command in task listing. [GH-168]
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
index b98e2018d..ed3f2ecb6 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
@@ -125,6 +125,24 @@ module Vagrant
           result.delete("json")
           result
         end
+
+        def validate(errors)
+          if top.vm.provisioner == :chef_solo
+            # Validate chef solo settings
+            errors.add(I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.cookbooks_path_empty")) if !cookbooks_path || [cookbooks_path].flatten.empty?
+          end
+
+          if top.vm.provisioner == :chef_server
+            # Validate chef server settings
+            errors.add(I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.server_url_empty")) if !chef_server_url || chef_server_url.strip == ""
+            errors.add(I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.validation_key_path")) if !validation_key_path
+          end
+
+          if [:chef_solo, :chef_server].include?(top.vm.provisioner)
+            # Validations shared by both chef solo and server
+            errors.add(I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.run_list_empty")) if !run_list || run_list.empty?
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/templates/locales/en.yml b/templates/locales/en.yml
index 8b5e2a69a..e38f2331d 100644
--- a/templates/locales/en.yml
+++ b/templates/locales/en.yml
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ en:
     config:
       common:
         error_empty: `%{field}` must be filled in.
+      chef:
+        run_list_empty: "Run list must not be empty."
+        cookbooks_path_empty: "Must specify a cookbooks path for chef solo."
+        server_url_empty: "Chef server URL must be populated."
+        validation_key_path: "Validation key path must be valid path to your chef server validation key."
       ssh:
         private_key_missing: "`private_key_path` file must exist: %{path}"
       vm:
diff --git a/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb b/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb
index 1a218a31a..29a8ec6bf 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_test.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ class ChefProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   context "config" do
     setup do
       @config = Vagrant::Provisioners::Chef::ChefConfig.new
-      @config.run_list.clear
     end
 
     should "not include the 'json' key in the config dump" do
@@ -44,6 +43,10 @@ class ChefProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       }
     end
 
+    should "have an empty run list to begin with" do
+      assert @config.run_list.empty?
+    end
+
     should "add a recipe to the run list" do
       @config.add_recipe("foo")
       assert_equal "recipe[foo]", @config.run_list[0]
@@ -63,6 +66,74 @@ class ChefProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @config.add_role("role[user]")
       assert_equal "role[user]", @config.run_list[0]
     end
+
+    context "validation" do
+      setup do
+        @errors = Vagrant::Config::ErrorRecorder.new
+        @top = @config.top = Vagrant::Config::Top.new(@env)
+      end
+
+      context "chef solo" do
+        setup do
+          @top.vm.provisioner = :chef_solo
+
+          @config.run_list = ["foo"]
+          @config.cookbooks_path = "cookbooks"
+        end
+
+        should "be valid if provisioner is not chef solo" do
+          @top.vm.provisioner = nil
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert @errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+
+        should "be invalid if run list is empty" do
+          @config.run_list = []
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert !@errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+
+        should "be invalid if cookbooks path is empty" do
+          @config.cookbooks_path = nil
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert !@errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "chef server" do
+        setup do
+          @top.vm.provisioner = :chef_server
+
+          @config.run_list = ["foo"]
+          @config.chef_server_url = "foo"
+          @config.validation_key_path = "foo"
+        end
+
+        should "be valid if provisioner is not chef solo" do
+          @top.vm.provisioner = nil
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert @errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+
+        should "be invalid if run list is empty" do
+          @config.run_list = []
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert !@errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+
+        should "be invalid if run list is empty" do
+          @config.chef_server_url = nil
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert !@errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+
+        should "be invalid if run list is empty" do
+          @config.validation_key_path = nil
+          @config.validate(@errors)
+          assert !@errors.errors.empty?
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   context "verifying binary" do
@@ -77,6 +148,7 @@ class ChefProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @action.verify_binary(binary)
     end
   end
+
   context "permissions on provisioning folder" do
     should "create and chown the folder to the ssh user" do
       ssh_seq = sequence("ssh_seq")