diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb
index fcec32c6e..0d5266b46 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ module Vagrant
         attr_accessor :options
 
         def initialize
-          @manifest_file = nil
+          @manifest_file = "default.pp"
           @manifests_path = "manifests"
           @module_path = nil
           @pp_path = "/tmp/vagrant-puppet"
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ module Vagrant
 
         # Returns the manifests path expanded relative to the root path of the
         # environment.
-        def expanded_manifests_path(env)
-          Pathname.new(manifests_path).expand_path(env.root_path)
+        def expanded_manifests_path(root_path)
+          Pathname.new(manifests_path).expand_path(root_path)
         end
 
         # Returns the module paths as an array of paths expanded relative to the
         # root path.
-        def expanded_module_paths(env)
+        def expanded_module_paths(root_path)
           return [] if !module_path
 
           # Get all the paths and expand them relative to the root path, returning
@@ -38,19 +38,25 @@ module Vagrant
           paths = module_path
           paths = [paths] if !paths.is_a?(Array)
           paths.map do |path|
-            Pathname.new(path).expand_path(env.root_path)
+            Pathname.new(path).expand_path(root_path)
           end
         end
 
         def validate(env, errors)
           # Calculate the manifests and module paths based on env
-          this_expanded_manifests_path = expanded_manifests_path(env)
-          this_expanded_module_paths = expanded_module_paths(env)
+          this_expanded_manifests_path = expanded_manifests_path(env.root_path)
+          this_expanded_module_paths = expanded_module_paths(env.root_path)
 
           # Manifests path/file validation
           if !this_expanded_manifests_path.directory?
             errors.add(I18n.t("vagrant.provisioners.puppet.manifests_path_missing",
                               :path => this_expanded_manifests_path))
+          else
+            expanded_manifest_file = this_expanded_manifests_path.join(manifest_file)
+            if !expanded_manifest_file.file?
+              errors.add(I18n.t("vagrant.provisioners.puppet.manifest_missing",
+                                :manifest => expanded_manifest_file.to_s))
+            end
           end
 
           # Module paths validation
@@ -74,13 +80,9 @@ module Vagrant
 
       def prepare
         # Calculate the paths we're going to use based on the environment
-        @expanded_manifests_path = config.expanded_manifests_path(env[:vm].env)
-        @expanded_module_paths   = config.expanded_module_paths(env[:vm].env)
-        @manifest_file           = config.manifest_file || "#{env[:vm].config.vm.box}.pp"
-
-        if !@expanded_manifests_path.join(@manifest_file).exist?
-          raise PuppetError, :manifest_missing, :manifest => @manifest_file
-        end
+        @expanded_manifests_path = config.expanded_manifests_path(env[:root_path])
+        @expanded_module_paths   = config.expanded_module_paths(env[:root_path])
+        @manifest_file           = @expanded_manifests_path.join(config.manifest_file)
 
         set_module_paths
         share_manifests
diff --git a/templates/locales/en.yml b/templates/locales/en.yml
index 352d45d2a..8768d6b84 100644
--- a/templates/locales/en.yml
+++ b/templates/locales/en.yml
@@ -597,7 +597,10 @@ en:
           Puppet properly installed.
         running_puppet: "Running Puppet with %{manifest}..."
         manifest_missing: |-
-          The Puppet %{manifest} manifest is missing. You cannot configure this box.
+          The configured Puppet manifest is missing. Please specify a path to an
+          existing manifest:
+
+          %{manifest}
         manifests_path_missing: "The manifests path specified for Puppet does not exist: %{path}"
         missing_shared_folders: |-
           Shared folders that Puppet requires are missing on the virtual machine.