diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bb6027bc9..994bc3e78 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ IMPROVEMENTS:
     them altogether. [GH-1004]
   - Specify the default provider with the `VAGRANT_DEFAULT_PROVIDER`
     environmental variable. [GH-1478]
+  - Invalid settings are now caught and shown in a user-friendly way. [GH-1484]
 
 BUG FIXES:
 
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb b/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb
index f3db8e610..dfdff8e1c 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require "set"
+
 module Vagrant
   module Plugin
     module V2
@@ -57,9 +59,27 @@ module Vagrant
             end
           end
 
+          # Persist through the set of invalid methods
+          this_invalid  = @__invalid_methods || Set.new
+          other_invalid = other.instance_variable_get(:"@__invalid_methods") || Set.new
+          result.instance_variable_set(:"@__invalid_methods", this_invalid + other_invalid)
+
           result
         end
 
+        # Capture all bad configuration calls and save them for an error
+        # message later during validation.
+        def method_missing(name, *args, &block)
+          name = name.to_s
+          name = name[0...-1] if name.end_with?("=")
+
+          @__invalid_methods ||= Set.new
+          @__invalid_methods.add(name)
+
+          # Return the dummy object so that anything else works
+          ::Vagrant::Config::V2::DummyConfig.new
+        end
+
         # Allows setting options from a hash. By default this simply calls
         # the `#{key}=` method on the config class with the value, which is
         # the expected behavior most of the time.
@@ -79,6 +99,11 @@ module Vagrant
           instance_variables_hash.to_json(*a)
         end
 
+        # A default to_s implementation.
+        def to_s
+          self.class.to_s
+        end
+
         # Returns the instance variables as a hash of key-value pairs.
         def instance_variables_hash
           instance_variables.inject({}) do |acc, iv|
@@ -94,6 +119,16 @@ module Vagrant
         #   validated.
         # @return [Hash]
         def validate(machine)
+          return { self.to_s => _detected_errors }
+        end
+
+        # This returns any automatically detected errors.
+        #
+        # @return [Array<String>]
+        def _detected_errors
+          return [] if !@__invalid_methods || @__invalid_methods.empty?
+          return [I18n.t("vagrant.config.common.bad_field",
+                         :fields => @__invalid_methods.to_a.sort.join(", "))]
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/nfs.rb b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/nfs.rb
index cd5964d6d..21e7ea7bf 100644
--- a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/nfs.rb
+++ b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/nfs.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ module VagrantPlugins
     class NFSConfig < Vagrant.plugin("2", :config)
       attr_accessor :map_uid
       attr_accessor :map_gid
+
+      def to_s
+        "NFS"
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/package.rb b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/package.rb
index eda055895..c8b3b8c56 100644
--- a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/package.rb
+++ b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/package.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ module VagrantPlugins
   module Kernel_V2
     class PackageConfig < Vagrant.plugin("2", :config)
       attr_accessor :name
+
+      def to_s
+        "Package"
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/ssh.rb b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/ssh.rb
index e57bc3ba0..083efb743 100644
--- a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/ssh.rb
+++ b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/ssh.rb
@@ -40,8 +40,12 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         @username         = nil if @username == UNSET_VALUE
       end
 
+      def to_s
+        "SSH"
+      end
+
       def validate(machine)
-        errors = []
+        errors = _detected_errors
 
         [:max_tries, :timeout].each do |field|
           value = instance_variable_get("@#{field}".to_sym)
@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         end
 
         # Return the errors
-        { "ssh" => errors }
+        { to_s => errors }
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vagrant.rb b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vagrant.rb
index afe13213f..5e049fe60 100644
--- a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vagrant.rb
+++ b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vagrant.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ module VagrantPlugins
   module Kernel_V2
     class VagrantConfig < Vagrant.plugin("2", :config)
       attr_accessor :host
+
+      def to_s
+        "Vagrant"
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vm.rb b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vm.rb
index 45320f3f4..32e4efeba 100644
--- a/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vm.rb
+++ b/plugins/kernel_v2/config/vm.rb
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       end
 
       def validate(machine)
-        errors = []
+        errors = _detected_errors
         errors << I18n.t("vagrant.config.vm.box_missing") if !box
         errors << I18n.t("vagrant.config.vm.box_not_found", :name => box) if \
           box && !box_url && !machine.box
diff --git a/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb b/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb
index 846bdc08e..b14d262d0 100644
--- a/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb
+++ b/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         # The default name is just nothing, and we default it
         @name = nil if @name == UNSET_VALUE
       end
+
+      def to_s
+        "VirtualBox"
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_client.rb b/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_client.rb
index 7d89aa5fd..360fd4c7a 100644
--- a/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_client.rb
+++ b/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_client.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         def encrypted_data_bag_secret; @encrypted_data_bag_secret || "/tmp/encrypted_data_bag_secret"; end
 
         def validate(machine)
-          errors = []
+          errors = _detected_errors
           errors << I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.server_url_empty") if \
             !chef_server_url || chef_server_url.strip == ""
           errors << I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.validation_key_path") if \
diff --git a/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_solo.rb b/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_solo.rb
index 1bc5e21f3..e6c91f0a2 100644
--- a/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_solo.rb
+++ b/plugins/provisioners/chef/config/chef_solo.rb
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         end
 
         def validate(machine)
-          errors = []
+          errors = _detected_errors
           errors << I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.cookbooks_path_empty") if \
             !cookbooks_path || [cookbooks_path].flatten.empty?
           errors << I18n.t("vagrant.config.chef.run_list_empty") if \
diff --git a/plugins/provisioners/shell/config.rb b/plugins/provisioners/shell/config.rb
index c44c8f72a..61b39d0ae 100644
--- a/plugins/provisioners/shell/config.rb
+++ b/plugins/provisioners/shell/config.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       end
 
       def validate(machine)
-        errors = []
+        errors = _detected_errors
 
         # Validate that the parameters are properly set
         if path && inline
diff --git a/templates/locales/en.yml b/templates/locales/en.yml
index 708fb542b..832fb2701 100644
--- a/templates/locales/en.yml
+++ b/templates/locales/en.yml
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ en:
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     config:
       common:
+        bad_field: "The following settings don't exist: %{fields}"
         error_empty: "`%{field}` must be not be empty."
       chef:
         cookbooks_path_empty: "Must specify a cookbooks path for chef solo."