diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 17d2a6119..05b15794b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ BUG FIXES:
   - guests/coreos: Fix test for Docker daemon running.
   - guests/linux: Fix test for Docker provisioner whether Docker is
       running.
+  - provisioners/docker: Fix issue where we weren't waiting for Docker
+      to properly start before issuing commands. [GH-3482]
 
 ## 1.5.3 (April 14, 2014)
 
diff --git a/plugins/provisioners/docker/cap/debian/docker_configure_auto_start.rb b/plugins/provisioners/docker/cap/debian/docker_configure_auto_start.rb
index 4f6634170..f8a225609 100644
--- a/plugins/provisioners/docker/cap/debian/docker_configure_auto_start.rb
+++ b/plugins/provisioners/docker/cap/debian/docker_configure_auto_start.rb
@@ -9,9 +9,13 @@ module VagrantPlugins
                 comm.sudo("echo 'DOCKER_OPTS=\"-r=true ${DOCKER_OPTS}\"' >> /etc/default/docker")
                 comm.sudo("stop docker")
                 comm.sudo("start docker")
+
+                # Wait some amount time for the pid to become available
+                # so that we don't start executing Docker commands until
+                # it is available.
                 [0, 1, 2, 4].each do |delay|
                   sleep delay
-                  break if comm.test('test -f /var/run/docker.pid')
+                  break if machine.guest.capability(:docker_daemon_running)
                 end
               end
             end