diff --git a/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go b/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go
index ec72f7deb..c33840583 100644
--- a/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go
+++ b/builtin/provisioners/chef/linux_provisioner_test.go
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ func TestResourceProvider_linuxCreateConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 				"run_list":               []interface{}{"cookbook::recipe"},
 				"secret_key_path":        "test-fixtures/encrypted_data_bag_secret",
 				"server_url":             "https://chef.local",
+				"ssl_verify_mode":        "verify_none",
 				"validation_client_name": "validator",
 				"validation_key_path":    "test-fixtures/validator.pem",
 			}),
@@ -340,20 +341,15 @@ chef_server_url         "https://chef.local"
 validation_client_name  "validator"
 node_name               "nodename1"
 
-
-
-
 http_proxy          "http://proxy.local"
 ENV['http_proxy'] = "http://proxy.local"
 ENV['HTTP_PROXY'] = "http://proxy.local"
 
-
-
 https_proxy          "https://proxy.local"
 ENV['https_proxy'] = "https://proxy.local"
 ENV['HTTPS_PROXY'] = "https://proxy.local"
 
-
-
 no_proxy          "http://local.local,https://local.local"
-ENV['no_proxy'] = "http://local.local,https://local.local"`
+ENV['no_proxy'] = "http://local.local,https://local.local"
+
+ssl_verify_mode  :verify_none`
diff --git a/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go b/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go
index d4c057529..276c4d3af 100644
--- a/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go
+++ b/builtin/provisioners/chef/resource_provisioner.go
@@ -43,35 +43,40 @@ log_location            STDOUT
 chef_server_url         "{{ .ServerURL }}"
 validation_client_name  "{{ .ValidationClientName }}"
 node_name               "{{ .NodeName }}"
-
 {{ if .UsePolicyfile }}
 use_policyfile true
 policy_group 	 "{{ .PolicyGroup }}"
 policy_name 	 "{{ .PolicyName }}"
-{{ end }}
+{{ end -}}
 
 {{ if .HTTPProxy }}
 http_proxy          "{{ .HTTPProxy }}"
 ENV['http_proxy'] = "{{ .HTTPProxy }}"
 ENV['HTTP_PROXY'] = "{{ .HTTPProxy }}"
-{{ end }}
+{{ end -}}
 
 {{ if .HTTPSProxy }}
 https_proxy          "{{ .HTTPSProxy }}"
 ENV['https_proxy'] = "{{ .HTTPSProxy }}"
 ENV['HTTPS_PROXY'] = "{{ .HTTPSProxy }}"
-{{ end }}
+{{ end -}}
 
 {{ if .NOProxy }}
 no_proxy          "{{ join .NOProxy "," }}"
 ENV['no_proxy'] = "{{ join .NOProxy "," }}"
+{{ end -}}
+
+{{ if .SSLVerifyMode }}
+ssl_verify_mode  {{ .SSLVerifyMode }}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{ if .DisableReporting }}
+enable_reporting false
+{{ end -}}
+
+{{ if .ClientOptions }}
+{{ join .ClientOptions "\n" }}
 {{ end }}
-
-{{ if .SSLVerifyMode }}ssl_verify_mode {{ .SSLVerifyMode }}{{ end }}
-
-{{ if .DisableReporting }}enable_reporting false{{ end }}
-
-{{ if .ClientOptions }}{{ join .ClientOptions "\n" }}{{ end }}
 `
 
 // Provisioner represents a specificly configured chef provisioner
@@ -452,6 +457,11 @@ func (p *Provisioner) deployConfigFiles(
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Make sure the SSLVerifyMode value is written as a symbol
+	if p.SSLVerifyMode != "" && !strings.HasPrefix(p.SSLVerifyMode, ":") {
+		p.SSLVerifyMode = fmt.Sprintf(":%s", p.SSLVerifyMode)
+	}
+
 	// Make strings.Join available for use within the template
 	funcMap := template.FuncMap{
 		"join": strings.Join,
diff --git a/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go b/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go
index 8dd0dee28..18a9b44d9 100644
--- a/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go
+++ b/builtin/provisioners/chef/windows_provisioner_test.go
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ func TestResourceProvider_windowsCreateConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 				"run_list":               []interface{}{"cookbook::recipe"},
 				"secret_key_path":        "test-fixtures/encrypted_data_bag_secret",
 				"server_url":             "https://chef.local",
+				"ssl_verify_mode":        "verify_none",
 				"validation_client_name": "validator",
 				"validation_key_path":    "test-fixtures/validator.pem",
 			}),
@@ -366,20 +367,15 @@ chef_server_url         "https://chef.local"
 validation_client_name  "validator"
 node_name               "nodename1"
 
-
-
-
 http_proxy          "http://proxy.local"
 ENV['http_proxy'] = "http://proxy.local"
 ENV['HTTP_PROXY'] = "http://proxy.local"
 
-
-
 https_proxy          "https://proxy.local"
 ENV['https_proxy'] = "https://proxy.local"
 ENV['HTTPS_PROXY'] = "https://proxy.local"
 
-
-
 no_proxy          "http://local.local,https://local.local"
-ENV['no_proxy'] = "http://local.local,https://local.local"`
+ENV['no_proxy'] = "http://local.local,https://local.local"
+
+ssl_verify_mode  :verify_none`