diff --git a/command/apply.go b/command/apply.go
index da5499970..3f072e436 100644
--- a/command/apply.go
+++ b/command/apply.go
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ func (c *ApplyCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		c.Ui.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
 	}
+	if !validateContext(ctx, c.Ui) {
+		return 1
+	}
 
 	errCh := make(chan error)
 	stateCh := make(chan *terraform.State)
diff --git a/command/command.go b/command/command.go
index f87ed0787..fd316f4b1 100644
--- a/command/command.go
+++ b/command/command.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/config"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
 
 func ContextArg(
@@ -69,3 +70,33 @@ func ContextArg(
 
 	return ctx, nil
 }
+
+func validateContext(ctx *terraform.Context, ui cli.Ui) bool {
+	if ws, es := ctx.Validate(); len(ws) > 0 || len(es) > 0 {
+		ui.Output(
+			"There are warnings and/or errors related to your configuration. Please\n" +
+				"fix these before continuing.\n")
+
+		if len(ws) > 0 {
+			ui.Output("Warnings:\n")
+			for _, w := range ws {
+				ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("  * %s", w))
+			}
+
+			if len(es) > 0 {
+				ui.Output("")
+			}
+		}
+
+		if len(es) > 0 {
+			ui.Output("Errors:\n")
+			for _, e := range es {
+				ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("  * %s", e))
+			}
+		}
+
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/command/plan.go b/command/plan.go
index 7f729a62d..06cb9e7bb 100644
--- a/command/plan.go
+++ b/command/plan.go
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ func (c *PlanCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	c.ContextOpts.Hooks = append(c.ContextOpts.Hooks, &UiHook{Ui: c.Ui})
 	c.ContextOpts.State = state
 	ctx := terraform.NewContext(c.ContextOpts)
+	if !validateContext(ctx, c.Ui) {
+		return 1
+	}
 
 	if refresh {
 		if _, err := ctx.Refresh(); err != nil {
diff --git a/command/refresh.go b/command/refresh.go
index 7bec37034..f1447b781 100644
--- a/command/refresh.go
+++ b/command/refresh.go
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ func (c *RefreshCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	c.ContextOpts.Config = b
 	c.ContextOpts.Hooks = append(c.ContextOpts.Hooks, &UiHook{Ui: c.Ui})
 	ctx := terraform.NewContext(c.ContextOpts)
+	if !validateContext(ctx, c.Ui) {
+		return 1
+	}
 
 	state, err = ctx.Refresh()
 	if err != nil {