diff --git a/provisioner/file/provisioner.go b/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
index 711beffa6..2e7c17190 100644
--- a/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
@@ -30,16 +30,18 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Prepare(raws ...interface{}) error {
 	errs := []error{}
 
 	if _, err := os.Stat(p.config.Source); err != nil {
-		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Bad source file '%s': %s", p.config.Source, err))
+		errs = append(errs,
+			fmt.Errorf("Bad source '%s': %s", p.config.Source, err))
 	}
 
-	if len(p.config.Destination) == 0 {
+	if p.config.Destination == "" {
 		errs = append(errs, errors.New("Destination must be specified."))
 	}
 
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		return &packer.MultiError{errs}
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -49,5 +51,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
 	return comm.Upload(p.config.Destination, f)
 }
diff --git a/provisioner/file/provisioner_test.go b/provisioner/file/provisioner_test.go
index 017bd3365..6fa1e031a 100644
--- a/provisioner/file/provisioner_test.go
+++ b/provisioner/file/provisioner_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+func testConfig() map[string]interface{} {
+	return map[string]interface{}{
+		"destination": "something",
+	}
+}
+
 func TestProvisioner_Impl(t *testing.T) {
 	var raw interface{}
 	raw = &Provisioner{}
@@ -19,10 +25,10 @@ func TestProvisioner_Impl(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestProvisionerPrepare_InvalidSource(t *testing.T) {
 	var p Provisioner
-	config := map[string]interface{}{"source": "/this/should/not/exist", "destination": "something"}
+	config := testConfig()
+	config["source"] = "/this/should/not/exist"
 
 	err := p.Prepare(config)
-
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("should require existing file")
 	}
@@ -36,10 +42,11 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_ValidSource(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("error tempfile: %s", err)
 	}
 	defer os.Remove(tf.Name())
-	config := map[string]interface{}{"source": tf.Name(), "destination": "something"}
+
+	config := testConfig()
+	config["source"] = tf.Name()
 
 	err = p.Prepare(config)
-
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("should allow valid file: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -47,10 +54,10 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_ValidSource(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestProvisionerPrepare_EmptyDestination(t *testing.T) {
 	var p Provisioner
-	config := map[string]interface{}{"source": "/this/exists"}
 
+	config := testConfig()
+	delete(config, "destination")
 	err := p.Prepare(config)
-
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("should require destination path")
 	}
@@ -58,7 +65,7 @@ func TestProvisionerPrepare_EmptyDestination(t *testing.T) {
 
 type stubUploadCommunicator struct {
 	dest string
-	data io.Reader
+	data []byte
 }
 
 func (suc *stubUploadCommunicator) Download(src string, data io.Writer) error {
@@ -66,9 +73,10 @@ func (suc *stubUploadCommunicator) Download(src string, data io.Writer) error {
 }
 
 func (suc *stubUploadCommunicator) Upload(dest string, data io.Reader) error {
+	var err error
 	suc.dest = dest
-	suc.data = data
-	return nil
+	suc.data, err = ioutil.ReadAll(data)
+	return err
 }
 
 func (suc *stubUploadCommunicator) Start(cmd *packer.RemoteCmd) error {
@@ -100,11 +108,19 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_SendsFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("error tempfile: %s", err)
 	}
 	defer os.Remove(tf.Name())
+
 	if _, err = tf.Write([]byte("hello")); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error writing tempfile: %s", err)
 	}
-	config := map[string]interface{}{"source": tf.Name(), "destination": "something"}
-	p.Prepare(config)
+
+	config := map[string]interface{}{
+		"source": tf.Name(),
+		"destination": "something",
+	}
+
+	if err := p.Prepare(config); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
 
 	ui := &stubUi{}
 	comm := &stubUploadCommunicator{}
@@ -112,17 +128,20 @@ func TestProvisionerProvision_SendsFile(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("should successfully provision: %s", err)
 	}
+
 	if !strings.Contains(ui.sayMessages, tf.Name()) {
 		t.Fatalf("should print source filename")
 	}
+
 	if !strings.Contains(ui.sayMessages, "something") {
 		t.Fatalf("should print destination filename")
 	}
+
 	if comm.dest != "something" {
 		t.Fatalf("should upload to configured destination")
 	}
-	read, err := ioutil.ReadAll(comm.data)
-	if err != nil || string(read) != "hello" {
+
+	if string(comm.data) != "hello" {
 		t.Fatalf("should upload with source file's data")
 	}
 }