diff --git a/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/configurator.py b/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/configurator.py
index 99a864141..59a977f09 100644
--- a/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/configurator.py
+++ b/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/configurator.py
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ class NginxConfigurator(common.Plugin):
             a lack of directives or configuration
 
         """
+        if not fullchain_path:
+            raise errors.PluginError(
+                "--fullchain-path is required for nginx plugin.")
+
         vhost = self.choose_vhost(domain)
         cert_directives = [['ssl_certificate', fullchain_path],
                            ['ssl_certificate_key', key_path]]
diff --git a/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/tests/configurator_test.py b/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/tests/configurator_test.py
index 35a55befd..bab107582 100644
--- a/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/tests/configurator_test.py
+++ b/letsencrypt-nginx/letsencrypt_nginx/tests/configurator_test.py
@@ -134,6 +134,15 @@ class NginxConfiguratorTest(util.NginxTest):
             None,
             "example/fullchain.pem")
 
+    def test_deploy_cert_requires_fullchain_path(self):
+        self.config.version = (1, 3, 1)
+        self.assertRaises(errors.PluginError, self.config.deploy_cert,
+            "www.example.com",
+            "example/cert.pem",
+            "example/key.pem",
+            "example/chain.pem",
+            None)
+
     def test_deploy_cert(self):
         server_conf = self.config.parser.abs_path('server.conf')
         nginx_conf = self.config.parser.abs_path('nginx.conf')