diff --git a/command/agent/command_test.go b/command/agent/command_test.go
index 983944698..9f9317e7b 100644
--- a/command/agent/command_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/command_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -299,3 +300,39 @@ func TestSetupScadaConn(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("should be closed")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestProtectDataDir(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "consul")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "mdb"), 0700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	cfgFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "consul")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(cfgFile.Name())
+
+	content := fmt.Sprintf(`{"server": true, "data_dir": "%s"}`, dir)
+	_, err = cfgFile.Write([]byte(content))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	cmd := &Command{
+		Ui:   ui,
+		args: []string{"-config-file=" + cfgFile.Name()},
+	}
+	if conf := cmd.readConfig(); conf != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should fail")
+	}
+	if out := ui.ErrorWriter.String(); !strings.Contains(out, dir) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected mdb dir error, got: %s", out)
+	}
+}