diff --git a/post-processor/vagrant/parallels.go b/post-processor/vagrant/parallels.go
index b3268866..53029502 100644
--- a/post-processor/vagrant/parallels.go
+++ b/post-processor/vagrant/parallels.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ func (p *ParallelsProvider) Process(ui packersdk.Ui, artifact packersdk.Artifact
 	// Create the metadata
 	metadata = map[string]interface{}{"provider": "parallels"}
 
+	var copied int
+
 	// Copy all of the original contents into the temporary directory
 	for _, path := range artifact.Files() {
 		// If the file isn't critical to the function of the
@@ -55,6 +57,11 @@ func (p *ParallelsProvider) Process(ui packersdk.Ui, artifact packersdk.Artifact
 		if err = CopyContents(dstPath, path); err != nil {
 			return
 		}
+		copied++
+	}
+
+	if copied == 0 {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("No VM file found in source artifact")
 	}
 
 	return
diff --git a/post-processor/vagrant/parallels_test.go b/post-processor/vagrant/parallels_test.go
index c398f560..bd514e24 100644
--- a/post-processor/vagrant/parallels_test.go
+++ b/post-processor/vagrant/parallels_test.go
@@ -4,9 +4,115 @@
 package vagrant
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"math/rand"
+	"os"
 	"testing"
+
+	packersdk "github.com/hashicorp/packer-plugin-sdk/packer"
 )
 
 func TestParallelsProvider_impl(t *testing.T) {
 	var _ Provider = new(ParallelsProvider)
 }
+
+// mockParallelsVMDir creates a fake temp dir for parallels testing
+//
+// Note: the path to the pvm/macvm dir is returned, the responsibility to remove
+// it befalls the caller.
+func mockParallelsVMDir() ([]string, error) {
+	tmpDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%d.pvm", os.TempDir(), rand.Uint32())
+	err := os.MkdirAll(tmpDir, 0755)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	file1, err := os.CreateTemp(tmpDir, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	file1.Close()
+
+	file2, err := os.CreateTemp(tmpDir, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	file2.Close()
+
+	return []string{
+		tmpDir,
+		file1.Name(),
+		file2.Name(),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func TestPostProcessorPostProcessParallels(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PostProcessor
+
+	inputVM, err := mockParallelsVMDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create parallels VM directory")
+	}
+	dir := inputVM[0]
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "packer")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(f.Name())
+
+	c := map[string]interface{}{
+		"packer_user_variables": map[string]string{
+			"foo": f.Name(),
+		},
+
+		"vagrantfile_template": "{{user `foo`}}",
+	}
+	err = p.Configure(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	a := &packersdk.MockArtifact{
+		BuilderIdValue: "packer.parallels",
+		FilesValue:     inputVM,
+	}
+	a2, _, _, err := p.PostProcess(context.Background(), testUi(), a)
+	if a2 != nil {
+		for _, fn := range a2.Files() {
+			defer os.Remove(fn)
+		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPostProcessorPostProcessParallels_NoFileErrorOnCopy(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PostProcessor
+
+	c := map[string]interface{}{}
+	err := p.Configure(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	a := &packersdk.MockArtifact{
+		BuilderIdValue: "packer.parallels",
+	}
+	a2, _, _, err := p.PostProcess(context.Background(), testUi(), a)
+	if a2 != nil {
+		for _, fn := range a2.Files() {
+			defer os.Remove(fn)
+		}
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should have failed without a file to copy, succeeded instead")
+	}
+	t.Logf("failed as expected: %s", err)
+}
diff --git a/post-processor/vagrant/post-processor_test.go b/post-processor/vagrant/post-processor_test.go
index e5a4ee25..030a04f6 100644
--- a/post-processor/vagrant/post-processor_test.go
+++ b/post-processor/vagrant/post-processor_test.go
@@ -231,41 +231,6 @@ func TestPostProcessorPostProcess_badId(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestPostProcessorPostProcess_vagrantfileUserVariable(t *testing.T) {
-	var p PostProcessor
-
-	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "packer")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-	defer os.Remove(f.Name())
-
-	c := map[string]interface{}{
-		"packer_user_variables": map[string]string{
-			"foo": f.Name(),
-		},
-
-		"vagrantfile_template": "{{user `foo`}}",
-	}
-	err = p.Configure(c)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	a := &packersdk.MockArtifact{
-		BuilderIdValue: "packer.parallels",
-	}
-	a2, _, _, err := p.PostProcess(context.Background(), testUi(), a)
-	if a2 != nil {
-		for _, fn := range a2.Files() {
-			defer os.Remove(fn)
-		}
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestProviderForName(t *testing.T) {
 	if v, ok := providerForName("virtualbox").(*VBoxProvider); !ok {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", v)