diff --git a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_linuxprep.go b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_linuxprep.go
index 998f175ae..15597fbad 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_linuxprep.go
+++ b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_linuxprep.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func BootStrapLinuxPrep(
 	var configSpec *vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec
 	if vAppConfigSpec != nil {
 		configSpec = &vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec{}
-		configSpec.VAppConfig = GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
+		configSpec.VAppConfig, err = GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
 			config,
 			vAppConfigSpec,
 			bsArgs.BootstrapData.VAppData,
@@ -52,5 +52,5 @@ func BootStrapLinuxPrep(
 			bsArgs.TemplateRenderFn)
 	}
 
-	return configSpec, customSpec, nil
+	return configSpec, customSpec, err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_sysprep.go b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_sysprep.go
index 261010dab..39f69846e 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_sysprep.go
+++ b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_sysprep.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func BootstrapSysPrep(
 	var configSpec *vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec
 	if vAppConfigSpec != nil {
 		configSpec = &vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec{}
-		configSpec.VAppConfig = GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
+		configSpec.VAppConfig, err = GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
 			config,
 			vAppConfigSpec,
 			bsArgs.BootstrapData.VAppData,
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func BootstrapSysPrep(
 			bsArgs.TemplateRenderFn)
 	}
 
-	return configSpec, customSpec, nil
+	return configSpec, customSpec, err
 }
 
 func convertTo(from *vmopv1sysprep.Sysprep, bsArgs *BootstrapArgs) *vimtypes.CustomizationSysprep {
diff --git a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig.go b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig.go
index 0873cd93a..5c46b492b 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package vmlifecycle
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 
 	vimtypes "github.com/vmware/govmomi/vim25/types"
 
@@ -17,15 +18,19 @@ func BootstrapVAppConfig(
 	vAppConfigSpec *vmopv1.VirtualMachineBootstrapVAppConfigSpec,
 	bsArgs *BootstrapArgs) (*vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec, *vimtypes.CustomizationSpec, error) {
 
-	configSpec := &vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec{}
-	configSpec.VAppConfig = GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
+	var (
+		err        error
+		configSpec vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigSpec
+	)
+
+	configSpec.VAppConfig, err = GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
 		config,
 		vAppConfigSpec,
 		bsArgs.BootstrapData.VAppData,
 		bsArgs.BootstrapData.VAppExData,
 		bsArgs.TemplateRenderFn)
 
-	return configSpec, nil, nil
+	return &configSpec, nil, err
 }
 
 func GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
@@ -33,16 +38,15 @@ func GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
 	vAppConfigSpec *vmopv1.VirtualMachineBootstrapVAppConfigSpec,
 	vAppData map[string]string,
 	vAppExData map[string]map[string]string,
-	templateRenderFn TemplateRenderFunc) vimtypes.BaseVmConfigSpec {
+	templateRenderFn TemplateRenderFunc) (vimtypes.BaseVmConfigSpec, error) {
 
-	if config.VAppConfig == nil {
-		// BMV: Should we really silently return here and below?
-		return nil
+	var vAppConfigInfo *vimtypes.VmConfigInfo
+	if config.VAppConfig != nil {
+		vAppConfigInfo = config.VAppConfig.GetVmConfigInfo()
 	}
 
-	vAppConfigInfo := config.VAppConfig.GetVmConfigInfo()
 	if vAppConfigInfo == nil {
-		return nil
+		return nil, errors.New("vAppConfig is not yet available")
 	}
 
 	if len(vAppConfigSpec.Properties) > 0 {
@@ -65,7 +69,7 @@ func GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
 		}
 	}
 
-	return GetMergedvAppConfigSpec(vAppData, vAppConfigInfo.Property)
+	return GetMergedvAppConfigSpec(vAppData, vAppConfigInfo.Property), nil
 }
 
 // GetMergedvAppConfigSpec prepares a vApp VmConfigSpec which will set the provided key/value fields.
diff --git a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig_test.go b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig_test.go
index c10974352..d53bf1f3e 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig_test.go
+++ b/pkg/providers/vsphere/vmlifecycle/bootstrap_vappconfig_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ var _ = Describe("VAppConfig Bootstrap", func() {
 	const key, value = "fooKey", "fooValue"
 
 	var (
+		err              error
 		configInfo       *vimtypes.VirtualMachineConfigInfo
 		vAppConfigSpec   *vmopv1.VirtualMachineBootstrapVAppConfigSpec
 		bsArgs           vmlifecycle.BootstrapArgs
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ var _ = Describe("VAppConfig Bootstrap", func() {
 	Context("GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec", func() {
 
 		JustBeforeEach(func() {
-			baseVMConfigSpec = vmlifecycle.GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
+			baseVMConfigSpec, err = vmlifecycle.GetOVFVAppConfigForConfigSpec(
 				configInfo,
 				vAppConfigSpec,
 				bsArgs.VAppData,
@@ -61,6 +62,16 @@ var _ = Describe("VAppConfig Bootstrap", func() {
 				bsArgs.TemplateRenderFn)
 		})
 
+		When("config.vAppConfig is nil", func() {
+			BeforeEach(func() {
+				configInfo.VAppConfig = nil
+			})
+			It("Should return an error", func() {
+				Expect(err).To(MatchError("vAppConfig is not yet available"))
+				Expect(baseVMConfigSpec).To(BeNil())
+			})
+		})
+
 		Context("Empty input", func() {
 			It("No changes", func() {
 				Expect(baseVMConfigSpec).To(BeNil())