diff --git a/src/vm/node_modules/VM.js b/src/vm/node_modules/VM.js
index 55934509a..39e2f2d60 100644
--- a/src/vm/node_modules/VM.js
+++ b/src/vm/node_modules/VM.js
@@ -2860,9 +2860,19 @@ function updateMetadata(vmobj, payload, callback)
     var imdata = {};
     var cmdata = {};
     var tags = {};
-    var zonepath = vmobj.zonepath = '/'
-        + vmobj.zpool + '/'
-        + vmobj.zonename;
+    var zonepath;
+
+    if (vmobj.hasOwnProperty('zonepath')) {
+        zonepath = vmobj.zonepath;
+    } else if (vmobj.hasOwnProperty('zpool')
+        && vmobj.hasOwnProperty('zonename')) {
+
+        zonepath = '/' + vmobj.zpool + '/' + vmobj.zonename;
+    } else {
+        callback(new Error('unable to find zonepath for '
+            + JSON.stringify(vmobj)));
+        return;
+    }
 
     // paths are under zonepath but not zoneroot
     mdata_filename = zonepath + '/config/metadata.json';