Creating a file called /etc/facter causes an error in facter which makes puppet agent not run

[root@master371-centos ~]# puppet --version

3.7.3 (Puppet Enterprise 3.7.1)

[root@master371-centos ~]# touch /etc/facter

[root@master371-centos ~]# puppet agent -t

Error: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Error: Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Error: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Error: Could not prepare for execution: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

[root@master371-centos ~]# puppet --version

3.7.3 (Puppet Enterprise 3.7.1)

[root@master371-centos ~]# mkdir /etc/facter; touch /etc/facter/facts.d

[root@master371-centos ~]# puppet agent -t

Error: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Error: Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Error: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Error: Could not prepare for execution: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

Could not autoload puppet/type/user: Could not autoload puppet/provider/user/useradd: Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d

[root@master371-centos ~]#

[root@master332-centos ~]# touch /etc/facter/facts.d

[root@master332-centos ~]# puppet agent -t

/opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:75:in `open': Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d (Errno::ENOTDIR)

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:75:in `entries'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:75:in `entries'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:55:in `load'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/composite_loader.rb:10:in `block in load'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/composite_loader.rb:10:in `each'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/composite_loader.rb:10:in `load'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:154:in `load_external_facts'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:110:in `load'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:84:in `fact'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:140:in `value'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter.rb:112:in `block (2 levels) in singletonclass'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/defaults.rb:4:in `default_diffargs'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/defaults.rb:231:in `<module:Puppet>'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/defaults.rb:1:in `<top (required)>'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet.rb:111:in `<module:Puppet>'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet.rb:29:in `<top (required)>'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/util/command_line.rb:12:in `<top (required)>'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

    from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

    from /usr/local/bin/puppet:7:in `<main>'

[root@master332-centos ~]# touch /etc/facter

[root@master332-centos ~]# puppet agent -t

/opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:75:in `open': Not a directory - /etc/facter/facts.d (Errno::ENOTDIR)

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:75:in `entries'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:75:in `entries'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/directory_loader.rb:55:in `load'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/composite_loader.rb:10:in `block in load'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/composite_loader.rb:10:in `each'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/composite_loader.rb:10:in `load'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:154:in `load_external_facts'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:110:in `load'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:84:in `fact'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter/util/collection.rb:140:in `value'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/facter.rb:112:in `block (2 levels) in singletonclass'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/defaults.rb:4:in `default_diffargs'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/defaults.rb:231:in `<module:Puppet>'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/defaults.rb:1:in `<top (required)>'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet.rb:111:in `<module:Puppet>'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet.rb:29:in `<top (required)>'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/puppet/util/command_line.rb:12:in `<top (required)>'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

	from /opt/puppet/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'

	from /usr/local/bin/puppet:7:in `<main>'