Plant derived volatiles mediate interactions between plants, their pathogenic viruses, and vectors responsible for viral transmission. These volatile-dependent mechanisms have not been demonstrated belowground, despite soil organisms being some of the most devastating agricultural pests. Here we identify a critical component of the signal used by the plant virus, Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) to attract its soil nematode vector. A significant modification in infected plants was enhanced 2-ethyl-1-hexanol production. Both nematode chemotaxis and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol production correlated strongly with plant viral load. Addition of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol to uninfected plants made them significantly more attractive to nematodes than untreated counterparts. Removal of TRV RNA-2 genes significantly reduced production of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and nematode attraction. This work demonstrates, for the first time, that TRV-driven alterations in root volatile emissions leads to increased chemotaxis of the virus’s nematode vector, a finding with implications for sustainable management of both soil nematodes and viral pathogens in agricultural systems.