diff --git a/lib/vagrant/environment.rb b/lib/vagrant/environment.rb
index 55fe907b2..d950a315f 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/environment.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/environment.rb
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ module Vagrant
 
       File.open(dotfile_path) do |f|
         @vm = Vagrant::VM.find(f.read)
+        @vm.env = self
       end
     rescue Errno::ENOENT
       @vm = nil
@@ -170,10 +171,17 @@ module Vagrant
     # Methods to manage VM
     #---------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    # Sets the VM to a new VM. This is not too useful but is used
+    # in {Command.up}. This will very likely be refactored at a later
+    # time.
     def create_vm
       @vm = VM.new
+      @vm.env = self
+      @vm
     end
 
+    # Persists this environment's VM to the dotfile so it can be
+    # re-loaded at a later time.
     def persist_vm
       # Save to the dotfile for this project
       File.open(dotfile_path, 'w+') do |f|
@@ -184,6 +192,7 @@ module Vagrant
       ActiveList.add(vm)
     end
 
+    # Removes this environment's VM from the dotfile.
     def depersist_vm
       # Delete the dotfile if it exists
       File.delete(dotfile_path) if File.exist?(dotfile_path)
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/vm.rb b/lib/vagrant/vm.rb
index 5265353c2..000698ee3 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/vm.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/vm.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ module Vagrant
   class VM < Actions::Runner
     include Vagrant::Util
 
+    attr_accessor :env
     attr_accessor :vm
     attr_accessor :from
 
diff --git a/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb b/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb
index b7d9a9b1e..f946c975f 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ class EnvironmentTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
       should "loading of the uuid from the dotfile" do
         vm = mock("vm")
+        vm.expects(:env=).with(@env)
 
         filemock = mock("filemock")
         filemock.expects(:read).returns("foo")
@@ -450,6 +451,16 @@ class EnvironmentTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         assert !@env.vm.nil?
         assert @env.vm.is_a?(Vagrant::VM)
       end
+
+      should "set the new VM's environment to the env" do
+        @env.create_vm
+        assert_equal @env, @env.vm.env
+      end
+
+      should "return the new VM" do
+        result = @env.create_vm
+        assert result.is_a?(Vagrant::VM)
+      end
     end
 
     context "persisting the VM into a file" do