diff --git a/lib/vagrant.rb b/lib/vagrant.rb
index d25f84e7e..0aa58a582 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant.rb
@@ -45,21 +45,6 @@ require "rubygems"
 require "vagrant/util"
 require "vagrant/plugin/manager"
 
-# Update the load path so our protos can be located
-$LOAD_PATH << Vagrant.source_root.join("lib/vagrant/protobufs").to_s
-$LOAD_PATH << Vagrant.source_root.join("lib/vagrant/protobufs/proto").to_s
-$LOAD_PATH << Vagrant.source_root.join("lib/vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_plugin_sdk").to_s
-
-# Load our protos so they are available
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_server/server_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_server/server_services_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/ruby_vagrant/ruby-server_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/ruby_vagrant/ruby-server_services_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_plugin_sdk/plugin_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_plugin_sdk/plugin_services_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/plugin/grpc_broker_pb'
-require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/plugin/grpc_broker_services_pb'
-
 # Enable logging if it is requested. We do this before
 # anything else so that we can setup the output before
 # any logging occurs.
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb b/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb
index 39f6efa0d..001aaa874 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/config.rb
@@ -15,11 +15,6 @@ module Vagrant
 
         UNSET_VALUE = :__UNSET__VALUE__
 
-        if Vagrant.server_mode?
-          GENERAL_CONFIG_CLS = Hashicorp::Vagrant::Sdk::Vagrantfile::GeneralConfig
-          SYMBOL_PROTO = Hashicorp::Vagrant::Sdk::Args::Symbol
-        end
-
         # This is called as a last-minute hook that allows the configuration
         # object to finalize itself before it will be put into use. This is
         # a useful place to do some defaults in the case the user didn't
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/shared_helpers.rb b/lib/vagrant/shared_helpers.rb
index b07c89a48..7b0b87ccf 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/shared_helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/shared_helpers.rb
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ module Vagrant
   # @return [true]
   def self.enable_server_mode!
     if !server_mode?
+      load_vagrant_proto!
       SERVER_MODE_CALLBACKS.each(&:call)
       Util::HCLogOutputter.new("hclog")
       Log4r::Outputter["hclog"].formatter = Util::HCLogFormatter.new
@@ -257,6 +258,26 @@ module Vagrant
     @_server_mode = true
   end
 
+  # Load the vagrant proto messages
+  def self.load_vagrant_proto!
+    return if @_vagrant_proto_loaded
+    # Update the load path so our protos can be located
+    $LOAD_PATH << Vagrant.source_root.join("lib/vagrant/protobufs").to_s
+    $LOAD_PATH << Vagrant.source_root.join("lib/vagrant/protobufs/proto").to_s
+    $LOAD_PATH << Vagrant.source_root.join("lib/vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_plugin_sdk").to_s
+
+    # Load our protos so they are available
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_server/server_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_server/server_services_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/ruby_vagrant/ruby-server_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/ruby_vagrant/ruby-server_services_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_plugin_sdk/plugin_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/vagrant_plugin_sdk/plugin_services_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/plugin/grpc_broker_pb'
+    require 'vagrant/protobufs/proto/plugin/grpc_broker_services_pb'
+    @_vagrant_proto_loaded = true
+  end
+
   SERVER_MODE_CALLBACKS = [
     ->{ Vagrant::Box.prepend(Vagrant::Box::Remote) },
     ->{ Vagrant::BoxCollection.prepend(Vagrant::BoxCollection::Remote) },
diff --git a/test/unit/base.rb b/test/unit/base.rb
index e40739549..97332a7c8 100644
--- a/test/unit/base.rb
+++ b/test/unit/base.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ require "vagrant/util/platform"
 # Include patches for fake ftp
 require "vagrant/patches/fake_ftp"
 
+# Be sure our proto messages are available
+Vagrant.load_vagrant_proto!
+
 # Add the test directory to the load path
 $:.unshift File.expand_path("../../", __FILE__)