diff --git a/lib/vagrant/environment/remote.rb b/lib/vagrant/environment/remote.rb
index b1695d26e..d4e7ec9d9 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/environment/remote.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/environment/remote.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require 'vagrant/machine_index/remote'
+
 module Vagrant
   class Environment
     module Remote
@@ -9,6 +11,7 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def initialize(opts={})
+        @client = opts[:client]
         super
         @client = opts[:client]
         if @client.nil?
@@ -24,6 +27,17 @@ module Vagrant
       def get_target(name)
         client.target(name)
       end
+
+      # The {MachineIndex} to store information about the machines.
+      #
+      # @return [MachineIndex]
+      def machine_index
+        if !@client.nil?
+          machine_index_client = @client.machine_index
+          @machine_index ||= Vagrant::MachineIndex.new(client: machine_index_client)
+        end
+        @machine_index
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb b/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb
index 29788ebaa..a289d622e 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ module Vagrant
   #   }
   #
   class MachineIndex
+    autoload :Remote, "vagrant/machine_index/remote"
+
     include Enumerable
 
     # Initializes a MachineIndex at the given file location.
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/machine_index/remote.rb b/lib/vagrant/machine_index/remote.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c6b92df5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/vagrant/machine_index/remote.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+module Vagrant
+  class MachineIndex
+    # This module enables the MachineIndex for server mode
+    module Remote
+
+      # Add an attribute reader for the client
+      # when applied to the MachineIndex class
+      def self.prepended(klass)
+        klass.class_eval do
+          attr_reader :client
+        end
+      end
+
+      # Initializes a MachineIndex
+      def initialize(*args, **kwargs)
+        @machines  = {}
+        @machine_locks = {}
+        @client = kwargs.key("client")
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/plugins/commands/serve/client.rb b/plugins/commands/serve/client.rb
index ff161452f..54c594768 100644
--- a/plugins/commands/serve/client.rb
+++ b/plugins/commands/serve/client.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       autoload :Machine, Vagrant.source_root.join("plugins/commands/serve/client/machine").to_s
       autoload :Project, Vagrant.source_root.join("plugins/commands/serve/client/project").to_s
       autoload :Terminal, Vagrant.source_root.join("plugins/commands/serve/client/terminal").to_s
+      autoload :MachineIndex, Vagrant.source_root.join("plugins/commands/serve/client/machine_index").to_s
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/plugins/commands/serve/client/machine_index.rb b/plugins/commands/serve/client/machine_index.rb
index 3fe84a849..b2fd43a83 100644
--- a/plugins/commands/serve/client/machine_index.rb
+++ b/plugins/commands/serve/client/machine_index.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ module VagrantPlugins
 
         attr_reader :client
 
+        def self.load(raw, broker:)
+          conn = broker.dial(raw.stream_id)
+          self.new(conn.to_s)
+        end
+
         def initialize(conn)
           @logger = Log4r::Logger.new("vagrant::command::serve::client::machine")
           @logger.debug("connecting to target index service on #{conn}")
@@ -14,15 +19,19 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         end
 
         def delete(machine)
+          @logger.debug("deleting machine #{machine} from index")
         end
 
         def get(uuid)
+          @logger.debug("getting machine with uuid #{uuid} from index")
         end
 
         def include?(uuid)
+          @logger.debug("checking for machine with uuid #{uuid} in index")
         end
 
         def set(entry)
+          @logger.debug("setting machine #{entry} in index")
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/plugins/commands/serve/client/project.rb b/plugins/commands/serve/client/project.rb
index de4474c7f..e978506ad 100644
--- a/plugins/commands/serve/client/project.rb
+++ b/plugins/commands/serve/client/project.rb
@@ -40,6 +40,25 @@ module VagrantPlugins
           conn = @broker.dial(m.stream_id)
           return Machine.new(conn.to_s)
         end
+
+        # return [VagrantPlugins::CommandServe::Client::MachineIndex]
+        def machine_index
+          @logger.debug("connecting to machine index")
+          req = Google::Protobuf::Empty.new
+          begin
+            raw_target_index = @client.target_index(req)
+          rescue => error
+            @logger.debug("target index unreachable")
+            @logger.debug(error.message)
+          end
+          @logger.debug("got response #{raw_target_index}")
+          # ti = SDK::Args::TargetIndex.decode(raw_target_index)
+          # @logger.debug("decoded: #{ti}")
+          @logger.debug("at stream id: #{raw_target_index.stream_id}")
+          m = MachineIndex.load(raw_target_index, broker: @broker)
+          @logger.debug("got machine index #{m}")
+          m
+        end
       end
     end
   end