diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config.rb b/lib/vagrant/config.rb
index 88cf11b23..c64b25c5f 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config.rb
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ module Vagrant
       attr_accessor :private_key_path
 
       def private_key_path
-        File.expand_path(@private_key_path)
+        File.expand_path(@private_key_path, Env.root_path)
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/test/vagrant/config_test.rb b/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
index 6e9807fed..83509b59b 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'test_helper')
 class ConfigTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   context "the ssh config" do
     should "expand any path when requesting the value" do
-      File.stubs(:expand_path).with(Vagrant.config.ssh[:private_key_path]).returns('success')
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:root_path).returns('foo')
+      File.stubs(:expand_path).with(Vagrant.config.ssh[:private_key_path], 'foo').returns('success')
       assert Vagrant.config.ssh.private_key_path, 'success'
     end
   end