diff --git a/lib/vagrant.rb b/lib/vagrant.rb
index 88e61d95b..d051f87b0 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ $:.unshift(libdir)
 PROJECT_ROOT = File.join(libdir, '..') unless defined?(PROJECT_ROOT)
 
 # The libs which must be loaded prior to the rest
-%w{ftools json pathname logger virtualbox net/ssh tarruby
+%w{tempfile open-uri ftools json pathname logger virtualbox net/ssh tarruby
   net/scp fileutils vagrant/util vagrant/actions/base}.each do |f|
   require f
 end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/actions/box/add.rb b/lib/vagrant/actions/box/add.rb
index ae8179380..1786834e6 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/actions/box/add.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/actions/box/add.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@ module Vagrant
   module Actions
     module Box
       class Add < Base
+        def initialize(runner, name, path, *args)
+          super
+          @name = name
+          @uri = path
+        end
+
+        def prepare
+          @runner.add_action(Download, @uri)
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/actions/box/download.rb b/lib/vagrant/actions/box/download.rb
index edb41a429..0fbaee608 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/actions/box/download.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/actions/box/download.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,36 @@ module Vagrant
       # An action which acts on a box by downloading the box file from
       # the given URI into a temporary location.
       class Download < Base
+        BASENAME = "box"
+        BUFFERSIZE = 1048576 # 1 MB
+
+        def initialize(runner, uri, *args)
+          super
+          @uri = uri
+        end
+
+        def execute!
+          with_tempfile do |tempfile|
+            copy_uri_to(tempfile)
+          end
+        end
+
+        def with_tempfile
+          logger.info "Creating tempfile for storing box file..."
+          Tempfile.open(BASENAME, Env.tmp_path) do |tempfile|
+            yield tempfile
+          end
+        end
+
+        def copy_uri_to(f)
+          logger.info "Copying box to temporary location..."
+          open(@uri) do |remote_file|
+            loop do
+              break if remote_file.eof?
+              f.write(remote_file.read(BUFFERSIZE))
+            end
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/commands.rb b/lib/vagrant/commands.rb
index f43929934..4470388e2 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/commands.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/commands.rb
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ error
       # which action to take and calls the respective action method
       # (see {box_add} and {box_remove})
       def box(argv)
+        Env.load!
+
         sub_commands = ["add", "remove"]
 
         if !sub_commands.include?(argv[0])
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/env.rb b/lib/vagrant/env.rb
index 15b64107a..5c55c6e19 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/env.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/env.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ module Vagrant
       def persisted_vm; @@persisted_vm; end
       def root_path; @@root_path; end
       def dotfile_path; File.join(root_path, Vagrant.config.dotfile_name); end
+      def home_path; File.expand_path(Vagrant.config.vagrant.home); end
+      def tmp_path; File.join(home_path, "tmp"); end
 
       def load!
         load_root_path!
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index a1ff83d21..3b21f60d2 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -66,15 +66,15 @@ class Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   # Sets up the mocks and instantiates an action for testing
-  def mock_action(action_klass)
+  def mock_action(action_klass, *args)
     @vm = mock("vboxvm")
     @mock_vm = mock("vm")
     @mock_vm.stubs(:vm).returns(@vm)
     @mock_vm.stubs(:vm=)
     @mock_vm.stubs(:invoke_callback)
     @mock_vm.stubs(:invoke_around_callback).yields
-    
-    @action = action_klass.new(@mock_vm)
+
+    @action = action_klass.new(@mock_vm, *args)
 
     [@mock_vm, @vm, @action]
   end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/actions/box/add_test.rb b/test/vagrant/actions/box/add_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36c0e4821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/vagrant/actions/box/add_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', '..', '..', 'test_helper')
+
+class AddBoxActionTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  setup do
+    @wrapper_vm, @vm, @action = mock_action(Vagrant::Actions::Box::Add)
+    mock_config
+  end
+
+  # TODO: Everything, once add does anything.
+end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/actions/box/download_test.rb b/test/vagrant/actions/box/download_test.rb
index 2fea16e29..dbc82af69 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/actions/box/download_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/actions/box/download_test.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,60 @@ require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', '..', '..', 'test_helper')
 
 class DownloadBoxActionTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   setup do
-    @wrapper_vm, @vm, @action = mock_action(Vagrant::Actions::Box::Download)
+    @uri = "foo.com"
+    @wrapper_vm, @vm, @action = mock_action(Vagrant::Actions::Box::Download, @uri)
     mock_config
+
+    Vagrant::Env.stubs(:tmp_path).returns("foo")
+  end
+
+  context "executing" do
+    setup do
+      @tempfile = mock("tempfile")
+    end
+
+    should "make a tempfile and copy the URI contents to it" do
+      @action.expects(:with_tempfile).yields(@tempfile)
+      @action.expects(:copy_uri_to).with(@tempfile)
+      @action.execute!
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "tempfile" do
+    should "create a tempfile in the vagrant tmp directory" do
+      Tempfile.expects(:open).with(Vagrant::Actions::Box::Download::BASENAME, Vagrant::Env.tmp_path).once
+      @action.with_tempfile
+    end
+
+    should "yield the tempfile object" do
+      @tempfile = mock("tempfile")
+      Tempfile.expects(:open).yields(@tempfile)
+
+      @action.with_tempfile do |otherfile|
+        assert @tempfile.equal?(otherfile)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "copying URI file" do
+    setup do
+      @tempfile = mock("tempfile")
+      @tempfile.stubs(:write)
+
+      @file = mock("file")
+      @file.stubs(:read)
+      @file.stubs(:eof?).returns(false)
+      @action.stubs(:open).yields(@file)
+    end
+
+    should "read from the file and write to the tempfile" do
+      data = mock("data")
+      write_seq = sequence("write_seq")
+      @file.stubs(:eof?).returns(false).in_sequence(write_seq)
+      @file.expects(:read).returns(data).in_sequence(write_seq)
+      @tempfile.expects(:write).with(data).in_sequence(write_seq)
+      @file.stubs(:eof?).returns(true).in_sequence(write_seq)
+      @action.copy_uri_to(@tempfile)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb b/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb
index dead34f38..b0ee47ffc 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb
@@ -173,6 +173,11 @@ class CommandsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       Vagrant::Commands.stubs(:box_remove)
     end
 
+    should "load the environment" do
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:load!).once
+      Vagrant::Commands.box(["add"])
+    end
+
     should "error and exit if the first argument is not 'add' or 'remove'" do
       Vagrant::Commands.expects(:error_and_exit).once
       Vagrant::Commands.box(["foo"])
diff --git a/test/vagrant/env_test.rb b/test/vagrant/env_test.rb
index 7c4cb0410..0bac91fa4 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/env_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/env_test.rb
@@ -180,4 +180,16 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       assert_equal path, Vagrant::Env.root_path
     end
   end
+
+  context "home directory paths" do
+    should "return the expanded config for `home_path`" do
+      assert_equal File.expand_path(Vagrant.config.vagrant.home), Vagrant::Env.home_path
+    end
+
+    should "return the home_path joined with tmp for a tmp path" do
+      @home_path = "foo"
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:home_path).returns(@home_path)
+      assert_equal File.join(@home_path, "tmp"), Vagrant::Env.tmp_path
+    end
+  end
 end