diff --git a/plugins/guests/linux/cap/rsync.rb b/plugins/guests/linux/cap/rsync.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bed51e33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/guests/linux/cap/rsync.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+module VagrantPlugins
+  module GuestLinux
+    module Cap
+      class RSync
+        def self.rsync_pre(machine, folder_opts)
+          username = machine.ssh_info[:username]
+
+          machine.communicate.tap do |comm|
+            comm.sudo("mkdir -p '#{folder_opts[:guestpath]}'")
+            comm.sudo("chown -R #{username} '#{folder_opts[:guestpath]}'")
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/plugins/guests/linux/plugin.rb b/plugins/guests/linux/plugin.rb
index 42abed371..fb91b722c 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/linux/plugin.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/linux/plugin.rb
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         require_relative "cap/read_ip_address"
         Cap::ReadIPAddress
       end
+
+      # RSync synced folders
+      guest_capability("linux", "rsync_pre") do
+        require_relative "cap/rsync"
+        Cap::RSync
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder.rb b/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder.rb
index a96a8678c..b8eba169a 100644
--- a/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder.rb
+++ b/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder.rb
@@ -26,16 +26,15 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       end
 
       def enable(machine, folders, opts)
-        rootdir  = machine.env.root_path.to_s
         ssh_info = machine.ssh_info
 
         folders.each do |id, folder_opts|
-          rsync_single(ssh_info, rootdir, machine.ui, folder_opts)
+          rsync_single(machine, ssh_info, folder_opts)
         end
       end
 
       # rsync_single rsync's a single folder with the given options.
-      def rsync_single(ssh_info, rootdir, ui, opts)
+      def rsync_single(machine, ssh_info, opts)
         # Folder info
         guestpath = opts[:guestpath]
         hostpath  = opts[:hostpath]
@@ -64,14 +63,19 @@ module VagrantPlugins
           hostpath,
           "#{username}@#{host}:#{guestpath}"
         ].flatten
-
         command_opts = {}
 
         # The working directory should be the root path
-        command_opts[:workdir] = rootdir
+        command_opts[:workdir] = machine.env.root_path.to_s
 
-        ui.info(I18n.t(
+        machine.ui.info(I18n.t(
           "vagrant.rsync_folder", guestpath: guestpath, hostpath: hostpath))
+
+        # If we have tasks to do before rsyncing, do those.
+        if machine.guest.capability?(:rsync_pre)
+          machine.guest.capability(:rsync_pre, opts)
+        end
+
         r = Vagrant::Util::Subprocess.execute(*(command + [command_opts]))
         if r.exit_code != 0
           raise Vagrant::Errors::RSyncError,
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder_test.rb
index 97a689a63..61990b3ae 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/synced_folders/rsync/synced_folder_test.rb
@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::SyncedFolderRSync::SyncedFolder do
     env.create_vagrant_env
   end
 
+  let(:guest)   { double("guest") }
   let(:host)    { double("host") }
   let(:machine) { iso_env.machine(iso_env.machine_names[0], :dummy) }
 
   before do
     machine.env.stub(host: host)
+    machine.stub(guest: guest)
   end
 
   describe "#usable?" do
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::SyncedFolderRSync::SyncedFolder do
 
       folders.each do |_, opts|
         subject.should_receive(:rsync_single).
-          with(ssh_info, machine.env.root_path.to_s, machine.ui, opts).
+          with(machine, ssh_info, opts).
           ordered
       end
 
@@ -67,22 +69,23 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::SyncedFolderRSync::SyncedFolder do
       private_key_path: [],
     }}
     let(:opts)      { {} }
-    let(:root_path) { "foo" }
     let(:ui)        { machine.ui }
 
     before do
       Vagrant::Util::Subprocess.stub(execute: result)
+
+      guest.stub(capability?: false)
     end
 
     it "doesn't raise an error if it succeeds" do
-      subject.rsync_single(ssh_info, root_path, ui, opts)
+      subject.rsync_single(machine, ssh_info, opts)
     end
 
     it "raises an error if the exit code is non-zero" do
       Vagrant::Util::Subprocess.stub(
         execute: Vagrant::Util::Subprocess::Result.new(1, "", ""))
 
-      expect {subject.rsync_single(ssh_info, root_path, ui, opts) }.
+      expect {subject.rsync_single(machine, ssh_info, opts) }.
         to raise_error(Vagrant::Errors::RSyncError)
     end
 
@@ -91,10 +94,18 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::SyncedFolderRSync::SyncedFolder do
         expect(args.last).to be_kind_of(Hash)
 
         opts = args.last
-        expect(opts[:workdir]).to eql(root_path)
+        expect(opts[:workdir]).to eql(machine.env.root_path.to_s)
       end
 
-      subject.rsync_single(ssh_info, root_path, ui, opts)
+      subject.rsync_single(machine, ssh_info, opts)
+    end
+
+    it "executes the rsync_pre capability first if it exists" do
+      guest.should_receive(:capability?).with(:rsync_pre).and_return(true)
+      guest.should_receive(:capability).with(:rsync_pre, opts).ordered
+      Vagrant::Util::Subprocess.should_receive(:execute).ordered.and_return(result)
+
+      subject.rsync_single(machine, ssh_info, opts)
     end
   end
 end