diff --git a/lib/vagrant/actions/base.rb b/lib/vagrant/actions/base.rb
index 4104984c8..ad7fbc777 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/actions/base.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/actions/base.rb
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ module Vagrant
         # Do lots of stuff here
         # @vm.invoke_callback(:after_oven, "more", "than", "one", "option")
       end
+
+      # This method is only called if some exception occurs in the chain
+      # of actions. If an exception is raised in any action in the current
+      # chain, then every action part of that chain has {#rescue} called
+      # before raising the exception further. This method should be used to
+      # perform any cleanup necessary in the face of errors.
+      #
+      # **Warning:** Since this method is called when an exception is already
+      # raised, be _extra careful_ when implementing this method to handle
+      # all your own exceptions, otherwise it'll mask the initially raised
+      # exception.
+      def rescue(exception); end
     end
 
     class ActionException < Exception; end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/actions/runner.rb b/lib/vagrant/actions/runner.rb
index f7d4c3321..48bbbfed7 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/actions/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/actions/runner.rb
@@ -38,10 +38,20 @@ module Vagrant
 
         # Call the prepare method on each once its
         # initialized, then call the execute! method
-        [:prepare, :execute!].each do |method|
-          actions.each do |action|
-            action.send(method)
+        begin
+          [:prepare, :execute!].each do |method|
+            actions.each do |action|
+              action.send(method)
+            end
           end
+        rescue Exception => e
+          # Run the rescue code to do any emergency cleanup
+          actions.each do |action|
+            action.rescue(e)
+          end
+
+          # Finally, reraise the exception
+          raise
         end
 
         # Clear the actions
diff --git a/test/vagrant/actions/runner_test.rb b/test/vagrant/actions/runner_test.rb
index 7f4952718..451522b2f 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/actions/runner_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/actions/runner_test.rb
@@ -66,22 +66,11 @@ class ActionRunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
-  context "actions" do
+  context "adding actions" do
     setup do
       @runner = Vagrant::Actions::Runner.new
     end
 
-    should "setup actions to be an array" do
-      assert_nil @runner.instance_variable_get(:@actions)
-      actions = @runner.actions
-      assert actions.is_a?(Array)
-      assert actions.equal?(@runner.actions)
-    end
-
-    should "be empty initially" do
-      assert @runner.actions.empty?
-    end
-
     should "initialize the action when added" do
       action_klass = mock("action_class")
       action_inst = mock("action_inst")
@@ -95,6 +84,34 @@ class ActionRunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       action_klass.expects(:new).with(@runner, "foo", "bar").once
       @runner.add_action(action_klass, "foo", "bar")
     end
+  end
+
+  context "class method execute" do
+    should "run actions on class method execute!" do
+      vm = mock("vm")
+      execute_seq = sequence("execute_seq")
+      Vagrant::Actions::Runner.expects(:new).returns(vm).in_sequence(execute_seq)
+      vm.expects(:add_action).with("foo").in_sequence(execute_seq)
+      vm.expects(:execute!).once.in_sequence(execute_seq)
+
+      Vagrant::Actions::Runner.execute!("foo")
+    end
+
+    should "forward arguments to add_action on class method execute!" do
+      vm = mock("vm")
+      execute_seq = sequence("execute_seq")
+      Vagrant::Actions::Runner.expects(:new).returns(vm).in_sequence(execute_seq)
+      vm.expects(:add_action).with("foo", "bar", "baz").in_sequence(execute_seq)
+      vm.expects(:execute!).once.in_sequence(execute_seq)
+
+      Vagrant::Actions::Runner.execute!("foo", "bar", "baz")
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "instance method execute" do
+    setup do
+      @runner = Vagrant::Actions::Runner.new
+    end
 
     should "clear the actions and run a single action if given to execute!" do
       action = mock("action")
@@ -138,24 +155,48 @@ class ActionRunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @runner.execute!
     end
 
-    should "run actions on class method execute!" do
-      vm = mock("vm")
-      execute_seq = sequence("execute_seq")
-      Vagrant::VM.expects(:new).returns(vm).in_sequence(execute_seq)
-      vm.expects(:add_action).with("foo").in_sequence(execute_seq)
-      vm.expects(:execute!).once.in_sequence(execute_seq)
+    context "exceptions" do
+      setup do
+        @actions = [mock_fake_action, mock_fake_action]
+        @actions.each { |a| @runner.actions << a }
 
-      Vagrant::VM.execute!("foo")
+        @exception = Exception.new
+      end
+
+      should "call #rescue on each action if an exception is raised during execute!" do
+        @actions.each do |a|
+          a.expects(:rescue).with(@exception).once
+        end
+
+        @actions[0].stubs(:execute!).raises(@exception)
+        assert_raises(Exception) { @runner.execute! }
+      end
+
+      should "call #rescue on each action if an exception is raised during prepare" do
+        @actions.each do |a|
+          a.expects(:rescue).with(@exception).once
+        end
+
+        @actions[0].stubs(:prepare).raises(@exception)
+        assert_raises(Exception) { @runner.execute! }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "actions" do
+    setup do
+      @runner = Vagrant::Actions::Runner.new
     end
 
-    should "forward arguments to add_action on class method execute!" do
-      vm = mock("vm")
-      execute_seq = sequence("execute_seq")
-      Vagrant::VM.expects(:new).returns(vm).in_sequence(execute_seq)
-      vm.expects(:add_action).with("foo", "bar", "baz").in_sequence(execute_seq)
-      vm.expects(:execute!).once.in_sequence(execute_seq)
+    should "setup actions to be an array" do
+      assert_nil @runner.instance_variable_get(:@actions)
+      actions = @runner.actions
+      assert actions.is_a?(Array)
+      assert actions.equal?(@runner.actions)
+    end
 
-      Vagrant::VM.execute!("foo", "bar", "baz")
+    should "be empty initially" do
+      assert @runner.actions.empty?
     end
   end
 end