diff --git a/test/acceptance/base.rb b/test/acceptance/base.rb
index b6119824d..edb33cd6f 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/base.rb
+++ b/test/acceptance/base.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ require "log4r"
 $:.unshift File.expand_path("../", __FILE__)
 
 # Load in the supporting files for our tests
-require "support/base_context"
+require "support/shared/base_context"
 require "support/config"
 require "support/virtualbox"
 require "support/matchers/match_output"
diff --git a/test/acceptance/ssh_test.rb b/test/acceptance/ssh_test.rb
index 217e4c342..3d84356a7 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/ssh_test.rb
+++ b/test/acceptance/ssh_test.rb
@@ -1,21 +1,10 @@
 require File.expand_path("../base", __FILE__)
+require "support/shared/command_examples"
 
 describe "vagrant ssh" do
   include_context "acceptance"
-
-  it "fails if no Vagrantfile is found" do
-    result = execute("vagrant", "ssh")
-    result.should_not be_success
-    result.stdout.should match_output(:no_vagrantfile)
-  end
-
-  it "fails if the virtual machine is not created" do
-    assert_execute("vagrant", "init")
-
-    result = execute("vagrant", "ssh")
-    result.should_not be_success
-    result.stdout.should match_output(:error_vm_must_be_created)
-  end
+  it_behaves_like "a command that requires a Vagrantfile", ["vagrant", "ssh"]
+  it_behaves_like "a command that requires a virtual machine", ["vagrant", "ssh"]
 
   it "is able to SSH into a running virtual machine" do
     assert_execute("vagrant", "box", "add", "base", config.boxes["default"])
diff --git a/test/acceptance/support/base_context.rb b/test/acceptance/support/shared/base_context.rb
similarity index 90%
rename from test/acceptance/support/base_context.rb
rename to test/acceptance/support/shared/base_context.rb
index dd4f0db06..fa0f48ea4 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/support/base_context.rb
+++ b/test/acceptance/support/shared/base_context.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-require File.expand_path("../isolated_environment", __FILE__)
-require File.expand_path("../output", __FILE__)
-require File.expand_path("../virtualbox", __FILE__)
+require "support/isolated_environment"
+require "support/output"
+require "support/virtualbox"
 
 shared_context "acceptance" do
   # Setup variables for the loggers of this test. These can be used to
diff --git a/test/acceptance/support/shared/command_examples.rb b/test/acceptance/support/shared/command_examples.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8cd911115
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/acceptance/support/shared/command_examples.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# This is a shared example that tests that a command requires a
+# Vagrant environment to run properly. The exact command to run
+# should be given as a parameter to the shared examples.
+shared_examples "a command that requires a Vagrantfile" do |*args|
+  let(:command) do
+    raise ArgumentError, "A command must be set for the shared example." if args.empty?
+    args[0]
+  end
+
+  it "fails if no Vagrantfile is found" do
+    result = execute(*command)
+    result.should_not be_success
+    result.stdout.should match_output(:no_vagrantfile)
+  end
+end
+
+# This is a shared example that tests that the command requires a
+# virtual machine to be created, and additionally to be in one of
+# many states.
+shared_examples "a command that requires a virtual machine" do |*args|
+  let(:command) do
+    raise ArgumentError, "A command must be set for the shared example." if args.empty?
+    args[0]
+  end
+
+  it "fails if the virtual machine is not created" do
+    assert_execute("vagrant", "init")
+
+    result = execute(*command)
+    result.should_not be_success
+    result.stdout.should match_output(:error_vm_must_be_created)
+  end
+
+  # TODO: Check for specific VM states: running, stopped, etc.
+end
diff --git a/test/acceptance/up_basic_test.rb b/test/acceptance/up_basic_test.rb
index 0d7ca501b..7bb9c4bcf 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/up_basic_test.rb
+++ b/test/acceptance/up_basic_test.rb
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 require File.expand_path("../base", __FILE__)
+require "support/shared/command_examples"
 
 describe "vagrant up", "basics" do
   include_context "acceptance"
-
-  it "fails if not Vagrantfile is found" do
-    result = execute("vagrant", "up")
-    result.should_not be_success
-    result.stdout.should match_output(:no_vagrantfile)
-  end
+  it_behaves_like "a command that requires a Vagrantfile", ["vagrant", "up"]
 
   it "brings up a running virtual machine" do
     assert_execute("vagrant", "box", "add", "base", config.boxes["default"])