diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config.rb b/lib/vagrant/config.rb
index 94740d76e..54b76766c 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config.rb
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ module Vagrant
         config(env)
       end
 
-      def configures(key, klass)
-        config.class.configures(key, klass)
-      end
-
       def config(env=nil)
         @@config ||= Config::Top.new(env)
       end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb
index 1bb997926..57e10f796 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ module Vagrant
     class Base
       attr_accessor :env
 
+      # Registers a subclass with the Vagrant configuration system so
+      # that it can then be used in Vagrantfiles.
+      #
+      # @param [Symbol] accessor The accessor on the main config object
+      #  that is used to access the configuration class.
+      #
+      def self.configures(accessor, klass=self)
+        Top.configures(accessor, klass)
+      end
+
       # Loads configuration values from JSON back into the proper
       # configuration classes. By default, this is done by simply
       # iterating over all values in the JSON hash and assigning them
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/nfs.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/nfs.rb
index 68a222f9c..e3a37c236 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/nfs.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/nfs.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Vagrant
   class Config
     class NFSConfig < Base
-      Config.configures :nfs, self
+      configures :nfs
 
       attr_accessor :map_uid
       attr_accessor :map_gid
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/package.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/package.rb
index 2833ed641..90355a080 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/package.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/package.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Vagrant
   class Config
     class PackageConfig < Base
-      Config.configures :package, self
+      configures :package
 
       attr_accessor :name
     end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/ssh.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/ssh.rb
index fc0a3f3d3..1a9a968ea 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/ssh.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/ssh.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Vagrant
   class Config
     class SSHConfig < Base
-      Config.configures :ssh, self
+      configures :ssh
 
       attr_accessor :username
       attr_accessor :host
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/vagrant.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/vagrant.rb
index 5fa56bf3d..c518fd811 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/vagrant.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/vagrant.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Vagrant
   class Config
     class VagrantConfig < Base
-      Config.configures :vagrant, self
+      configures :vagrant
 
       attr_accessor :dotfile_name
       attr_accessor :log_output
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
index dd73adcd0..814534378 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Vagrant
   class Config
     class VMConfig < Base
-      Config.configures :vm, self
+      configures :vm
 
       include Util::StackedProcRunner
 
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
index 4a0ab4947..d72553ee9 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ module Vagrant
     class Chef < Base
       # This is the configuration which is available through `config.chef`
       class ChefConfig < Vagrant::Config::Base
+        configures :chef
+
         # Chef server specific config
         attr_accessor :chef_server_url
         attr_accessor :validation_key_path
@@ -124,9 +126,6 @@ module Vagrant
           result
         end
       end
-
-      # Tell the Vagrant configure class about our custom configuration
-      Config.configures :chef, ChefConfig
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/systems/linux.rb b/lib/vagrant/systems/linux.rb
index 70c8a43b2..a05ebc374 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/systems/linux.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/systems/linux.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ module Vagrant
       # generally, Vagrant tries to make almost every aspect of its execution
       # configurable, and this assists that goal.
       class LinuxConfig < Vagrant::Config::Base
-        Config.configures :linux, self
+        configures :linux
 
         attr_accessor :halt_timeout
         attr_accessor :halt_check_interval
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/systems/solaris.rb b/lib/vagrant/systems/solaris.rb
index 9ee45370f..c4a08905e 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/systems/solaris.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/systems/solaris.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ module Vagrant
       # generally, Vagrant tries to make almost every aspect of its execution
       # configurable, and this assists that goal.
       class SolarisConfig < Vagrant::Config::Base
-        Config.configures :solaris, self
+        configures :solaris
 
         attr_accessor :halt_timeout
         attr_accessor :halt_check_interval
diff --git a/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb b/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb
index 44cc69aff..858238c17 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb
@@ -2,36 +2,51 @@ require "test_helper"
 
 class ConfigBaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   setup do
-    @base = Vagrant::Config::Base.new
+    @klass = Vagrant::Config::Base
   end
 
-  should "return a hash of instance variables" do
-    data = { "foo" => "bar", "bar" => "baz" }
-
-    data.each do |iv, value|
-      @base.instance_variable_set("@#{iv}".to_sym, value)
-    end
-
-    result = @base.instance_variables_hash
-    assert_equal data.length, result.length
-
-    data.each do |iv, value|
-      assert_equal value, result[iv]
+  context "class methods" do
+    should "enable configuration with proper accessor" do
+      klass = Class.new(@klass)
+      acc = :foo
+      Vagrant::Config::Top.expects(:configures).with(acc, klass)
+      klass.configures(acc)
     end
   end
 
-  context "converting to JSON" do
-    should "include magic `json_class`" do
-      @iv_hash = { "foo" => "bar" }
-      @base.expects(:instance_variables_hash).returns(@iv_hash)
-      @json = { 'json_class' => @base.class.name }.merge(@iv_hash).to_json
-      assert_equal @json, @base.to_json
+  context "instance methods" do
+    setup do
+      @base = @klass.new
     end
 
-    should "not include env in the JSON hash" do
-      @base.env = "FOO"
-      hash = @base.instance_variables_hash
-      assert !hash.has_key?(:env)
+    should "return a hash of instance variables" do
+      data = { "foo" => "bar", "bar" => "baz" }
+
+      data.each do |iv, value|
+        @base.instance_variable_set("@#{iv}".to_sym, value)
+      end
+
+      result = @base.instance_variables_hash
+      assert_equal data.length, result.length
+
+      data.each do |iv, value|
+        assert_equal value, result[iv]
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "converting to JSON" do
+      should "include magic `json_class`" do
+        @iv_hash = { "foo" => "bar" }
+        @base.expects(:instance_variables_hash).returns(@iv_hash)
+        @json = { 'json_class' => @base.class.name }.merge(@iv_hash).to_json
+        assert_equal @json, @base.to_json
+      end
+
+      should "not include env in the JSON hash" do
+        @base.env = "FOO"
+        hash = @base.instance_variables_hash
+        assert !hash.has_key?(:env)
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/config_test.rb b/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
index f04e223c7..e8276acb5 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
@@ -72,15 +72,6 @@ class ConfigTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
-  context "adding configures" do
-    should "forward the method to the Top class" do
-      key = mock("key")
-      klass = mock("klass")
-      @klass::Top.expects(:configures).with(key, klass)
-      @klass.configures(key, klass)
-    end
-  end
-
   context "resetting" do
     setup do
       @klass::Top.any_instance.stubs(:validate!)