diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb
index 65a67da52..768892068 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/base.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ module Vagrant
     # basic things such as the environment instance variable which all
     # config classes need as well as a basic `to_json` implementation.
     class Base
-      # {Environment} that this config belongs to
-      attr_accessor :env
-
       # {Top} of this configuration stack
       attr_accessor :top
 
@@ -32,6 +29,14 @@ module Vagrant
         end
       end
 
+      # A helper to access the environment that this configuration is for.
+      # This is obtained by getting the env from the {Top}.
+      #
+      # @return [Vagrant::Envrionment]
+      def env
+        top.env
+      end
+
       # Allows setting options from a hash. By default this simply calls
       # the `#{key}=` method on the config class with the value, which is
       # the expected behavior most of the time.
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/top.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/top.rb
index a9e7de8b6..2c4847f7d 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/top.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/top.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ module Vagrant
     class Top < Base
       @@configures = {} if !defined?(@@configures)
 
+      # The environment that this configuration is for.
+      attr_reader :env
+
       class << self
         # The list of registered configuration classes as well as the key
         # they're registered under.
@@ -27,7 +30,6 @@ module Vagrant
       def initialize(env=nil)
         self.class.configures_list.each do |key, klass|
           config = klass.new
-          config.env = env
           config.top = self
           instance_variable_set("@#{key}".to_sym, config)
         end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
index 349a25eeb..0d2036da2 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def provision(name, options=nil, &block)
-        @provisioners << Provisioner.new(name, options, &block)
+        @provisioners << Provisioner.new(top, name, options, &block)
       end
 
       # This shows an error message to smooth the transition for the
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb
index 8b4343e9a..89c4c8e3d 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@ module Vagrant
     class VMConfig < Base
       # Represents a single configured provisioner for a VM.
       class Provisioner
+        attr_reader :top
         attr_reader :shortcut
         attr_reader :provisioner
         attr_reader :config
 
-        def initialize(shortcut, options=nil, &block)
+        def initialize(top, shortcut, options=nil, &block)
+          @top = top
           @shortcut = shortcut
           @provisioner = shortcut
           @provisioner = Provisioners::Base.registered[shortcut] if shortcut.is_a?(Symbol)
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ module Vagrant
 
           # Instantiate the config class and configure it
           @config = @provisioner.const_get(*const_args).new
+          @config.top = top
           @config.set_options(options) if options
           block.call(@config) if block
         end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb b/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb
index ee184a030..ed251c67a 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/config/base_test.rb
@@ -42,12 +42,6 @@ class ConfigBaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         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
-
       should "not include top in the JSON hash" do
         @base.top = "FOO"
         hash = @base.instance_variables_hash
diff --git a/test/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner_test.rb b/test/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner_test.rb
index bf8838fcd..ba45acbfe 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner_test.rb
@@ -3,36 +3,47 @@ require "test_helper"
 class ConfigVMProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   setup do
     @klass = Vagrant::Config::VMConfig::Provisioner
+    @top = Vagrant::Config::Top.new(nil)
   end
 
   context "initializing" do
+    should "expose the top instance that the provisioner belongs to" do
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo)
+      assert_equal @top, instance.top
+    end
+
     should "expose the shortcut used" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:chef_solo)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo)
       assert_equal :chef_solo, instance.shortcut
     end
 
     should "expose the provisioner class if its a valid shortcut" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:chef_solo)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo)
       assert_equal Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefSolo, instance.provisioner
     end
 
     should "expose the provisioner class if its a valid class" do
-      instance = @klass.new(Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefSolo)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefSolo)
       assert_equal Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefSolo, instance.provisioner
     end
 
     should "have a nil provisioner class if invalid" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:i_shall_never_exist)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :i_shall_never_exist)
       assert_nil instance.provisioner
     end
 
     should "have a nil config instance if invalid" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:i_shall_never_exist)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :i_shall_never_exist)
       assert_nil instance.config
     end
 
+    should "set the top of the config object to the given top" do
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo)
+      assert_equal @top, instance.config.top
+    end
+
     should "configure the provisioner if valid" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:chef_solo) do |chef|
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo) do |chef|
         chef.cookbooks_path = "foo"
       end
 
@@ -40,7 +51,7 @@ class ConfigVMProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "configure the provisioner with a hash if valid" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:chef_solo, :cookbooks_path => "foo")
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo, :cookbooks_path => "foo")
       assert_equal "foo", instance.config.cookbooks_path
     end
   end
@@ -51,20 +62,20 @@ class ConfigVMProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "be invalid if provisioner is valid" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:i_shall_never_exist)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :i_shall_never_exist)
       instance.validate(@errors)
       assert !@errors.errors.empty?
     end
 
     should "be invalid if provisioner doesn't inherit from provisioners base" do
       klass = Class.new
-      instance = @klass.new(klass)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, klass)
       instance.validate(@errors)
       assert !@errors.errors.empty?
     end
 
     should "be valid with a valid provisioner" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:chef_solo) do |chef|
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo) do |chef|
         chef.add_recipe "foo"
       end
 
@@ -73,7 +84,7 @@ class ConfigVMProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "be invalid if a provisioner's config is invalid" do
-      instance = @klass.new(:chef_solo)
+      instance = @klass.new(@top, :chef_solo)
       instance.validate(@errors)
       assert !@errors.errors.empty?
     end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/config_test.rb b/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
index f84f1d8d6..cc945a30f 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/config_test.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ class ConfigTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   context "with an instance" do
     setup do
-      # @env = vagrant_env
       @instance = @klass.new
     end
 
@@ -112,7 +111,6 @@ class ConfigTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
           key = "key#{i}"
           klass = mock("klass#{i}")
           instance = mock("instance#{i}")
-          instance.expects(:env=).with(env)
           instance.expects(:top=).with() do |top|
             assert top.is_a?(@klass::Top)
             true
@@ -128,7 +126,6 @@ class ConfigTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         key = "my_foo_bar_key"
         klass = mock("klass")
         instance = mock("instance")
-        instance.stubs(:env=)
         instance.stubs(:top=)
         klass.expects(:new).returns(instance)
         @klass::Top.configures(key, klass)