diff --git a/lib/vagrant/data_store.rb b/lib/vagrant/data_store.rb
index 3b6766d71..70487678c 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/data_store.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/data_store.rb
@@ -5,33 +5,24 @@ module Vagrant
   # and `[]=`. If a key is set to `nil`, then it is removed from the
   # datastore. The data store is only updated on disk when {commit}
   # is called on the data store itself.
-  class DataStore
+  class DataStore < Hash
     attr_reader :file_path
 
     def initialize(file_path)
       @file_path = file_path
 
       File.open(file_path, "r") do |f|
-        @data = JSON.parse(f.read)
+        merge!(JSON.parse(f.read))
       end
-    end
-
-    # Returns the value associated with the `key` in the data
-    # store.
-    def [](key)
-      @data[key]
-    end
-
-    # Sets the value in the data store.
-    def []=(key, value)
-      @data[key] = value
+    rescue Errno::ENOENT
+      clear
     end
 
     # Commits any changes to the data to disk. Even if the data
     # hasn't changed, it will be reserialized and written to disk.
     def commit
       File.open(file_path, "w") do |f|
-        f.write(@data.to_json)
+        f.write(to_json)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/environment.rb b/lib/vagrant/environment.rb
index 06842ca56..4ed09c2f5 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/environment.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/environment.rb
@@ -151,6 +151,14 @@ module Vagrant
       end
     end
 
+    # Loads (on initial access) and reads data from the local data
+    # store. This file is always at the root path as the file "~/.vagrant"
+    # and contains a JSON dump of a hash. See {DataStore} for more
+    # information.
+    def local_data
+      @local_data ||= DataStore.new(dotfile_path)
+    end
+
     #---------------------------------------------------------------
     # Load Methods
     #---------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/test/vagrant/data_store_test.rb b/test/vagrant/data_store_test.rb
index cb927c9f2..79ac1d333 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/data_store_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/data_store_test.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ class DataStoreTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     File.delete(@db_file)
   end
 
+  should "just be an empty hash if file doesn't exist" do
+    assert @klass.new("NEvERNENVENRNE").empty?
+  end
+
   should "read the data" do
     assert_equal @initial_data["foo"], @instance["foo"]
   end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb b/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb
index 5f4990898..f1e7b05de 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/environment_test.rb
@@ -223,6 +223,20 @@ class EnvironmentTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
+  context "local data" do
+    setup do
+      @env = mock_environment
+    end
+
+    should "lazy load the data store only once" do
+      result = mock("result")
+      Vagrant::DataStore.expects(:new).with(@env.dotfile_path).returns(result).once
+      assert_equal result, @env.local_data
+      assert_equal result, @env.local_data
+      assert_equal result, @env.local_data
+    end
+  end
+
   context "loading" do
     setup do
       @env = mock_environment