diff --git a/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb b/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb
index c7ad6f31a..128827685 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/machine_index.rb
@@ -108,9 +108,11 @@ module Vagrant
 
       @lock.synchronize do
         with_index_lock do
-          return nil if !@machines[uuid]
+          data = find_by_prefix(uuid)
+          return nil if !data
+          uuid = data["id"]
 
-          entry = Entry.new(uuid, @machines[uuid].merge("id" => uuid))
+          entry = Entry.new(uuid, data)
 
           # Lock this machine
           lock_file = lock_machine(uuid)
@@ -127,6 +129,14 @@ module Vagrant
       entry
     end
 
+    # Tests if the index has the given UUID.
+    #
+    # @param [String] uuid
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    def include?(uuid)
+      !!find_by_prefix(uuid)
+    end
+
     # Releases an entry, unlocking it.
     #
     # This is an idempotent operation. It is safe to call this even if you're
@@ -192,6 +202,17 @@ module Vagrant
 
     protected
 
+    # Finds a machine where the UUID is prefixed by the given string.
+    #
+    # @return [Hash]
+    def find_by_prefix(prefix)
+      @machines.each do |uuid, data|
+        return data.merge("id" => uuid) if uuid.start_with?(prefix)
+      end
+
+      nil
+    end
+
     # Locks a machine exclusively to us, returning the file handle
     # that holds the lock.
     #
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/command.rb b/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/command.rb
index 2b0248b62..3356d0320 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/command.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/command.rb
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ module Vagrant
           @logger.debug(" -- names: #{names.inspect}")
           @logger.debug(" -- options: #{options.inspect}")
 
-          # Using VMs requires a Vagrant environment to be properly setup
-          raise Errors::NoEnvironmentError if !@env.root_path
-
           # Setup the options hash
           options ||= {}
 
@@ -92,6 +89,21 @@ module Vagrant
           names ||= []
           names = [names] if !names.is_a?(Array)
 
+          # Determine if we require a local Vagrant environment. There are
+          # two cases that we require a local environment:
+          #
+          #   * We're asking for ANY/EVERY VM (no names given).
+          #
+          #   * We're asking for specific VMs, at least once of which
+          #     is NOT in the local machine index.
+          #
+          requires_local_env = false
+          requires_local_env = true if names.empty?
+          requires_local_env ||= names.any? { |n|
+            !@env.machine_index.include?(n)
+          }
+          raise Errors::NoEnvironmentError if requires_local_env && !@env.root_path
+
           # Cache the active machines outside the loop
           active_machines = @env.active_machines
 
@@ -112,6 +124,20 @@ module Vagrant
             provider_to_use = options[:provider]
             provider_to_use = provider_to_use.to_sym if provider_to_use
 
+            # If we have this machine in our index, load that.
+            entry = @env.machine_index.get(name.to_s)
+            if entry
+              @env.machine_index.release(entry)
+
+              # Create an environment for this location and yield the
+              # machine in that environment.
+              env = Vagrant::Environment.new(
+                cwd: entry.vagrantfile_path,
+                home_path: @env.home_path,
+              )
+              next env.machine(entry.name.to_sym, entry.provider.to_sym)
+            end
+
             active_machines.each do |active_name, active_provider|
               if name == active_name
                 # We found an active machine with the same name
diff --git a/templates/locales/en.yml b/templates/locales/en.yml
index d28cb05a7..3dbbdb438 100644
--- a/templates/locales/en.yml
+++ b/templates/locales/en.yml
@@ -800,9 +800,11 @@ en:
 
         %{types}
       no_env: |-
-        A Vagrant environment is required to run this command. Run `vagrant init`
-        to set one up in this directory, or change to a directory with a
-        Vagrantfile and try again.
+        A Vagrant environment or target machine is required to run this
+        command. Run `vagrant init` to create a new Vagrant environment. Or,
+        get an ID of a target machine from `vagrant global-status` to run
+        this command on. A final option is to change to a directory with a
+        Vagrantfile and to try again.
       plugin_gem_not_found: |-
         The plugin '%{name}' could not be installed because it could not
         be found. Please double check the name and try again.
diff --git a/test/unit/vagrant/machine_directory_test.rb b/test/unit/vagrant/machine_directory_test.rb
index 896c75575..bf69f1523 100644
--- a/test/unit/vagrant/machine_directory_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/vagrant/machine_directory_test.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ describe Vagrant::MachineIndex do
   let(:data_dir) { temporary_dir }
   let(:entry_klass) { Vagrant::MachineIndex::Entry }
 
+  let(:new_entry) do
+    entry_klass.new.tap do |e|
+      e.name = "foo"
+      e.vagrantfile_path = "/bar"
+    end
+  end
+
   subject { described_class.new(data_dir) }
 
   it "raises an exception if the data file is corrupt" do
@@ -96,6 +103,17 @@ describe Vagrant::MachineIndex do
       expect(result.updated_at).to eq("foo")
     end
 
+    it "returns a valid entry by unique prefix" do
+      result = subject.get("b")
+
+      expect(result).to_not be_nil
+      expect(result.id).to eq("bar")
+    end
+
+    it "should include? by prefix" do
+      expect(subject.include?("b")).to be_true
+    end
+
     it "locks the entry so subsequent gets fail" do
       result = subject.get("bar")
       expect(result).to_not be_nil
@@ -114,14 +132,22 @@ describe Vagrant::MachineIndex do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "#set and #get and #delete" do
-    let(:new_entry) do
-      entry_klass.new.tap do |e|
-        e.name = "foo"
-        e.vagrantfile_path = "/bar"
-      end
+  describe "#include" do
+    it "should not include non-existent things" do
+      expect(subject.include?("foo")).to be_false
     end
 
+    it "should include created entries" do
+      result = subject.set(new_entry)
+      expect(result.id).to_not be_empty
+      subject.release(result)
+
+      subject = described_class.new(data_dir)
+      expect(subject.include?(result.id)).to be_true
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#set and #get and #delete" do
     it "adds a new entry" do
       result = subject.set(new_entry)
       expect(result.id).to_not be_empty
diff --git a/test/unit/vagrant/plugin/v2/command_test.rb b/test/unit/vagrant/plugin/v2/command_test.rb
index 58a28a007..c55de305f 100644
--- a/test/unit/vagrant/plugin/v2/command_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/vagrant/plugin/v2/command_test.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ require File.expand_path("../../../../base", __FILE__)
 require 'optparse'
 
 describe Vagrant::Plugin::V2::Command do
+  include_context "unit"
+
   describe "parsing options" do
     let(:klass) do
       Class.new(described_class) do
@@ -53,18 +55,17 @@ describe Vagrant::Plugin::V2::Command do
       end
     end
 
-    let(:default_provider) { :virtualbox }
-
     let(:environment) do
-      env = double("environment")
-      env.stub(:active_machines => [])
-      env.stub(:default_provider => default_provider)
-      env.stub(:root_path => "foo")
-      env
+      # We have to create a Vagrantfile so there is a root path
+      test_iso_env.vagrantfile("")
+      test_iso_env.create_vagrant_env
     end
+    let(:test_iso_env) { isolated_environment }
 
     let(:instance)    { klass.new([], environment) }
 
+    subject { instance }
+
     it "should raise an exception if a root_path is not available" do
       environment.stub(:root_path => nil)
 
@@ -82,8 +83,8 @@ describe Vagrant::Plugin::V2::Command do
       bar_vm.stub(ui: Vagrant::UI::Silent.new)
 
       environment.stub(:machine_names => [:foo, :bar])
-      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(:foo, default_provider).and_return(foo_vm)
-      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(:bar, default_provider).and_return(bar_vm)
+      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(:foo, environment.default_provider).and_return(foo_vm)
+      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(:bar, environment.default_provider).and_return(bar_vm)
 
       vms = []
       instance.with_target_vms do |vm|
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ describe Vagrant::Plugin::V2::Command do
       foo_vm.stub(:name => "foo", :provider => :foobarbaz)
       foo_vm.stub(ui: Vagrant::UI::Silent.new)
 
-      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(:foo, default_provider).and_return(foo_vm)
+      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(:foo, environment.default_provider).and_return(foo_vm)
 
       vms = []
       instance.with_target_vms("foo") { |vm| vms << vm }
@@ -167,8 +168,8 @@ describe Vagrant::Plugin::V2::Command do
       name = :foo
       machine = double("machine")
 
-      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(name, default_provider).and_return(machine)
-      machine.stub(:name => name, :provider => default_provider)
+      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(name, environment.default_provider).and_return(machine)
+      machine.stub(:name => name, :provider => environment.default_provider)
       machine.stub(ui: Vagrant::UI::Silent.new)
 
       results = []
@@ -198,16 +199,37 @@ describe Vagrant::Plugin::V2::Command do
       machine = double("machine")
 
       environment.stub(:active_machines => [])
-      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(name, default_provider).and_return(machine)
+      allow(environment).to receive(:machine).with(name, environment.default_provider).and_return(machine)
       environment.stub(:machine_names => [])
       environment.stub(:primary_machine_name => name)
-      machine.stub(:name => name, :provider => default_provider)
+      machine.stub(:name => name, :provider => environment.default_provider)
       machine.stub(ui: Vagrant::UI::Silent.new)
 
       vms = []
       instance.with_target_vms(nil, :single_target => true) { |vm| vms << machine }
       expect(vms).to eq([machine])
     end
+
+    it "should yield machines from another environment" do
+      iso_env       = isolated_environment
+      iso_env.vagrantfile("")
+      other_env     = iso_env.create_vagrant_env(
+        home_path: environment.home_path)
+      other_machine = other_env.machine(
+        other_env.machine_names[0], other_env.default_provider)
+
+      # Set an ID on it so that it is "created" in the index
+      other_machine.id = "foo"
+
+      # Make sure we don't have a root path, to test
+      environment.stub(root_path: nil)
+
+      results = []
+      subject.with_target_vms(other_machine.index_uuid) { |m| results << m }
+
+      expect(results.length).to eq(1)
+      expect(results[0].id).to eq(other_machine.id)
+    end
   end
 
   describe "splitting the main and subcommand args" do