diff --git a/lib/vagrant.rb b/lib/vagrant.rb
index 122a5b5e8..2fcb880dd 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant.rb
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ module Vagrant
   def self.guests
     @guests ||= Registry.new
   end
+
+  # Global registry of provisioners.
+  #
+  # This registry is used to look up the provisioners provided for
+  # `config.vm.provision`.
+  def self.provisioners
+    @provisioners ||= Registry.new
+  end
 end
 
 # # Default I18n to load the en locale
@@ -83,6 +91,13 @@ Vagrant.guests.register(:solaris) { Vagrant::Systems::Solaris }
 Vagrant.guests.register(:suse)    { Vagrant::Systems::Suse }
 Vagrant.guests.register(:ubuntu)  { Vagrant::Systems::Ubuntu }
 
+# Register the built-in provisioners
+Vagrant.provisioners.register(:chef_solo)     { Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefSolo }
+Vagrant.provisioners.register(:chef_client)   { Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefClient }
+Vagrant.provisioners.register(:puppet)        { Vagrant::Provisioners::Puppet }
+Vagrant.provisioners.register(:puppet_server) { Vagrant::Provisioners::PuppetServer }
+Vagrant.provisioners.register(:shell)         { Vagrant::Provisioners::Shell }
+
 # Load the things which must be loaded before anything else.
 require 'vagrant/command'
 require 'vagrant/provisioners'
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
index 6e72a8c5b..573b80a66 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/vm.rb
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def provision(name, options=nil, &block)
-        @provisioners << Provisioner.new(top, name, options, &block)
+        @provisioners << Provisioner.new(name, options, &block)
       end
 
       def customize(&block)
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb b/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb
index 7176c9e12..eb996208b 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/config/vm/provisioner.rb
@@ -3,35 +3,25 @@ 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(top, shortcut, options=nil, &block)
-          @top = top
+        def initialize(shortcut, options=nil, &block)
           @shortcut = shortcut
           @provisioner = shortcut
-          @provisioner = Provisioners::Base.registered[shortcut] if shortcut.is_a?(Symbol)
+          @provisioner = Vagrant.provisioners.get(shortcut) if shortcut.is_a?(Symbol)
           @config = nil
 
-          configure(options, &block)
+          configure(options, &block) if @provisioner
         end
 
         # Configures the provisioner if it can (if it is valid).
         def configure(options=nil, &block)
-          # We don't want ancestors to be searched. This is the default in 1.8,
-          # but not in 1.9, hence this hackery.
-          const_args = ["Config"]
-          const_args << false if RUBY_VERSION >= "1.9"
+          config_class = @provisioner.config_class
+          return if !config_class
 
-          # We assume that every provisioner has a `Config` class beneath
-          # it for configuring.
-          return if !@provisioner || !@provisioner.const_defined?(*const_args)
-
-          # Instantiate the config class and configure it
-          @config = @provisioner.const_get(*const_args).new
-          @config.top = top
+          @config = config_class.new
           @config.set_options(options) if options
           block.call(@config) if block
         end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/base.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/base.rb
index 23a04975b..a896c2427 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/base.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/base.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 module Vagrant
   module Provisioners
     # The base class for a "provisioner." A provisioner is responsible for
-    # provisioning a Vagrant system. This has been abstracted out to provide
-    # support for multiple solutions such as Chef Solo, Chef Client, and
-    # Puppet.
+    # provisioning a Vagrant system.
+    #
+    # This has been abstracted out so it is easy to provide support for
+    # multiple solutions.
     class Base
       include Vagrant::Util
 
@@ -15,24 +16,15 @@ module Vagrant
       # the `Config` class which is part of the provisioner.
       attr_reader :config
 
-      # Registers a provisioner with a given shortcut. This allows that provisioner
-      # to be referenced with the shortcut.
-      #
-      # @param [Symbol] shortcut
-      def self.register(shortcut)
-        registered[shortcut] = self
-      end
-
-      # Returns the provisioner associated with the given shortcut.
-      def self.registered
-        @@registered ||= {}
-      end
-
       def initialize(env, config)
         @env = env
         @config = config
       end
 
+      # This method is expected to return a class that is used for configuration
+      # for the provisioner.
+      def self.config_class; end
+
       # This is the method called to "prepare" the provisioner. This is called
       # before any actions are run by the action runner (see {Vagrant::Actions::Runner}).
       # This can be used to setup shared folders, forward ports, etc. Whatever is
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_client.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_client.rb
index 35ccdc71a..3c2630f95 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_client.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_client.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ module Vagrant
     # This class implements provisioning via chef-client, allowing provisioning
     # with a chef server.
     class ChefClient < Chef
-      register :chef_client
-
       class Config < Chef::Config
         attr_accessor :chef_server_url
         attr_accessor :validation_key_path
@@ -38,6 +36,10 @@ module Vagrant
         end
       end
 
+      def self.config_class
+        Config
+      end
+
       def prepare
         raise ChefError, :server_validation_key_required if config.validation_key_path.nil?
         raise ChefError, :server_validation_key_doesnt_exist if !File.file?(validation_key_path)
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
index 26b343c2f..54ec7241e 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module Vagrant
   module Provisioners
     # This class implements provisioning via chef-solo.
     class ChefSolo < Chef
-      register :chef_solo
-
       extend Util::Counter
       include Util::Counter
 
@@ -35,6 +33,10 @@ module Vagrant
       attr_reader :role_folders
       attr_reader :data_bags_folders
 
+      def self.config_class
+        Config
+      end
+
       def prepare
         @cookbook_folders = expanded_folders(config.cookbooks_path, "cookbooks")
         @role_folders = expanded_folders(config.roles_path, "roles")
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb
index 15cc3f2f3..dc48c74f2 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ module Vagrant
     end
 
     class Puppet < Base
-      register :puppet
-
       class Config < Vagrant::Config::Base
         attr_accessor :manifest_file
         attr_accessor :manifests_path
@@ -69,6 +67,10 @@ module Vagrant
         end
       end
 
+      def self.config_class
+        Config
+      end
+
       def prepare
         set_module_paths
         share_manifests
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet_server.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet_server.rb
index 0d81f6db1..5dcf5b7c6 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet_server.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/puppet_server.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ module Vagrant
     end
 
     class PuppetServer < Base
-      register :puppet_server
-
       class Config < Vagrant::Config::Base
         attr_accessor :puppet_server
         attr_accessor :puppet_node
@@ -19,6 +17,10 @@ module Vagrant
         end
       end
 
+      def self.config_class
+        Config
+      end
+
       def provision!
         verify_binary("puppetd")
         run_puppetd_client
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/shell.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/shell.rb
index 08940bece..50d1e1569 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/shell.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/shell.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 module Vagrant
   module Provisioners
     class Shell < Base
-      register :shell
-
       class Config < Vagrant::Config::Base
         attr_accessor :inline
         attr_accessor :path
@@ -47,6 +45,10 @@ module Vagrant
         end
       end
 
+      def self.config_class
+        Config
+      end
+
       # This method yields the path to a script to upload and execute
       # on the remote server. This method will properly clean up the
       # script file if needed.
diff --git a/test/unit/vagrant_test.rb b/test/unit/vagrant_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03824f94e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/vagrant_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+require File.expand_path("../base", __FILE__)
+
+describe Vagrant do
+  it "has the path to the source root" do
+    described_class.source_root.should == Pathname.new(File.expand_path("../../../", __FILE__))
+  end
+
+  it "has a registry for hosts" do
+    described_class.hosts.should be_a(Vagrant::Registry)
+  end
+
+  it "has a registry for guests" do
+    described_class.guests.should be_a(Vagrant::Registry)
+  end
+
+  it "has a registry for provisioners" do
+    described_class.provisioners.should be_a(Vagrant::Registry)
+  end
+end