diff --git a/lib/vagrant/commands.rb b/lib/vagrant/commands.rb
index 40c00c8e0..8304b203a 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/commands.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/commands.rb
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ error
       # which action to take and calls the respective action method
       # (see {box_add} and {box_remove})
       def box(argv)
-        Env.load!(:suppress_errors => true)
+        Env.load!
 
         sub_commands = ["list", "add", "remove"]
 
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/env.rb b/lib/vagrant/env.rb
index cfca33770..38f4cb383 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/env.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/env.rb
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ module Vagrant
       def tmp_path; File.join(home_path, "tmp"); end
       def boxes_path; File.join(home_path, "boxes"); end
 
-      def load!(opts={})
-        load_root_path!(Pathname.new(Dir.pwd), opts)
+      def load!
+        load_root_path!
         load_config!
         load_home_directory!
         load_box!
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def load_box!
+        return unless root_path
+
         @@box = Box.find(Vagrant.config.vm.box) if Vagrant.config.vm.box
 
         if @@box
@@ -84,17 +86,10 @@ module Vagrant
         end
       end
 
-      def load_root_path!(path=Pathname.new(Dir.pwd), opts={})
-        if path.to_s == '/'
-          return false if opts[:suppress_errors]
-          error_and_exit(<<-msg)
-A `#{ROOTFILE_NAME}` was not found! This file is required for vagrant to run
-since it describes the expected environment that vagrant is supposed
-to manage. Please create a #{ROOTFILE_NAME} and place it in your project
-root.
-msg
-          return
-        end
+      def load_root_path!(path=nil)
+        path ||= Pathname.new(Dir.pwd)
+
+        return false if path.to_s == '/'
 
         file = "#{path}/#{ROOTFILE_NAME}"
         if File.exist?(file)
@@ -102,10 +97,23 @@ msg
           return true
         end
 
-        load_root_path!(path.parent, opts)
+        load_root_path!(path.parent)
+      end
+
+      def require_root_path
+        if !root_path
+          error_and_exit(<<-msg)
+A `#{ROOTFILE_NAME}` was not found! This file is required for vagrant to run
+since it describes the expected environment that vagrant is supposed
+to manage. Please create a #{ROOTFILE_NAME} and place it in your project
+root.
+msg
+        end
       end
 
       def require_box
+        require_root_path
+
         if !box
           if !Vagrant.config.vm.box
             error_and_exit(<<-msg)
@@ -125,6 +133,8 @@ msg
       end
 
       def require_persisted_vm
+        require_root_path
+
         if !persisted_vm
           error_and_exit(<<-error)
 The task you're trying to run requires that the vagrant environment
diff --git a/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb b/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb
index 6ae094f73..7a44ff48f 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/commands_test.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class CommandsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @persisted_vm = mock("persisted_vm")
     @persisted_vm.stubs(:execute!)
     Vagrant::Env.stubs(:persisted_vm).returns(@persisted_vm)
+    Vagrant::Env.stubs(:require_persisted_vm)
   end
 
   context "init" do
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ class CommandsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "load the environment" do
-      Vagrant::Env.expects(:load!).with(:suppress_errors => true).once
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:load!).once
       Vagrant::Commands.box(["add"])
     end
 
diff --git a/test/vagrant/env_test.rb b/test/vagrant/env_test.rb
index 20531c6af..b5205d515 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/env_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/env_test.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   context "requiring a VM" do
+    setup do
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:require_root_path)
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:error_and_exit)
+    end
+
+    should "require root path" do
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:require_root_path).once
+      Vagrant::Env.require_persisted_vm
+    end
+
     should "error and exit if no persisted VM was found" do
       assert_nil Vagrant::Env.persisted_vm
       Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).once
@@ -121,7 +131,7 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     test "load! should load the config and set the persisted_uid" do
       Vagrant::Env.expects(:load_config!).once
       Vagrant::Env.expects(:load_vm!).once
-      Vagrant::Env.expects(:load_root_path!).with(Pathname.new(Dir.pwd), {}).once
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:load_root_path!).once
       Vagrant::Env.expects(:load_home_directory!).once
       Vagrant::Env.expects(:load_box!).once
       Vagrant::Env.load!
@@ -168,9 +178,21 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   context "loading the root path" do
-    test "should walk the parent directories looking for rootfile" do
-      Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).once
+    should "default the path to the pwd if nil" do
+      @path = mock("path")
+      @path.stubs(:to_s).returns("/")
+      Pathname.expects(:new).with(Dir.pwd).returns(@path)
+      Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(nil)
+    end
 
+    should "not default the path to pwd if its not nil" do
+      @path = mock("path")
+      @path.stubs(:to_s).returns("/")
+      Pathname.expects(:new).never
+      Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(@path)
+    end
+
+    should "should walk the parent directories looking for rootfile" do
       paths = [
         Pathname.new("/foo/bar/baz"),
         Pathname.new("/foo/bar"),
@@ -182,32 +204,15 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         File.expects(:exist?).with("#{path}/#{Vagrant::Env::ROOTFILE_NAME}").returns(false).in_sequence(search_seq)
       end
 
-      assert_nil Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(paths.first)
+      assert !Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(paths.first)
     end
 
-    test "should print out an error and exit if not found" do
+    should "should return false if not found" do
       path = Pathname.new("/")
-
-      Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).once
-      Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(path)
+      assert !Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(path)
     end
 
-    should "return false if suppress errors is set and no root path is found" do
-      path = Pathname.new("/")
-
-      Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).never
-      assert !Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(path, :suppress_errors => true)
-    end
-
-    should "pipe suppress errors flag through recursion" do
-      path = Pathname.new("/foo/bar/baz")
-      File.expects(:exist?).times(3).returns(false)
-
-      Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).never
-      assert !Vagrant::Env.load_root_path!(path, :suppress_errors => true)
-    end
-
-    test "should set the path for the rootfile" do
+    should "should set the path for the rootfile" do
       path = "/foo"
       File.expects(:exist?).with("#{path}/#{Vagrant::Env::ROOTFILE_NAME}").returns(true)
 
@@ -239,6 +244,13 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @box = mock("box")
 
       Vagrant::Env.stubs(:load_config!)
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:root_path).returns("foo")
+    end
+
+    should "do nothing if the root path is nil" do
+      Vagrant::Box.expects(:find).never
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:root_path).returns(nil)
+      Vagrant::Env.load_vm!
     end
 
     should "not load the box if its not set" do
@@ -264,6 +276,16 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   context "requiring boxes" do
+    setup do
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:require_root_path)
+      Vagrant::Env.stubs(:error_and_exit)
+    end
+
+    should "require root path" do
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:require_root_path).once
+      Vagrant::Env.require_box
+    end
+
     should "error and exit if no box is found" do
       mock_config do |config|
         config.vm.box = nil
@@ -290,4 +312,18 @@ class EnvTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       Vagrant::Env.require_box
     end
   end
+
+  context "requiring root_path" do
+    should "error and exit if no root_path is set" do
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:root_path).returns(nil)
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).once
+      Vagrant::Env.require_root_path
+    end
+
+    should "not error and exit if root_path is set" do
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:root_path).returns("foo")
+      Vagrant::Env.expects(:error_and_exit).never
+      Vagrant::Env.require_root_path
+    end
+  end
 end