diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ff4f5d3fb..c8d8e8415 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 ## 0.5.1 (unreleased)
 
+  - Added `config.chef.recipe_url` which allows you to specify a URL to
+    a gzipped tar file for chef solo to download cookbooks. See the
+    [chef-solo docs](http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Chef+Solo#ChefSolo-RunningfromaURL) for more information.
   - Added `vagrant box repackage` which repackages boxes which have
     been added. This is useful in case you want to redistribute a base
     box you have but may have lost the actual "box" file.
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
index 22996e51d..9606caaba 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ module Vagrant
         # Chef solo specific config
         attr_accessor :cookbooks_path
         attr_accessor :roles_path
+        attr_accessor :recipe_url
 
         # Shared config
         attr_accessor :provisioning_path
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
index 0a12c0d8d..962d96f85 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ module Vagrant
           :node_name => env.config.chef.node_name,
           :provisioning_path => env.config.chef.provisioning_path,
           :cookbooks_path => cookbooks_path,
-          :roles_path => roles_path
+          :recipe_url => env.config.chef.recipe_url,
+          :roles_path => roles_path,
         })
       end
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ module Vagrant
         # We're lucky that ruby's string and array syntax for strings is the
         # same as JSON, so we can just convert to JSON here and use that
         result = result[0].to_s if result.length == 1
-        result.to_json
+        result
       end
 
       def host_cookbook_paths
@@ -85,11 +86,14 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def cookbooks_path
-        folders_path(host_cookbook_paths, "cookbooks")
+        result = folders_path(host_cookbook_paths, "cookbooks")
+        result = [result, File.join(env.config.chef.provisioning_path, "cookbooks")].flatten if env.config.chef.recipe_url
+
+        result.to_json
       end
 
       def roles_path
-        folders_path(host_role_paths, "roles")
+        folders_path(host_role_paths, "roles").to_json
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/templates/chef_solo_solo.erb b/templates/chef_solo_solo.erb
index b8557272a..80124ced5 100644
--- a/templates/chef_solo_solo.erb
+++ b/templates/chef_solo_solo.erb
@@ -3,3 +3,7 @@ file_cache_path "<%= provisioning_path %>"
 cookbook_path <%= cookbooks_path %>
 role_path <%= roles_path %>
 log_level          <%= log_level.inspect %>
+
+<% if recipe_url %>
+recipe_url "<%= recipe_url %>"
+<% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 090c92fe2..76f7bd316 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ class Test::Unit::TestCase
       config.chef.validation_key_path = "validation.pem"
       config.chef.client_key_path = "/zoo/foo/bar.pem"
       config.chef.node_name = "baz"
+      config.chef.recipe_url = nil
       config.chef.cookbooks_path = "cookbooks"
       config.chef.provisioning_path = "/tmp/vagrant-chef"
       config.chef.log_level = :info
diff --git a/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb b/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb
index 35c000ede..71467a84a 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb
@@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         acc << @action.cookbook_path(i)
       end
 
-      assert_equal @cookbooks.to_json, @action.folders_path(@folders, "cookbooks")
+      assert_equal @cookbooks, @action.folders_path(@folders, "cookbooks")
     end
 
     should "return a single string representation if folder paths is single" do
       @folder = "cookbooks"
       @cookbooks = @action.folder_path(@folder, 0)
 
-      assert_equal @cookbooks.to_json, @action.folders_path([0], @folder)
+      assert_equal @cookbooks, @action.folders_path([0], @folder)
     end
   end
 
@@ -129,10 +129,17 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "properly call folders path and return result" do
-      result = mock("result")
-      @action.stubs(:host_cookbook_paths).returns([])
+      result = [:a, :b, :c]
       @action.expects(:folders_path).with(@action.host_cookbook_paths, "cookbooks").once.returns(result)
-      assert_equal result, @action.cookbooks_path
+      assert_equal result.to_json, @action.cookbooks_path
+    end
+
+    should "append a bare cookbooks path to the cookbooks path for recipe URL" do
+      @env.config.chef.recipe_url = "foo"
+      @action.stubs(:folders_path).returns([])
+      result = @action.cookbooks_path
+      assert result
+      assert result =~ /\/cookbooks"\]$/
     end
   end
 
@@ -143,16 +150,17 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "properly call folders path and return result" do
-      result = mock("result")
-      @action.stubs(:host_role_paths).returns([])
+      result = [:a, :b, :c]
       @action.expects(:folders_path).with(@action.host_role_paths, "roles").once.returns(result)
-      assert_equal result, @action.roles_path
+      assert_equal result.to_json, @action.roles_path
     end
   end
 
   context "generating and uploading chef solo configuration file" do
     setup do
       @vm.ssh.stubs(:upload!)
+
+      @env.config.chef.recipe_url = "foo/bar/baz"
     end
 
     should "call setup_config with proper variables" do
@@ -160,6 +168,7 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         :node_name => @env.config.chef.node_name,
         :provisioning_path => @env.config.chef.provisioning_path,
         :cookbooks_path => @action.cookbooks_path,
+        :recipe_url => @env.config.chef.recipe_url,
         :roles_path => @action.roles_path
       })