diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9f83755f0..b8548c594 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 ## 0.5.1 (unreleased)
 
+  - Allow specifying cookbook paths which exist only on the VM in `config.chef.cookbooks_path`.
+    This is used for specifying cookbook paths when `config.chef.recipe_url` is used. [GH-130]
+    See updated chef solo documentation for more information on this.
   - No longer show "Disabling host only networks..." if no host only networks
     are destroyed. Quiets `destroy`, `halt`, etc output a bit.
   - Updated getting started guide to be more up to date and generic. [GH-125]
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
index 962d96f85..a38c94990 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo.rb
@@ -50,17 +50,37 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def host_folder_paths(paths)
-        [paths].flatten.collect { |path| File.expand_path(path, env.root_path) }
+        # Convert single cookbook paths such as "cookbooks" or [:vm, "cookbooks"]
+        # into a proper array representation.
+        paths = [paths] if paths.is_a?(String) || paths.first.is_a?(Symbol)
+
+        paths.inject([]) do |acc, path|
+          path = [:host, path] if !path.is_a?(Array)
+          type, path = path
+
+          acc << File.expand_path(path, env.root_path) if type == :host
+          acc
+        end
       end
 
-      def folder_path(folder, i)
-        File.join(env.config.chef.provisioning_path, "#{folder}-#{i}")
+      def folder_path(*args)
+        File.expand_path(args.join("-"), env.config.chef.provisioning_path)
       end
 
       def folders_path(folders, folder)
+        # Convert single cookbook paths such as "cookbooks" or [:vm, "cookbooks"]
+        # into a proper array representation.
+        folders = [folders] if folders.is_a?(String) || folders.first.is_a?(Symbol)
+
+        # Convert each path to the proper absolute path depending on if the path
+        # is a host path or a VM path
         result = []
-        folders.each_with_index do |host_path, i|
-          result << folder_path(folder, i)
+        folders.each_with_index do |path, i|
+          path = [:host, path] if !path.is_a?(Array)
+          type, path = path
+
+          result << folder_path(folder, i) if type == :host
+          result << folder_path(path) if type == :vm
         end
 
         # We're lucky that ruby's string and array syntax for strings is the
@@ -86,14 +106,14 @@ module Vagrant
       end
 
       def cookbooks_path
-        result = folders_path(host_cookbook_paths, "cookbooks")
+        result = folders_path(env.config.chef.cookbooks_path, "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").to_json
+        folders_path(env.config.chef.roles_path, "roles").to_json
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb b/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb
index 71467a84a..f74aa938f 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/provisioners/chef_solo_test.rb
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   context "host folder paths" do
+    should "ignore VM paths" do
+      assert @action.host_folder_paths([:vm, "foo"]).empty?
+    end
+
     should "return as an array if was originally a string" do
       folder = "foo"
       File.stubs(:expand_path).returns("bar")
@@ -120,6 +124,11 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
       assert_equal @cookbooks, @action.folders_path([0], @folder)
     end
+
+    should "properly format VM folder paths" do
+      @env.config.chef.provisioning_path = "/foo"
+      assert_equal "/foo/bar", @action.folders_path([:vm, "bar"], nil)
+    end
   end
 
   context "cookbooks path" do
@@ -130,7 +139,7 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     should "properly call folders path and return result" do
       result = [:a, :b, :c]
-      @action.expects(:folders_path).with(@action.host_cookbook_paths, "cookbooks").once.returns(result)
+      @action.expects(:folders_path).with(@env.config.chef.cookbooks_path, "cookbooks").once.returns(result)
       assert_equal result.to_json, @action.cookbooks_path
     end
 
@@ -151,7 +160,7 @@ class ChefSoloProvisionerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     should "properly call folders path and return result" do
       result = [:a, :b, :c]
-      @action.expects(:folders_path).with(@action.host_role_paths, "roles").once.returns(result)
+      @action.expects(:folders_path).with(@env.config.chef.roles_path, "roles").once.returns(result)
       assert_equal result.to_json, @action.roles_path
     end
   end