diff --git a/lib/vagrant/command/base.rb b/lib/vagrant/command/base.rb
index 150b6ec67..55044a7bf 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/command/base.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/command/base.rb
@@ -39,13 +39,9 @@ module Vagrant
         /^([-_a-zA-Z0-9]+)(\s+(.+?))?$/.match(usage).to_a[1]
       end
 
-      def initialize(args=[], options={}, config={})
+      def initialize(*args)
         super
-
-        # The last argument must _always_ be a Vagrant Environment class.
-        raise CLIMissingEnvironment.new("This command requires that a Vagrant environment be properly passed in as the last parameter.") if !config[:env]
-        @env = config[:env]
-        @env.ui = UI::Shell.new(@env, shell) if !@env.ui.is_a?(UI::Shell)
+        initialize_environment(*args)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/command/group_base.rb b/lib/vagrant/command/group_base.rb
index cf31f3386..d0c842a6f 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/command/group_base.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/command/group_base.rb
@@ -25,13 +25,9 @@ module Vagrant
         CLI.register(self, Base.extract_name_from_usage(usage), usage, description, opts)
       end
 
-      def initialize(args=[], options={}, config={})
+      def initialize(*args)
         super
-
-        # The last argument must _always_ be a Vagrant Environment class.
-        raise CLIMissingEnvironment.new("This command requires that a Vagrant environment be properly passed in as the last parameter.") if !config[:env]
-        @env = config[:env]
-        @env.ui = UI::Shell.new(@env, shell) if !@env.ui.is_a?(UI::Shell)
+        initialize_environment(*args)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant/command/helpers.rb b/lib/vagrant/command/helpers.rb
index bbf39a3d2..a14a83658 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant/command/helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant/command/helpers.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 module Vagrant
   module Command
     module Helpers
+      # Initializes the environment by pulling the environment out of
+      # the configuration hash and sets up the UI if necessary.
+      def initialize_environment(args, options, config)
+        raise CLIMissingEnvironment.new("This command requires that a Vagrant environment be properly passed in as the last parameter.") if !config[:env]
+        @env = config[:env]
+        @env.ui = UI::Shell.new(@env, shell) if !@env.ui.is_a?(UI::Shell)
+      end
+
       def require_environment
         raise NoEnvironmentError.new("No Vagrant environment detected. Run `vagrant init` to set one up.") if !env.root_path
       end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/command/base_test.rb b/test/vagrant/command/base_test.rb
index 6f088ae17..2df09f9fa 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/command/base_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/command/base_test.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ class CommandBaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @env = mock_environment
   end
 
+  context "initialization" do
+    should "require an environment" do
+      assert_raises(Vagrant::CLIMissingEnvironment) { @klass.new([], {}, {}) }
+      assert_nothing_raised { @klass.new([], {}, { :env => @env }) }
+    end
+  end
+
   context "extracting a name from a usage string" do
     should "extract properly" do
       assert_equal "init", @klass.extract_name_from_usage("init")
@@ -13,38 +20,4 @@ class CommandBaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       assert_equal "ssh-config", @klass.extract_name_from_usage("ssh-config")
     end
   end
-
-  context "setting up a UI" do
-    setup do
-      @env.ui = nil
-    end
-
-    should "setup a shell UI" do
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) { @klass.start([], :env => @env) }
-      assert @env.ui.is_a?(Vagrant::UI::Shell)
-    end
-
-    should "setup a shell UI only once" do
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) { @klass.start([], :env => @env) }
-      ui = @env.ui
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) { @klass.start([], :env => @env) }
-      assert @env.ui.equal?(ui)
-    end
-  end
-
-  context "requiring an environment" do
-    should "raise an exception if the environment is not sent in" do
-      assert_raises(Vagrant::CLIMissingEnvironment) {
-        @klass.start([])
-      }
-    end
-
-    should "not raise an exception if the environment is properly sent in" do
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) do
-        assert_nothing_raised {
-          @klass.start([], :env => @env)
-        }
-      end
-    end
-  end
 end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/command/group_base_test.rb b/test/vagrant/command/group_base_test.rb
index 8b9be9a48..1d753fa0f 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/command/group_base_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/command/group_base_test.rb
@@ -6,37 +6,10 @@ class CommandGroupBaseTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @env = mock_environment
   end
 
-  context "setting up a UI" do
-    setup do
-      @env.ui = nil
-    end
-
-    should "setup a shell UI" do
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) { @klass.start([], :env => @env) }
-      assert @env.ui.is_a?(Vagrant::UI::Shell)
-    end
-
-    should "setup a shell UI only once" do
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) { @klass.start([], :env => @env) }
-      ui = @env.ui
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) { @klass.start([], :env => @env) }
-      assert @env.ui.equal?(ui)
-    end
-  end
-
-  context "requiring an environment" do
-    should "raise an exception if the environment is not sent in" do
-      assert_raises(Vagrant::CLIMissingEnvironment) {
-        @klass.start([])
-      }
-    end
-
-    should "not raise an exception if the environment is properly sent in" do
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) do
-        assert_nothing_raised {
-          @klass.start([], :env => @env)
-        }
-      end
+  context "initialization" do
+    should "require an environment" do
+      assert_raises(Vagrant::CLIMissingEnvironment) { @klass.new([], {}, {}) }
+      assert_nothing_raised { @klass.new([], {}, { :env => @env }) }
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/vagrant/command/helpers_test.rb b/test/vagrant/command/helpers_test.rb
index 57229f849..020752513 100644
--- a/test/vagrant/command/helpers_test.rb
+++ b/test/vagrant/command/helpers_test.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,18 @@ class CommandHelpersTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @command.new(args, {}, { :env => env })
   end
 
+  context "initializing environment" do
+    should "raise an exception if no environment is given" do
+      assert_raises(Vagrant::CLIMissingEnvironment) { command([], nil) }
+    end
+
+    should "not raise an exception if environment is given and setup UI" do
+      env = mock_environment
+      assert_nothing_raised { command([], env) }
+      assert env.ui.is_a?(Vagrant::UI::Shell)
+    end
+  end
+
   context "requiring environment" do
     setup do
       @env = mock_environment