diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index 94c7b3db72..0048f72890 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -5,35 +5,47 @@
 VAGRANTFILE_API_VERSION = "2"
 
 Vagrant.configure(VAGRANTFILE_API_VERSION) do |config|
-  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |v|
-    v.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--natdnshostresolver1", "on"]
-  end
 
-  # For now we have a custom built vagrant image. It was built in the following manner:
-  #
-  #  - Use 'precise64' as a base.
-  #  - perform a 'vagrant up' using this vagrantfile: 
-  #     https://github.com/gratipay/gratipay.com/blob/83312e60c6b31c298ffca61036baa9849044c75e/Vagrantfile
-  #  - drop database gratipay
-  #  - drop role gratipay
-  #
-  # Here are some instructions for modifying an existing box:
-  #
-  #   http://www.pvcloudsystems.com/2012/10/vagrant-modify-existing-box/
-  #
-  # I used that successfully on https://github.com/gratipay/gratipay.com/pull/2815.
+  # We use multi-machine config here. First one to rebuild the box from scratch
+  # (it is normally commented) and second (faster) that download built version. 
 
-  config.vm.box = "gratipay"
-  config.vm.box_url =  File.exist?("gratipay.box") ? "file://gratipay.box" : "https://downloads.gratipay.com/gratipay.box"
+  # Previous configs are:
+  # - https://github.com/gratipay/gratipay.com/blob/83312e60c6b31c298ffca61036baa9849044c75e/Vagrantfile
+  # - https://github.com/gratipay/gratipay.com/blob/fc0b4395e85259cdd17d9fe8560bf654abd756ce/Vagrantfile
 
-  # Sync the project directory and expose the app
-  config.vm.network "private_network", ip: "172.27.36.119"
-  config.vm.synced_folder ".", "/vagrant", type: "nfs"
+
+  # --- [ common access parameters ] ---
+
+  # Gratipay app is accessible at http://localhost:8537/ from host
+  #
   config.vm.network :forwarded_port, guest: 8537, host: 8537
 
-  # TODO: Pin apt-get packages to the same versions Heroku uses
+  # Current folder is available as /vagrant from guest.
+  # We speed up access by installing and using NFS as described here:
+  # https://docs.vagrantup.com/v2/synced-folders/nfs.html
+  config.vm.synced_folder ".", "/vagrant", type: "nfs"
+  config.vm.network "private_network", ip: "172.27.36.119"
+
+
+  # --- [ boxes ] ---
+  # after you bootstrap this box, saving it into a gratipay.box is as easy as
+  # $ vagrant package --output gratipay.box
+  config.vm.define "basebox" do |base|
+    # using Ubuntu 14.04, because it is what our hosting (Heroku) uses
+    # (search cedar-14 for details)
+    base.vm.box = "ubuntu/trusty64"
+
+    # [ ] use the same package versions as Heroku
+
+  end
+
+  # disable snapshot box for now
+  #config.vm.define "gratipay" do |box|
+  #  box.vm.box = "gratipay"
+  #  config.vm.box_url =  File.exist?("gratipay.box") ? "file://gratipay.box" : "https://downloads.gratipay.com/gratipay.box"
+  #
+  #  config.vm.provision :shell,
+  #    :path => "scripts/vagrant-setup.sh"
+  #end
 
-  # Installed dependencies are already part of the base image now
-  config.vm.provision :shell,
-    :path => "scripts/vagrant-setup.sh"
 end