diff --git a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/delete_guests.rb b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/delete_guests.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..505350d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/delete_guests.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+require 'vagrant-hostmanager/hosts_file'
+
+module VagrantPlugins
+  module HostManager
+    module Action
+      class DeleteGuests
+        include HostsFile
+
+        def initialize(app, env)
+          @app = app
+          @machine = env[:machine]
+          @logger = Log4r::Logger.new('vagrant::hostmanager::delete_hosts_file')
+        end
+
+        def call(env)
+          # check if machine is already active
+          #return @app.call(env) if @machine.id
+
+          # check config to see if the hosts file should be update automatically
+          return @app.call(env) unless @machine.config.hostmanager.enabled?
+          @logger.info 'Updating /etc/hosts file automatically'
+
+          # continue the action stack so the machine will be created
+          @app.call(env)
+
+          # update /etc/hosts file on each active machine
+          delete_guests(@machine,@machine.provider_name)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_hosts_file.rb b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_guests.rb
similarity index 78%
rename from lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_hosts_file.rb
rename to lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_guests.rb
index 292b7f6..c495bf0 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_hosts_file.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_guests.rb
@@ -3,18 +3,18 @@ require 'vagrant-hostmanager/hosts_file'
 module VagrantPlugins
   module HostManager
     module Action
-      class UpdateHostsFile
+      class UpdateGuests
         include HostsFile
 
         def initialize(app, env)
           @app = app
           @machine = env[:machine]
-          @logger = Log4r::Logger.new('vagrant::hostmanager::update_hosts_file')
+          @logger = Log4r::Logger.new('vagrant::hostmanager::update_guests')
         end
 
         def call(env)
           # check if machine is already active
-          return @app.call(env) if @machine.id
+          #return @app.call(env) if @machine.id
 
           # check config to see if the hosts file should be update automatically
           return @app.call(env) unless @machine.config.hostmanager.enabled?
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
           @app.call(env)
 
           # update /etc/hosts file on each active machine
-          machines = generate(@machine.env, @machine.provider_name)
-          machines.each { |machine| update(machine) }
+          update_guests(@machine,@machine.provider_name)
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/command.rb b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/command.rb
index 5a75621..7b886fb 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/command.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/command.rb
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         argv = parse_options(opts)
         options[:provider] ||= @env.default_provider
 
-        generate(@env, options[:provider].to_sym)
-
         with_target_vms(argv, options) do |machine|
-          update(machine)
+          update_guests(machine, machine.provider_name)
           update_local(machine)
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/hosts_file.rb b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/hosts_file.rb
index 6f92f58..6330de8 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/hosts_file.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/hosts_file.rb
@@ -1,36 +1,64 @@
 module VagrantPlugins
   module HostManager
     module HostsFile
-      # Generate a hosts file containing the the active machines
-      # in the Vagrant environment backed by the specified provider.
-      # The file is written to the Vagrant temporary path.
-      def generate(env, provider)
+      def update_guests(machine, provider)
         machines = []
 
-
+        env = machine.env
         # create the temporary hosts file
-        path = env.tmp_path.join('hosts')
-        File.open(path, 'w') do |file|
-          file << "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost\slocalhost.localdomain\n"
+        path = env.tmp_path
 
-          # add a hosts entry for each active machine matching the provider
-          env.active_machines.each do |name, p|
-            if provider == p
-              machines << machine = env.machine(name, provider)
-              host = machine.config.vm.hostname || name
-              id = machine.id
-              ip = get_ip_address(machine)
-              host_aliases = machine.config.hostmanager.aliases.join("\s").chomp
-              host_entry = "#{ip}\t#{host}\s#{host_aliases}\n"
-              @logger.info "Adding /etc/hosts entry: #{ip} #{host} #{host_aliases} #{id}"
-              file << "#{host_entry}"
-            end
+        #fetch hosts file from each machine
+        #for each machine, ensure all machine entries are updated
+        # add a hosts entry for each active machine matching the provider
+        env.active_machines.each do |name, p|
+          if provider == p
+            machines << machine = env.machine(name, provider)
+            machine.communicate.download('/etc/hosts',path.join("hosts.#{name}"))
           end
         end
+        env.active_machines.each do |name, p|
+            if provider == p
+                machines.each do |m|
+                    @logger.info "Adding entry for #{m.name} to hosts.#{name}"
+                    update_entry(m,path.join("hosts.#{name}"))
+                    m.communicate.upload(path.join("hosts.#{name}"), '/tmp/hosts')
+                    m.communicate.sudo("mv /tmp/hosts /etc/hosts")
+                end
+            end
+        end
 
         machines
       end
 
+      # delete victim machine from all guests
+      def delete_guests(victim, provider)
+        machines = []
+
+        env = victim.env
+        # create the temporary hosts file
+        path = env.tmp_path
+
+        #fetch hosts file from each machine
+        #for each machine, ensure all machine entries are updated
+        # add a hosts entry for each active machine matching the provider
+        env.active_machines.each do |name, p|
+          if provider == p
+            machines << machine = env.machine(name, provider)
+            machine.communicate.download('/etc/hosts',path.join("hosts.#{name}"))
+            delete_entry(victim,path.join("hosts.#{name}"))               
+            if machine.communicate.ready?
+                machine.env.ui.info I18n.t('vagrant_hostmanager.action.update_guest', {
+                    :name => machine.name
+                })
+                machine.communicate.upload(path.join("hosts.#{name}"), '/tmp/hosts')
+                machine.communicate.sudo("mv /tmp/hosts /etc/hosts")
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+
         # define a lambda for looking up a machine's ip address
       def  get_ip_address(machine)
           ip = nil
@@ -44,42 +72,65 @@ module VagrantPlugins
           ip || machine.ssh_info[:host]
         end
 
-      def update_local(machine)
-         return if machine.id.nil?
-         tmplocal=machine.env.tmp_path.join('hosts.local')
-         delete_local(machine)
+      def update_entry(machine,file_name,sudo=false)
+         delete_entry(machine,file_name,sudo)
          
          host = machine.config.vm.hostname || name
          id = machine.id
          ip = get_ip_address(machine)
          host_aliases = machine.config.hostmanager.aliases.join("\s").chomp
          host_entry = "#{ip}\t#{host}\s#{host_aliases}\s# VAGRANT: #{id}\n" 
-         @logger.info "Adding /etc/hosts entry: #{ip} #{host} #{host_aliases} # #{id} - #{tmplocal}"
-         File.open(tmplocal,'a') do |tmpfile|
-             tmpfile << host_entry
+         @logger.info "Adding /etc/hosts entry: #{host_entry}"
+         temp_file_name = Dir::Tmpname.make_tmpname(File.join(machine.env.tmp_path,'hostmanager'), nil) 
+         FileUtils.cp(file_name, temp_file_name)
+         File.open(temp_file_name,'a') do |tempfile|
+             @logger.info "writing #{host_entry} to #{tempfile.path}"
+             tempfile << host_entry
          end
-         publish_local(machine.env)
 
+         if sudo == false
+            @logger.info "copy #{temp_file_name} #{file_name}"
+            FileUtils.cp(temp_file_name,file_name)
+         else
+            machine.env.ui.info I18n.t('vagrant_hostmanager.action.run_sudo')
+            @logger.warn "Running sudo to replace local hosts file, enter your local password if prompted..."
+            @logger.info `sudo cp -v #{temp_file_name} #{file_name}`
+         end
+      end
 
+      def delete_entry(machine,file_name,sudo=false)
+          host = machine.config.vm.hostname || name
+          temp_file_name = Dir::Tmpname.make_tmpname(File.join(machine.env.tmp_path,'hostmanager'), nil) 
+          tempfile = File.open(temp_file_name,'w') do |f| 
+            File.open(file_name,'r').each_line do |line|
+              if line.match(/#{machine.id}$/).nil?
+                 f << line
+              else
+                  @logger.info "Matched #{machine.id}"
+              end
+            end
+          end
+          if sudo == false
+            @logger.info "copy #{temp_file_name} #{file_name}"
+                FileUtils.cp(temp_file_name,file_name)
+          else
+              machine.env.ui.info I18n.t('vagrant_hostmanager.action.run_sudo')
+              @logger.info `sudo cp -v #{temp_file_name} #{file_name}`
+          end
+      end
+
+      def update_local(machine)
+         return if machine.id.nil?
+         update_entry(machine,'/etc/hosts',true)
       end
 
       def delete_local(machine)
           return if machine.id.nil?
-          tmplocal=machine.env.tmp_path.join('hosts.local')
-          File.open(tmplocal, 'w') do |tmpfile|
-            File.open('/etc/hosts','r').each_line do |line|
-              if line.match(/#{machine.id}$/).nil?
-                 @logger.info "Found #{machine.id} in hosts file"
-                 tmpfile << line
-              end
-            end
-          end
-          publish_local(machine.env)
+          delete_entry(machine,'/etc/hosts',true)
       end
 
-      def publish_local(env)
-          @logger.info `sudo cp -v /etc/hosts /etc/hosts.bak`
-          @logger.info `sudo cp -v #{env.tmp_path.join('hosts.local')} /etc/hosts`
+      def publish_local(tempfile)
+          @logger.info `sudo cp -v #{tempfile} /etc/hosts`
       end
 
 
@@ -88,11 +139,12 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       def update(machine)
         path = machine.env.tmp_path.join('hosts')
         if machine.communicate.ready?
-          machine.env.ui.info I18n.t('vagrant_hostmanager.action.update', {
+          machine.env.ui.info I18n.t('vagrant_hostmanager.action.update_guest', {
             :name => machine.name
           })
+          machine.communicate.download(path, '/etc/hosts')
           machine.communicate.upload(path, '/tmp/hosts')
-          machine.communicate.sudo("mv /tmp/hosts /etc/hosts.hostmanager")
+          machine.communicate.sudo("mv /tmp/hosts /etc/hosts")
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/plugin.rb b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/plugin.rb
index 197dce8..f0af8d7 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/plugin.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant-hostmanager/plugin.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-require 'vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_hosts_file'
+require 'vagrant-hostmanager/action/delete_guests'
+require 'vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_guests'
 require 'vagrant-hostmanager/action/update_local_entry'
 require 'vagrant-hostmanager/action/delete_local_entry'
 
@@ -16,14 +17,18 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         Config
       end
 
+      action_hook(self::ALL_ACTIONS) do |hook|
+        hook.after(VagrantPlugins::ProviderVirtualBox::Action::Boot, Action::UpdateGuests)
+      end
+
       action_hook(:hostmanager, :machine_action_up) do |hook|
-        hook.prepend(Action::UpdateHostsFile)
+        hook.prepend(Action::UpdateGuests)
         hook.prepend(Action::UpdateLocalEntry)
       end
 
       action_hook(:hostmanager, :machine_action_destroy) do |hook|
         hook.prepend(Action::DeleteLocalEntry)
-        hook.append(Action::UpdateHostsFile)
+        hook.append(Action::DeleteGuests)
       end
 
       command(:hostmanager) do
diff --git a/locales/en.yml b/locales/en.yml
index f8d2ea2..7bcb324 100644
--- a/locales/en.yml
+++ b/locales/en.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 en:
   vagrant_hostmanager:
     action:
-      update: "[%{name}] Updating /etc/hosts file"
+      update_guest: "[%{name}] Updating /etc/hosts file"
+      update_host: "Updating local /etc/hosts file"
+      run_sudo: "Running sudo to modify host machine's /etc/hosts file"