diff --git a/lib/vagrant-lxc/action/compress_rootfs.rb b/lib/vagrant-lxc/action/compress_rootfs.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63b7186
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/vagrant-lxc/action/compress_rootfs.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+require "fileutils"
+
+module Vagrant
+  module LXC
+    module Action
+      class CompressRootFS
+        def initialize(app, env)
+          @app = app
+        end
+
+        def call(env)
+          raise Vagrant::Errors::VMPowerOffToPackage if env[:machine].provider.state.id != :stopped
+
+          env[:ui].info I18n.t("vagrant.actions.lxc.compressing_rootfs")
+          @rootfs = env['package.rootfs'] = env[:machine].provider.container.compress_rootfs
+
+          @app.call env
+
+          recover # called to remove the rootfs tarball
+        end
+
+        def recover(*)
+          if @rootfs && File.exist?(@rootfs)
+            FileUtils.rm_rf(File.dirname @rootfs)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/unit/action/compress_rootfs_spec.rb b/spec/unit/action/compress_rootfs_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17d854e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/action/compress_rootfs_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+require 'unit_helper'
+
+require 'vagrant-lxc/action/compress_rootfs'
+
+describe Vagrant::LXC::Action::CompressRootFS do
+  let(:app)                    { mock(:app, call: true) }
+  let(:env)                    { {machine: machine, ui: stub(info: true)} }
+  let(:machine)                { fire_double('Vagrant::Machine', provider: provider) }
+  let(:provider)               { fire_double('Vagrant::LXC::Provider', container: container) }
+  let(:container)              { fire_double('Vagrant::LXC::Container', compress_rootfs: compressed_rootfs_path) }
+  let(:compressed_rootfs_path) { '/path/to/rootfs.tar.gz' }
+
+  subject { described_class.new(app, env) }
+
+  before do
+    provider.stub_chain(:state, :id).and_return(:stopped)
+    subject.call(env)
+  end
+
+  it 'asks the container to compress its rootfs' do
+    container.should have_received(:compress_rootfs)
+  end
+
+  it 'sets export.temp_dir on action env' do
+    env['package.rootfs'].should == compressed_rootfs_path
+  end
+end