diff --git a/README.dev b/README.dev
index 3aea867c6c..e8fb504ca3 100644
--- a/README.dev
+++ b/README.dev
@@ -1,6 +1,32 @@
 Getting started
 ===============
 
+Using Vagrant
+-------------
+
+This is the recommended approach, but is only supported on Ubuntu 14.04.
+
+  sudo apt-get install vagrant lxc lxc-templates cgroup-lite redir
+  vagrant plugin install vagrant-lxc
+  vagrant up --provider=lxc
+  vagrant ssh
+  # Now inside the container
+  sudo apt-get update
+  sudo apt-get install python-pbs
+  cd /srv/zulip && python provision.py
+
+To run the development server:
+  vagrant ssh -- -L9991:localhost:9991
+  # Now inside the container
+  cd /srv/zulip
+  source /srv/zulip-venv/bin/activate
+  ./tools/run-dev.py
+
+You can now visit <http://localhost:9991/> in your browser.
+
+By hand
+-------
+
 Install the following non-Python dependencies:
  * libffi-dev — needed for some Python extensions
  * postgresql 9.1 or later — our database (also install development headers)
@@ -19,7 +45,11 @@ On Debian or Ubuntu systems:
   wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/283158365/zuliposs/postgresql-9.1-tsearch-extras_0.1.2_amd64.deb
   sudo dpkg -i postgresql-9.1-tsearch-extras_0.1.2_amd64.deb
 
-  # If on 14.04, wait for us to support it.
+  # If on 14.04:
+  sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.3
+  wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/283158365/zuliposs/postgresql-9.3-tsearch-extras_0.1.2_amd64.deb
+  sudo dpkg -i postgresql-9.3-tsearch-extras_0.1.2_amd64.deb
+
   # If on 15.04 or jessie:
   sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.4
   wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/283158365/zuliposs/postgresql-9.4-tsearch-extras_0.1_amd64.deb
diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0283d5aa46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+# -*- mode: ruby -*-
+# vi: set ft=ruby :
+
+# Vagrantfile API/syntax version. Don't touch unless you know what you're doing!
+VAGRANTFILE_API_VERSION = "2"
+
+Vagrant.configure(VAGRANTFILE_API_VERSION) do |config|
+  # All Vagrant configuration is done here. The most common configuration
+  # options are documented and commented below. For a complete reference,
+  # please see the online documentation at vagrantup.com.
+
+  # Every Vagrant virtual environment requires a box to build off of.
+  config.vm.box = "fgrehm/trusty64-lxc"
+
+  # Disable automatic box update checking. If you disable this, then
+  # boxes will only be checked for updates when the user runs
+  # `vagrant box outdated`. This is not recommended.
+  # config.vm.box_check_update = false
+
+  # Create a forwarded port mapping which allows access to a specific port
+  # within the machine from a port on the host machine. In the example below,
+  # accessing "localhost:8080" will access port 80 on the guest machine.
+  config.vm.network "forwarded_port", guest: 9991, host: 9991, host_ip: "127.0.0.1"
+
+  # Create a private network, which allows host-only access to the machine
+  # using a specific IP.
+  # config.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.33.10"
+
+  # Create a public network, which generally matched to bridged network.
+  # Bridged networks make the machine appear as another physical device on
+  # your network.
+  # config.vm.network "public_network"
+
+  # If true, then any SSH connections made will enable agent forwarding.
+  # Default value: false
+  # config.ssh.forward_agent = true
+
+  # Share an additional folder to the guest VM. The first argument is
+  # the path on the host to the actual folder. The second argument is
+  # the path on the guest to mount the folder. And the optional third
+  # argument is a set of non-required options.
+  config.vm.synced_folder ".", "/vagrant", disabled: true
+  config.vm.synced_folder ".", "/srv/zulip"
+
+  # Provider-specific configuration so you can fine-tune various
+  # backing providers for Vagrant. These expose provider-specific options.
+
+  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
+    override.vm.box = "ubuntu/trusty64"
+  end
+  #
+  # View the documentation for the provider you're using for more
+  # information on available options.
+
+  # Enable provisioning with CFEngine. CFEngine Community packages are
+  # automatically installed. For example, configure the host as a
+  # policy server and optionally a policy file to run:
+  #
+  # config.vm.provision "cfengine" do |cf|
+  #   cf.am_policy_hub = true
+  #   # cf.run_file = "motd.cf"
+  # end
+  #
+  # You can also configure and bootstrap a client to an existing
+  # policy server:
+  #
+  # config.vm.provision "cfengine" do |cf|
+  #   cf.policy_server_address = "10.0.2.15"
+  # end
+
+  # Enable provisioning with Puppet stand alone.  Puppet manifests
+  # are contained in a directory path relative to this Vagrantfile.
+  # You will need to create the manifests directory and a manifest in
+  # the file default.pp in the manifests_path directory.
+  #
+  # config.vm.provision "puppet" do |puppet|
+  #   puppet.manifests_path = "manifests"
+  #   puppet.manifest_file  = "default.pp"
+  # end
+
+  # Enable provisioning with chef solo, specifying a cookbooks path, roles
+  # path, and data_bags path (all relative to this Vagrantfile), and adding
+  # some recipes and/or roles.
+  #
+  # config.vm.provision "chef_solo" do |chef|
+  #   chef.cookbooks_path = "../my-recipes/cookbooks"
+  #   chef.roles_path = "../my-recipes/roles"
+  #   chef.data_bags_path = "../my-recipes/data_bags"
+  #   chef.add_recipe "mysql"
+  #   chef.add_role "web"
+  #
+  #   # You may also specify custom JSON attributes:
+  #   chef.json = { mysql_password: "foo" }
+  # end
+
+  # Enable provisioning with chef server, specifying the chef server URL,
+  # and the path to the validation key (relative to this Vagrantfile).
+  #
+  # The Opscode Platform uses HTTPS. Substitute your organization for
+  # ORGNAME in the URL and validation key.
+  #
+  # If you have your own Chef Server, use the appropriate URL, which may be
+  # HTTP instead of HTTPS depending on your configuration. Also change the
+  # validation key to validation.pem.
+  #
+  # config.vm.provision "chef_client" do |chef|
+  #   chef.chef_server_url = "https://api.opscode.com/organizations/ORGNAME"
+  #   chef.validation_key_path = "ORGNAME-validator.pem"
+  # end
+  #
+  # If you're using the Opscode platform, your validator client is
+  # ORGNAME-validator, replacing ORGNAME with your organization name.
+  #
+  # If you have your own Chef Server, the default validation client name is
+  # chef-validator, unless you changed the configuration.
+  #
+  #   chef.validation_client_name = "ORGNAME-validator"
+end
diff --git a/provision.py b/provision.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba52a4fc67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/provision.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import os
+
+try:
+    import sh
+except ImportError:
+    import pbs as sh
+
+APT_DEPENDENCIES = {
+    "trusty": [
+        "libffi-dev",
+        "memcached",
+        "rabbitmq-server",
+        "libldap2-dev",
+        "redis-server",
+        "postgresql-server-dev-all",
+        "libmemcached-dev",
+        "postgresql-9.3",
+        "python-dev",
+        "hunspell-en-us",
+        "nodejs",
+        "python-virtualenv",
+        "git",
+    ]
+}
+
+# tsearch-extras is an extension to postgres's built-in full-text search.
+# TODO: use a real APT repository
+TSEARCH_URL_BASE = "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/283158365/zuliposs/"
+TSEARCH_PACKAGE_NAME = {
+    "trusty": "postgresql-9.3-tsearch-extras"
+}
+TSEARCH_VERSION = "0.1.2"
+# TODO: this path is platform-specific!
+TSEARCH_STOPWORDS_PATH = "/usr/share/postgresql/9.3/tsearch_data/"
+REPO_STOPWORDS_PATH = os.path.join(
+    ZULIP_PATH,
+    "puppet",
+    "zulip",
+    "files",
+    "postgresql",
+    "zulip_english.stop",
+)
+
+# TODO: support other architectures
+ARCH = "amd64"
+
+VENV_PATH="/srv/zulip-venv"
+ZULIP_PATH="/srv/zulip"
+
+with sh.sudo:
+    sh.apt_get.update()
+
+    # TODO(lfaraone): add support for other distros
+    sh.apt_get.install("-y", *APT_DEPENDENCIES["trusty"])
+
+temp_deb_path = sh.mktemp("--tmpdir", "package_XXXXXX.deb")
+
+sh.wget(
+    "{}/{}_{}_{}.deb".format(
+        TSEARCH_URL_BASE,
+        TSEARCH_PACKAGE_NAME["trusty"],
+        TSEARCH_VERSION,
+        ARCH,
+    ),
+    output_document=temp_deb_path,
+)
+
+with sh.sudo:
+    sh.dpkg("--install", temp_deb_path)
+
+with sh.sudo:
+    sh.rm("-rf", VENV_PATH)
+    sh.mkdir("-p", VENV_PATH)
+    sh.chown("{}:{}".format(os.getuid(), os.getgid()), VENV_PATH)
+
+sh.virtualenv(VENV_PATH)
+
+orig_path = os.environ["PATH"]
+os.environ["PATH"] = os.pathsep.join((
+        os.path.join(ZULIP_PATH, "tools"),
+        os.path.join(ZULIP_PATH, "scripts", "setup"),
+        orig_path
+))
+
+activate_this = os.path.join(VENV_PATH, "bin", "activate_this.py")
+execfile(activate_this, dict(__file__=activate_this))
+
+sh.pip.install(r="requirements.txt")
+with sh.sudo:
+    sh.cp(TSEARCH_STOPWORDS_PATH, REPO_STOPWORDS_PATH)
+
+os.chdir(ZULIP_PATH)
+
+import sys
+
+sh.configure_rabbitmq()
+sh.postgres_init_db()
+sh.do_destroy_rebuild_database()
+sh.postgres_init_test_db()
+sh.do_destroy_rebuild_test_database()