diff --git a/.dependency_decisions.yml b/.dependency_decisions.yml
index 265ddd01..78698538 100644
--- a/.dependency_decisions.yml
+++ b/.dependency_decisions.yml
@@ -89,3 +89,10 @@
     :why: https://github.com/masover/blankslate/blob/f0a73b80c34bc3ad94dc3195d12a227a8fe30019/MIT-LICENSE
     :versions: []
     :when: 2017-11-17 14:05:09.534340925 Z
+- - :license
+  - puppetlabs_spec_helper
+  - Apache 2.0
+  - :who: DavidS
+    :why: 
+    :versions: []
+    :when: 2018-03-09 18:04:29.175843919 Z
diff --git a/.fixtures.yml b/.fixtures.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf4c5dc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.fixtures.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# This file can be used to install module depdencies for unit testing
+# See https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppetlabs_spec_helper#using-fixtures for details
+---
+fixtures:
+  forge_modules:
+#     stdlib: "puppetlabs/stdlib"
+  symlinks:
+    test_module: "#{source_dir}/spec/fixtures/test_module"
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8eb3b06b..dedffc53 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,3 +10,6 @@
 
 # rspec failure tracking
 .rspec_status
+
+# puppetlabs_spec_helper automatic fixtures
+spec/fixtures/modules/test_module
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index ccc7855a..8b2fa581 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ group :tests do
   gem 'rubocop-rspec'
   gem 'rubocop'
   gem 'simplecov-console'
+  # the test gems required for module testing
+  gem 'puppetlabs_spec_helper', github: 'DavidS/puppetlabs_spec_helper', ref: 'refactor'
+  gem 'rspec-puppet'
 end
 
 group :development do
@@ -39,5 +42,5 @@ end
 if ENV['PUPPET_GEM_VERSION']
   gem 'puppet', *location_for(ENV['PUPPET_GEM_VERSION'])
 else
-  gem 'puppet', git: 'https://github.com/DavidS/puppet', ref: 'device-apply'
+  gem 'puppet', github: 'DavidS/puppet', ref: 'device-apply'
 end
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index bc1f5624..c4b4ccae 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'bundler/gem_tasks'
+require 'puppetlabs_spec_helper/tasks/fixtures'
 
 task :default => :spec
 
@@ -13,7 +14,9 @@ end
 require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
 
 RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(:spec) do |t|
-  excludes = ['fixtures/**/*.rb']
+  Rake::Task[:spec_prep].invoke
+  # thanks to the fixtures/modules/ symlinks this needs to exclude fixture modules explicitely
+  excludes = ['fixtures/**/*.rb,fixtures/modules/*/**/*.rb']
   if RUBY_PLATFORM == 'java'
     excludes += ['acceptance/**/*.rb', 'integration/**/*.rb', 'puppet/resource_api/*_context_spec.rb', 'puppet/util/network_device/simple/device_spec.rb']
     t.rspec_opts = '--tag ~agent_test'
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 7eea1494..18da6220 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 require 'bundler/setup'
 require 'puppet/resource_api'
+require 'puppetlabs_spec_helper/module_spec_helper'
 
 RSpec.configure do |config|
   # Enable flags like --only-failures and --next-failure
@@ -42,4 +43,7 @@
   config.expect_with :rspec do |c|
     c.syntax = :expect
   end
+
+  # override legacy default from puppetlabs_spec_helper
+  config.mock_with :rspec
 end