diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f86acb60c..49bc2a401 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 /Gemfile.lock
 /junit/
 /log/
-/log/
 /pkg/
 /spec/fixtures/manifests/
 /spec/fixtures/modules/
 /tmp/
 /vendor/
 /convert_report.txt
+/update_report.txt
 .DS_Store
diff --git a/.pdkignore b/.pdkignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..49bc2a401
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.pdkignore
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+.*.sw[op]
+.metadata
+.yardoc
+.yardwarns
+*.iml
+/.bundle/
+/.idea/
+/.vagrant/
+/coverage/
+/bin/
+/doc/
+/Gemfile.local
+/Gemfile.lock
+/junit/
+/log/
+/pkg/
+/spec/fixtures/manifests/
+/spec/fixtures/modules/
+/tmp/
+/vendor/
+/convert_report.txt
+/update_report.txt
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index bd272d16a..783b4521b 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -10,11 +10,14 @@ AllCops:
   Exclude:
   - bin/*
   - ".vendor/**/*"
-  - Gemfile
-  - Rakefile
+  - "**/Gemfile"
+  - "**/Rakefile"
   - pkg/**/*
   - spec/fixtures/**/*
   - vendor/**/*
+  - "**/Puppetfile"
+  - "**/Vagrantfile"
+  - "**/Guardfile"
 Metrics/LineLength:
   Description: People have wide screens, use them.
   Max: 200
@@ -66,6 +69,8 @@ Style/SymbolArray:
   Description: Using percent style obscures symbolic intent of array's contents.
   EnforcedStyle: brackets
 inherit_from: ".rubocop_todo.yml"
+RSpec/MessageSpies:
+  EnforcedStyle: receive
 Style/CollectionMethods:
   Enabled: true
 Style/MethodCalledOnDoEndBlock:
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 14288376f..0c7489b0d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -16,14 +16,15 @@ bundler_args: --without system_tests
 rvm:
   - 2.4.1
 env:
-  - PUPPET_GEM_VERSION="~> 5.0" CHECK=spec
+  global:
+    - BEAKER_PUPPET_COLLECTION=puppet5 PUPPET_GEM_VERSION="~> 5.0"
 matrix:
   fast_finish: true
   include:
     -
       bundler_args: 
       dist: trusty
-      env: PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=agent BEAKER_debug=true BEAKER_set=docker/centos-7
+      env: PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=agent BEAKER_debug=true BEAKER_PUPPET_COLLECTION=puppet5 BEAKER_set=docker/centos-7
       rvm: 2.4.1
       script: bundle exec rake beaker
       services: docker
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ matrix:
     -
       bundler_args: 
       dist: trusty
-      env: PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=agent BEAKER_debug=true BEAKER_set=docker/ubuntu-14.04
+      env: PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=agent BEAKER_debug=true BEAKER_PUPPET_COLLECTION=puppet5 BEAKER_set=docker/ubuntu-14.04
       rvm: 2.4.1
       script: bundle exec rake beaker
       services: docker
@@ -43,11 +44,11 @@ matrix:
     -
       env: CHECK=metadata_lint
     -
-      env: CHECK=release_checks
+      env: CHECK="check:symlinks check:git_ignore check:dot_underscore check:test_file"
     -
-      env: CHECK=spec
+      env: CHECK=parallel_spec
     -
-      env: PUPPET_GEM_VERSION="~> 4.0" CHECK=spec
+      env: PUPPET_GEM_VERSION="~> 4.0" CHECK=parallel_spec
       rvm: 2.1.9
 branches:
   only:
diff --git a/.yardopts b/.yardopts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29c933bcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.yardopts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+--markup markdown
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 2ededb50a..102102e7f 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -28,11 +28,12 @@ group :development do
   gem "fast_gettext",                                  require: false if Gem::Version.new(RUBY_VERSION.dup) >= Gem::Version.new('2.1.0')
   gem "json_pure", '<= 2.0.1',                         require: false if Gem::Version.new(RUBY_VERSION.dup) < Gem::Version.new('2.0.0')
   gem "json", '= 1.8.1',                               require: false if Gem::Version.new(RUBY_VERSION.dup) == Gem::Version.new('2.1.9')
+  gem "json", '<= 2.0.4',                              require: false if Gem::Version.new(RUBY_VERSION.dup) == Gem::Version.new('2.4.4')
   gem "puppet-module-posix-default-r#{minor_version}", require: false, platforms: [:ruby]
   gem "puppet-module-posix-dev-r#{minor_version}",     require: false, platforms: [:ruby]
   gem "puppet-module-win-default-r#{minor_version}",   require: false, platforms: [:mswin, :mingw, :x64_mingw]
   gem "puppet-module-win-dev-r#{minor_version}",       require: false, platforms: [:mswin, :mingw, :x64_mingw]
-  gem "puppet-blacksmith", '~> 3.4',                   require: false
+  gem "puppet-blacksmith", '~> 3.4',                   require: false, platforms: [:ruby]
   gem "puppet-lint-i18n",                              require: false
 end
 group :system_tests do
@@ -50,73 +51,24 @@ puppet_type = gem_type(puppet_version)
 facter_version = ENV['FACTER_GEM_VERSION']
 hiera_version = ENV['HIERA_GEM_VERSION']
 
-def puppet_older_than?(version)
-  puppet_version = ENV['PUPPET_GEM_VERSION']
-  !puppet_version.nil? &&
-    Gem::Version.correct?(puppet_version) &&
-    Gem::Requirement.new("< #{version}").satisfied_by?(Gem::Version.new(puppet_version.dup))
-end
-
 gems = {}
 
 gems['puppet'] = location_for(puppet_version)
 
 # If facter or hiera versions have been specified via the environment
-# variables, use those versions. If not, and if the puppet version is < 3.5.0,
-# use known good versions of both for puppet < 3.5.0.
-if facter_version
-  gems['facter'] = location_for(facter_version)
-elsif puppet_type == :gem && puppet_older_than?('3.5.0')
-  gems['facter'] = ['>= 1.6.11', '<= 1.7.5', require: false]
-end
-
-if hiera_version
-  gems['hiera'] = location_for(ENV['HIERA_GEM_VERSION'])
-elsif puppet_type == :gem && puppet_older_than?('3.5.0')
-  gems['hiera'] = ['>= 1.0.0', '<= 1.3.0', require: false]
-end
+# variables
 
-if Gem.win_platform? && (puppet_type != :gem || puppet_older_than?('3.5.0'))
-  # For Puppet gems < 3.5.0 (tested as far back as 3.0.0) on Windows
-  if puppet_type == :gem
-    gems['ffi'] =            ['1.9.0',                require: false]
-    gems['minitar'] =        ['0.5.4',                require: false]
-    gems['win32-eventlog'] = ['0.5.3',    '<= 0.6.5', require: false]
-    gems['win32-process'] =  ['0.6.5',    '<= 0.7.5', require: false]
-    gems['win32-security'] = ['~> 0.1.2', '<= 0.2.5', require: false]
-    gems['win32-service'] =  ['0.7.2',    '<= 0.8.8', require: false]
-  else
-    gems['ffi'] =            ['~> 1.9.0',             require: false]
-    gems['minitar'] =        ['~> 0.5.4',             require: false]
-    gems['win32-eventlog'] = ['~> 0.5',   '<= 0.6.5', require: false]
-    gems['win32-process'] =  ['~> 0.6',   '<= 0.7.5', require: false]
-    gems['win32-security'] = ['~> 0.1',   '<= 0.2.5', require: false]
-    gems['win32-service'] =  ['~> 0.7',   '<= 0.8.8', require: false]
-  end
-
-  gems['win32-dir'] = ['~> 0.3', '<= 0.4.9', require: false]
-
-  if RUBY_VERSION.start_with?('1.')
-    gems['win32console'] = ['1.3.2', require: false]
-    # sys-admin was removed in Puppet 3.7.0 and doesn't compile under Ruby 2.x
-    gems['sys-admin'] =    ['1.5.6', require: false]
-  end
+gems['facter'] = location_for(facter_version) if facter_version
+gems['hiera'] = location_for(hiera_version) if hiera_version
 
-  # Puppet < 3.7.0 requires these.
-  # Puppet >= 3.5.0 gem includes these as requirements.
-  # The following versions are tested to work with 3.0.0 <= puppet < 3.7.0.
-  gems['win32-api'] =           ['1.4.8', require: false]
-  gems['win32-taskscheduler'] = ['0.2.2', require: false]
-  gems['windows-api'] =         ['0.4.3', require: false]
-  gems['windows-pr'] =          ['1.2.3', require: false]
-elsif Gem.win_platform?
+if Gem.win_platform? && puppet_version =~ %r{^(file:///|git://)}
   # If we're using a Puppet gem on Windows which handles its own win32-xxx gem
   # dependencies (>= 3.5.0), set the maximum versions (see PUP-6445).
   gems['win32-dir'] =      ['<= 0.4.9', require: false]
   gems['win32-eventlog'] = ['<= 0.6.5', require: false]
   gems['win32-process'] =  ['<= 0.7.5', require: false]
   gems['win32-security'] = ['<= 0.2.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-service'] =  ['<= 0.8.8', require: false]
+  gems['win32-service'] =  ['0.8.8', require: false]
 end
 
 gems.each do |gem_name, gem_params|
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index f39d8351c..19fe5040b 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 require 'puppetlabs_spec_helper/rake_tasks'
 require 'puppet-syntax/tasks/puppet-syntax'
-require 'puppet_blacksmith/rake_tasks'
+require 'puppet_blacksmith/rake_tasks' if Bundler.rubygems.find_name('puppet-blacksmith').any?
 require 'puppet_pot_generator/rake_tasks'
+
+PuppetLint.configuration.send('relative')
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index 6a86aad08..5e1249f4c 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
     }
   ],
   "description": "MySQL module",
-  "template-url": "file:///opt/puppetlabs/pdk/share/cache/pdk-templates.git",
-  "template-ref": "1.3.2-0-g07678c8"
+  "template-url": "https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates",
+  "template-ref": "heads/master-0-gfe44b98",
+  "pdk-version": "1.5.0"
 }
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index c20a31773..8554b4332 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
+
 require 'puppetlabs_spec_helper/module_spec_helper'
 require 'rspec-puppet-facts'
+
+begin
+  require 'spec_helper_local' if File.file?(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'spec_helper_local.rb'))
+rescue LoadError => loaderror
+  warn "Could not require spec_helper_local: #{loaderror.message}"
+end
+
 include RspecPuppetFacts
 
 default_facts = {
@@ -20,5 +28,10 @@
 
 RSpec.configure do |c|
   c.default_facts = default_facts
+  c.before :each do
+    # set to strictest setting for testing
+    # by default Puppet runs at warning level
+    Puppet.settings[:strict] = :warning
+  end
 end
 require 'spec_helper_local'