diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index bab25db536..5307849e37 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ Style/BlockDelimiters:
   Description: Prefer braces for chaining. Mostly an aesthetical choice. Better to
     be consistent then.
   EnforcedStyle: braces_for_chaining
+Style/BracesAroundHashParameters:
+  Description: Braces are required by Ruby 2.7. Cop removed from RuboCop v0.80.0.
+    See https://github.com/rubocop-hq/rubocop/pull/7643
+  Enabled: true
 Style/ClassAndModuleChildren:
   Description: Compact style reduces the required amount of indentation.
   EnforcedStyle: compact
diff --git a/.vscode/extensions.json b/.vscode/extensions.json
index 6177782746..2f1e4f73a5 100644
--- a/.vscode/extensions.json
+++ b/.vscode/extensions.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "recommendations": [
-    "jpogran.puppet-vscode",
+    "puppet.puppet-vscode",
     "rebornix.Ruby"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index 52def0bf18..3a9986f1eb 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -88,5 +88,5 @@
   ],
   "pdk-version": "1.17.0",
   "template-url": "https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates#master",
-  "template-ref": "1.17.0-0-gd3a4319"
+  "template-ref": "heads/master-0-g095317c"
 }
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index bc023f51af..16764b6ff1 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     # set to strictest setting for testing
     # by default Puppet runs at warning level
     Puppet.settings[:strict] = :warning
+    Puppet.settings[:strict_variables] = true
   end
   c.filter_run_excluding(bolt: true) unless ENV['GEM_BOLT']
   c.after(:suite) do