diff --git a/spec/system/concat_spec.rb b/spec/system/concat_spec.rb
index 943de7e..ee754f6 100644
--- a/spec/system/concat_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/concat_spec.rb
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ describe 'basic concat test' do
   end
 
   context 'owner/group root' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file':
         owner => 'root',
         group => 'root',
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe 'basic concat test' do
         content => '2',
         order   => '02',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
 
     it_behaves_like 'successfully_applied', pp
 
diff --git a/spec/system/deprecation_warnings_spec.rb b/spec/system/deprecation_warnings_spec.rb
index 58e1e76..0cb5a01 100644
--- a/spec/system/deprecation_warnings_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/deprecation_warnings_spec.rb
@@ -13,75 +13,75 @@ describe 'deprecation warnings' do
   end
 
   context 'concat gnu parameter' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file':
         gnu => 'foo',
       }
       concat::fragment { 'foo':
         target => '/tmp/concat/file',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
     w = 'The $gnu parameter to concat is deprecated and has no effect'
 
     it_behaves_like 'has_warning', pp, w
   end
 
   context 'concat::fragment mode parameter' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file': }
       concat::fragment { 'foo':
         target => '/tmp/concat/file',
         mode   => 'bar',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
     w = 'The $mode parameter to concat::fragment is deprecated and has no effect'
 
     it_behaves_like 'has_warning', pp, w
   end
 
   context 'concat::fragment owner parameter' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file': }
       concat::fragment { 'foo':
         target => '/tmp/concat/file',
         owner  => 'bar',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
     w = 'The $owner parameter to concat::fragment is deprecated and has no effect'
 
     it_behaves_like 'has_warning', pp, w
   end
 
   context 'concat::fragment group parameter' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file': }
       concat::fragment { 'foo':
         target => '/tmp/concat/file',
         group  => 'bar',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
     w = 'The $group parameter to concat::fragment is deprecated and has no effect'
 
     it_behaves_like 'has_warning', pp, w
   end
 
   context 'concat::fragment backup parameter' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file': }
       concat::fragment { 'foo':
         target => '/tmp/concat/file',
         backup => 'bar',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
     w = 'The $backup parameter to concat::fragment is deprecated and has no effect'
 
     it_behaves_like 'has_warning', pp, w
   end
 
   context 'include concat::setup' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       include concat::setup
-    "
+    EOS
     w = 'concat::setup is deprecated as a public API of the concat module and should no longer be directly included in the manifest.'
 
     it_behaves_like 'has_warning', pp, w
diff --git a/spec/system/empty_spec.rb b/spec/system/empty_spec.rb
index 67d968e..383f478 100644
--- a/spec/system/empty_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/empty_spec.rb
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@ require 'spec_helper_system'
 
 describe 'basic concat test' do
   context 'should run successfully' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file':
         owner => root,
         group => root,
         mode  => '0644',
         force => true,
       }
-    "
+    EOS
 
     context puppet_apply(pp) do
       its(:stderr) { should be_empty }
diff --git a/spec/system/fragment_list_source_spec.rb b/spec/system/fragment_list_source_spec.rb
index 5716ef7..ab15948 100644
--- a/spec/system/fragment_list_source_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/fragment_list_source_spec.rb
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@ require 'spec_helper_system'
 
 describe 'concat::fragment source lists ' do
   context 'should create files containing first match only.' do
-    file1_contents="file1 contents"
-    file2_contents="file2 contents"
+    let(:file1_contents) { 'file1 contents' }
+    let(:file2_contents) { 'file2 contents' }
     before(:all) do
+
       shell("/bin/echo '#{file1_contents}' > /tmp/concat/file1")
       shell("/bin/echo '#{file2_contents}' > /tmp/concat/file2")
     end
-    pp="
-      
+
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/result_file1':
         owner   => root,
         group   => root,
@@ -41,7 +42,8 @@ describe 'concat::fragment source lists ' do
         source => [ '/tmp/concat/file1', '/tmp/concat/file2' ],
         order   => '01',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
+
     context puppet_apply(pp) do
       its(:stderr) { should be_empty }
       its(:exit_code) { should_not == 1 }
@@ -70,7 +72,8 @@ describe 'concat::fragment source lists ' do
     before(:all) do
       shell("/bin/rm /tmp/concat/fail_no_source /tmp/concat/nofilehere /tmp/concat/nothereeither")
     end
-    pp="
+
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/fail_no_source':
         owner   => root,
         group   => root,
@@ -82,7 +85,8 @@ describe 'concat::fragment source lists ' do
         source => [ '/tmp/concat/nofilehere', '/tmp/concat/nothereeither' ],
         order   => '01',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
+
     context puppet_apply(pp) do
       its(:exit_code) { should_not be_zero }
       its(:exit_code) { should_not == 1 }
diff --git a/spec/system/replace_spec.rb b/spec/system/replace_spec.rb
index 4844087..3cd18ba 100644
--- a/spec/system/replace_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/replace_spec.rb
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ require 'spec_helper_system'
 
 
 describe 'file should not replace' do
-  shell('echo "file exists" >> /tmp/concat/file')
+  before(:all) do
+    shell('echo "file exists" > /tmp/concat/file')
+  end
+
   context 'should fail' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file':
         owner   => root,
         group   => root,
@@ -23,7 +26,7 @@ describe 'file should not replace' do
         content => '2',
         order   => '02',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
 
     context puppet_apply(pp) do
       its(:stderr) { should be_empty }
diff --git a/spec/system/symbolic_name_spec.rb b/spec/system/symbolic_name_spec.rb
index 239aa80..caae647 100644
--- a/spec/system/symbolic_name_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/symbolic_name_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 require 'spec_helper_system'
 
 describe 'symbolic name' do
-  pp="
+  pp = <<-EOS
     concat { 'not_abs_path':
       path => '/tmp/concat/file',
     }
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe 'symbolic name' do
       content => '2',
       order   => '02',
     }
-  "
+  EOS
 
   context puppet_apply(pp) do
     its(:stderr) { should be_empty }
diff --git a/spec/system/warn_spec.rb b/spec/system/warn_spec.rb
index d5052ba..405dfd6 100644
--- a/spec/system/warn_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/warn_spec.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ require 'spec_helper_system'
 
 describe 'basic concat test' do
   context 'should run successfully' do
-    pp="
+    pp = <<-EOS
       concat { '/tmp/concat/file':
         owner => root,
         group => root,
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ describe 'basic concat test' do
         content => '2',
         order   => '02',
       }
-    "
+    EOS
 
     context puppet_apply(pp) do
       its(:stderr) { should be_empty }