diff --git a/spec/classes/mysql_perl_spec.rb b/spec/classes/mysql_perl_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34f22f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/classes/mysql_perl_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe 'mysql::perl' do
+
+  describe 'on a debian based os' do
+    let :facts do
+      { :osfamily => 'Debian'}
+    end
+    it { should contain_package('perl_mysql').with(
+      :name     => 'libdbd-mysql-perl',
+      :ensure   => 'present',
+      # TODO is this what we want? does this actually work
+      # if the provider is blank
+      :provider => ''
+    )}
+  end
+
+  describe 'on a freebsd based os' do
+    let :facts do
+      { :osfamily => 'FreeBSD'}
+    end
+    it { should contain_package('perl_mysql').with(
+      :name     => 'p5-DBD-mysql',
+      :ensure   => 'present',
+      :provider => ''
+    )}
+  end
+
+  describe 'on a redhat based os' do
+    let :facts do
+      {:osfamily => 'Redhat'}
+    end
+    it { should contain_package('perl_mysql').with(
+      :name   => 'perl-DBD-MySQL',
+      :ensure => 'present',
+      :provider => ''
+    )}
+    describe 'when parameters are supplied' do
+      let :params do
+        {:package_ensure   => 'latest',
+         :package_provider => 'zypper',
+         :package_name     => 'mysql_perl'}
+      end
+      it { should contain_package('perl_mysql').with(
+        :name     => 'mysql_perl',
+        :ensure   => 'latest',
+        :provider => 'zypper'
+      )}
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'on any other os' do
+    let :facts do
+      {:osfamily => 'foo'}
+    end
+
+    it 'should fail' do
+      expect { subject }.to raise_error(/Unsupported osfamily: foo/)
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/tests/perl.pp b/tests/perl.pp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87e9417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/perl.pp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+include mysql::perl