diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider.rb b/lib/puppet/provider.rb
index 04d18233b..c964d1fe6 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider.rb
@@ -1,404 +1,404 @@
 # The container class for implementations.
 class Puppet::Provider
   include Puppet::Util
   include Puppet::Util::Errors
   include Puppet::Util::Warnings
   extend Puppet::Util::Warnings
 
   require 'puppet/provider/confiner'
   require 'puppet/provider/command'
 
   extend Puppet::Provider::Confiner
 
   Puppet::Util.logmethods(self, true)
 
   class << self
     # Include the util module so we have access to things like 'which'
     include Puppet::Util, Puppet::Util::Docs
     include Puppet::Util::Logging
     attr_accessor :name
 
     # The source parameter exists so that providers using the same
     # source can specify this, so reading doesn't attempt to read the
     # same package multiple times.
     attr_writer :source
 
     # LAK 2007-05-09: Keep the model stuff around for backward compatibility
     attr_reader :model
     attr_accessor :resource_type
     attr_writer :doc
   end
 
   # LAK 2007-05-09: Keep the model stuff around for backward compatibility
   attr_reader :model
   attr_accessor :resource
 
   # Provide access to execution of arbitrary commands in providers. Execution methods are
   # available on both the instance and the class of a provider because it seems that a lot of
   # providers switch between these contexts fairly freely.
   #
   # @see Puppet::Util::Execution for how to use these methods
   def execute(*args)
     Puppet::Util::Execution.execute(*args)
   end
 
   def self.execute(*args)
     Puppet::Util::Execution.execute(*args)
   end
 
   def execpipe(*args, &block)
     Puppet::Util::Execution.execpipe(*args, &block)
   end
 
-  def self.execpipe(*args)
-    Puppet::Util::Execution.execpipe(*args)
+  def self.execpipe(*args, &block)
+    Puppet::Util::Execution.execpipe(*args, &block)
   end
 
   def execfail(*args)
     Puppet::Util::Execution.execfail(*args)
   end
 
   def self.execfail(*args)
     Puppet::Util::Execution.execfail(*args)
   end
   #########
 
   def self.command(name)
     name = symbolize(name)
 
     if defined?(@commands) and command = @commands[name]
       # nothing
     elsif superclass.respond_to? :command and command = superclass.command(name)
       # nothing
     else
       raise Puppet::DevError, "No command #{name} defined for provider #{self.name}"
     end
 
     which(command)
   end
 
   # Define commands that are not optional.
   #
   # @param [Hash{String => String}] command_specs Named commands that the provider will 
   #   be executing on the system. Each command is specified with a name and the path of the executable.
   # (@see #has_command)
   def self.commands(command_specs)
     command_specs.each do |name, path|
       has_command(name, path)
     end
   end
 
   # Define commands that are optional.
   #
   # @param [Hash{String => String}] command_specs Named commands that the provider will 
   #   be executing on the system. Each command is specified with a name and the path of the executable.
   # (@see #has_command)
   def self.optional_commands(hash)
     hash.each do |name, target|
       has_command(name, target) do
         is_optional
       end
     end
   end
 
   # Define a single command
   #
   # A method will be generated on the provider that allows easy execution of the command. The generated 
   # method can take arguments that will be passed through to the executable as the command line arguments 
   # when it is run.
   #
   #     has_command(:echo, "/bin/echo")
   #     def some_method
   #       echo("arg 1", "arg 2")
   #     end
   #
   #     # or
   #
   #     has_command(:echo, "/bin/echo") do
   #       is_optional
   #       environment :HOME => "/var/tmp", :PWD => "/tmp"
   #     end
   #
   # @param [Symbol] name Name of the command (will be the name of the generated method to call the command)
   # @param [String] path The path to the executable for the command
   # @yield A block that configures the command (@see Puppet::Provider::Command) 
   def self.has_command(name, path, &block)
     name = symbolize(name)
     configuration = block_given? ? block : Proc.new {}
     command = CommandDefiner.define(name, path, self, &configuration)
 
     @commands[name] = command.executable
 
     # Now define the class and instance methods.
     create_class_and_instance_method(name) do |*args|
       return command.execute(*args)
     end
   end
 
   class CommandDefiner
     private_class_method :new
 
     def self.define(name, path, confiner, &block)
       definer = new(name, path, confiner)
       definer.instance_eval &block
       definer.command
     end
 
     def initialize(name, path, confiner)
       @name = name
       @path = path
       @optional = false
       @confiner = confiner
       @custom_environment = {}
     end
 
     def is_optional
       @optional = true
     end
 
     def environment(env)
       @custom_environment = @custom_environment.merge(env)
     end
 
     def command
       if not @optional
         @confiner.confine :exists => @path, :for_binary => true
       end
 
       Puppet::Provider::Command.new(@name, @path, Puppet::Util, Puppet::Util::Execution, { :custom_environment => @custom_environment })
     end
   end
 
   # Is the provided feature a declared feature?
   def self.declared_feature?(name)
     defined?(@declared_features) and @declared_features.include?(name)
   end
 
   # Does this implementation match all of the default requirements?  If
   # defaults are empty, we return false.
   def self.default?
     return false if @defaults.empty?
     if @defaults.find do |fact, values|
         values = [values] unless values.is_a? Array
         if fval = Facter.value(fact).to_s and fval != ""
           fval = fval.to_s.downcase.intern
         else
           return false
         end
 
         # If any of the values match, we're a default.
         if values.find do |value| fval == value.to_s.downcase.intern end
           false
         else
           true
         end
       end
       return false
     else
       return true
     end
   end
 
   # Store how to determine defaults.
   def self.defaultfor(hash)
     hash.each do |d,v|
       @defaults[d] = v
     end
   end
 
   def self.specificity
     (@defaults.length * 100) + ancestors.select { |a| a.is_a? Class }.length
   end
 
   def self.initvars
     @defaults = {}
     @commands = {}
   end
 
   # The method for returning a list of provider instances.  Note that it returns providers, preferably with values already
   # filled in, not resources.
   def self.instances
     raise Puppet::DevError, "Provider #{self.name} has not defined the 'instances' class method"
   end
 
   # Create the methods for a given command.
   #
   # @deprecated Use {#commands}, {#optional_commands}, or {#has_command} instead. This was not meant to be part of a public API
   def self.make_command_methods(name)
     Puppet.deprecation_warning "Provider.make_command_methods is deprecated; use Provider.commands or Provider.optional_commands instead for creating command methods"
 
     # Now define a method for that command
     unless singleton_class.method_defined?(name)
       meta_def(name) do |*args|
         # This might throw an ExecutionFailure, but the system above
         # will catch it, if so.
         command = Puppet::Provider::Command.new(name, command(name), Puppet::Util, Puppet::Util::Execution)
         return command.execute(*args)
       end
 
       # And then define an instance method that just calls the class method.
       # We need both, so both instances and classes can easily run the commands.
       unless method_defined?(name)
         define_method(name) do |*args|
           self.class.send(name, *args)
         end
       end
     end
   end
 
   # Create getter/setter methods for each property our resource type supports.
   # They all get stored in @property_hash.  This method is useful
   # for those providers that use prefetch and flush.
   def self.mkmodelmethods
     Puppet.deprecation_warning "Provider.mkmodelmethods is deprecated; use Provider.mk_resource_methods"
     mk_resource_methods
   end
 
   # Create getter/setter methods for each property our resource type supports.
   # They all get stored in @property_hash.  This method is useful
   # for those providers that use prefetch and flush.
   def self.mk_resource_methods
     [resource_type.validproperties, resource_type.parameters].flatten.each do |attr|
       attr = symbolize(attr)
       next if attr == :name
       define_method(attr) do
         @property_hash[attr] || :absent
       end
 
       define_method(attr.to_s + "=") do |val|
         @property_hash[attr] = val
       end
     end
   end
 
   self.initvars
 
   def self.create_class_and_instance_method(name, &block)
     unless singleton_class.method_defined?(name)
       meta_def(name, &block)
     end
 
     unless method_defined?(name)
       define_method(name) do |*args|
         self.class.send(name, *args)
       end
     end
   end
   private_class_method :create_class_and_instance_method
 
   # Retrieve the data source.  Defaults to the provider name.
   def self.source
     @source ||= self.name
   end
 
   # Does this provider support the specified parameter?
   def self.supports_parameter?(param)
     if param.is_a?(Class)
       klass = param
     else
       unless klass = resource_type.attrclass(param)
         raise Puppet::DevError, "'#{param}' is not a valid parameter for #{resource_type.name}"
       end
     end
     return true unless features = klass.required_features
 
     !!satisfies?(*features)
   end
 
 #    def self.to_s
 #        unless defined?(@str)
 #            if self.resource_type
 #                @str = "#{resource_type.name} provider #{self.name}"
 #            else
 #                @str = "unattached provider #{self.name}"
 #            end
 #        end
 #        @str
 #    end
 
   dochook(:defaults) do
     if @defaults.length > 0
       return "Default for " + @defaults.collect do |f, v|
         "`#{f}` == `#{[v].flatten.join(', ')}`"
       end.join(" and ") + "."
     end
   end
 
   dochook(:commands) do
     if @commands.length > 0
       return "Required binaries: " + @commands.collect do |n, c|
         "`#{c}`"
       end.join(", ") + "."
     end
   end
 
   dochook(:features) do
     if features.length > 0
       return "Supported features: " + features.collect do |f|
         "`#{f}`"
       end.join(", ") + "."
     end
   end
 
   # Remove the reference to the resource, so GC can clean up.
   def clear
     @resource = nil
     @model = nil
   end
 
   # Retrieve a named command.
   def command(name)
     self.class.command(name)
   end
 
   # Get a parameter value.
   def get(param)
     @property_hash[symbolize(param)] || :absent
   end
 
   def initialize(resource = nil)
     if resource.is_a?(Hash)
       # We don't use a duplicate here, because some providers (ParsedFile, at least)
       # use the hash here for later events.
       @property_hash = resource
     elsif resource
       @resource = resource
       # LAK 2007-05-09: Keep the model stuff around for backward compatibility
       @model = resource
       @property_hash = {}
     else
       @property_hash = {}
     end
   end
 
   def name
     if n = @property_hash[:name]
       return n
     elsif self.resource
       resource.name
     else
       raise Puppet::DevError, "No resource and no name in property hash in #{self.class.name} instance"
     end
   end
 
   # Set passed params as the current values.
   def set(params)
     params.each do |param, value|
       @property_hash[symbolize(param)] = value
     end
   end
 
   def to_s
     "#{@resource}(provider=#{self.class.name})"
   end
 
   # Make providers comparable.
   include Comparable
   def <=>(other)
     # We can only have ordering against other providers.
     return nil unless other.is_a? Puppet::Provider
     # Otherwise, order by the providers class name.
     return self.class.name <=> other.class.name
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/provider/package/rpm_spec.rb b/spec/unit/provider/package/rpm_spec.rb
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..9cefda595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/provider/package/rpm_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env rspec
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+provider_class = Puppet::Type.type(:package).provider(:rpm)
+
+describe provider_class do
+  subject { provider_class }
+
+  let (:packages) do
+    <<-RPM_OUTPUT
+    cracklib-dicts 0 2.8.9 3.3 x86_64
+    basesystem 0 8.0 5.1.1.el5.centos noarch
+    chkconfig 0 1.3.30.2 2.el5 x86_64
+    RPM_OUTPUT
+  end
+
+  describe "self.instances" do
+    it "returns an array of packages" do
+      Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execute).with(["/bin/rpm", "--version"], {:custom_environment => {}}).returns("RPM version 5.x")
+      Puppet::Util.stubs(:which).with("rpm").returns("/bin/rpm")
+      subject.stubs(:which).with("rpm").returns("/bin/rpm")
+      Puppet::Util::Execution.expects(:execpipe).with("/bin/rpm -qa --nosignature --nodigest --qf '%{NAME} %|EPOCH?{%{EPOCH}}:{0}| %{VERSION} %{RELEASE} %{ARCH}\n'").yields(packages)
+
+      installed_packages = subject.instances
+
+      installed_packages[0].properties.should ==
+        {
+          :provider => :rpm,
+          :name => "cracklib-dicts",
+          :epoch => "0",
+          :version => "2.8.9",
+          :release => "3.3",
+          :arch => "x86_64",
+          :ensure => "2.8.9-3.3"
+        }
+      installed_packages[1].properties.should ==
+        {
+          :provider => :rpm,
+          :name => "basesystem",
+          :epoch => "0",
+          :version => "8.0",
+          :release => "5.1.1.el5.centos",
+          :arch => "noarch",
+          :ensure => "8.0-5.1.1.el5.centos"
+        }
+      installed_packages[2].properties.should ==
+        {
+          :provider => :rpm,
+          :name => "chkconfig",
+          :epoch => "0",
+          :version => "1.3.30.2",
+          :release => "2.el5",
+          :arch => "x86_64",
+          :ensure => "1.3.30.2-2.el5"
+        }
+    end
+  end
+end