diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/package/yum.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/package/yum.rb
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index c66c46c7e..f072779b9
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/package/yum.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/package/yum.rb
@@ -1,107 +1,106 @@
 require 'puppet/util/package'
 
 Puppet::Type.type(:package).provide :yum, :parent => :rpm, :source => :rpm do
   desc "Support via `yum`."
 
   has_feature :versionable
 
   commands :yum => "yum", :rpm => "rpm", :python => "python"
 
   YUMHELPER = File::join(File::dirname(__FILE__), "yumhelper.py")
 
   attr_accessor :latest_info
 
   if command('rpm')
     confine :true => begin
       rpm('--version')
       rescue Puppet::ExecutionFailure
         false
       else
         true
       end
   end
 
   defaultfor :operatingsystem => [:fedora, :centos, :redhat]
 
   def self.prefetch(packages)
     raise Puppet::Error, "The yum provider can only be used as root" if Process.euid != 0
     super
     return unless packages.detect { |name, package| package.should(:ensure) == :latest }
 
     # collect our 'latest' info
     updates = {}
     python(YUMHELPER).each_line do |l|
       l.chomp!
       next if l.empty?
       if l[0,4] == "_pkg"
         hash = nevra_to_hash(l[5..-1])
         [hash[:name], "#{hash[:name]}.#{hash[:arch]}"].each  do |n|
           updates[n] ||= []
           updates[n] << hash
         end
       end
     end
 
     # Add our 'latest' info to the providers.
     packages.each do |name, package|
       if info = updates[package[:name]]
         package.provider.latest_info = info[0]
       end
     end
   end
 
   def install
     should = @resource.should(:ensure)
     self.debug "Ensuring => #{should}"
     wanted = @resource[:name]
     operation = :install
 
-    # XXX: We don't actually deal with epochs here.
     case should
     when true, false, Symbol
       # pass
       should = nil
     else
       # Add the package version
       wanted += "-#{should}"
       is = self.query
       if is && Puppet::Util::Package.versioncmp(should, is[:ensure]) < 0
         self.debug "Downgrading package #{@resource[:name]} from version #{is[:ensure]} to #{should}"
         operation = :downgrade
       end
     end
 
     output = yum "-d", "0", "-e", "0", "-y", operation, wanted
 
     is = self.query
     raise Puppet::Error, "Could not find package #{self.name}" unless is
 
     # FIXME: Should we raise an exception even if should == :latest
     # and yum updated us to a version other than @param_hash[:ensure] ?
     raise Puppet::Error, "Failed to update to version #{should}, got version #{is[:ensure]} instead" if should && should != is[:ensure]
   end
 
   # What's the latest package version available?
   def latest
     upd = latest_info
     unless upd.nil?
       # FIXME: there could be more than one update for a package
       # because of multiarch
-      return "#{upd[:version]}-#{upd[:release]}"
+      return "#{upd[:epoch]}:#{upd[:version]}-#{upd[:release]}"
     else
       # Yum didn't find updates, pretend the current
       # version is the latest
       raise Puppet::DevError, "Tried to get latest on a missing package" if properties[:ensure] == :absent
       return properties[:ensure]
     end
   end
 
   def update
     # Install in yum can be used for update, too
     self.install
   end
 
   def purge
     yum "-y", :erase, @resource[:name]
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/provider/package/yum_spec.rb b/spec/unit/provider/package/yum_spec.rb
index 601c24009..5148ac079 100755
--- a/spec/unit/provider/package/yum_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/provider/package/yum_spec.rb
@@ -1,66 +1,110 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env rspec
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 provider = Puppet::Type.type(:package).provider(:yum)
 
 describe provider do
   before do
     # Create a mock resource
      @resource = stub 'resource'
      @resource.stubs(:[]).with(:name).returns 'mypackage'
      @provider = provider.new(@resource)
      @provider.stubs(:resource).returns @resource
      @provider.stubs(:yum).returns 'yum'
      @provider.stubs(:rpm).returns 'rpm'
      @provider.stubs(:get).with(:name).returns 'mypackage'
      @provider.stubs(:get).with(:version).returns '1'
      @provider.stubs(:get).with(:release).returns '1'
      @provider.stubs(:get).with(:arch).returns 'i386'
   end
   # provider should repond to the following methods
    [:install, :latest, :update, :purge].each do |method|
      it "should have a(n) #{method}" do
        @provider.should respond_to(method)
     end
   end
 
   describe 'when installing' do
     it 'should call yum install for :installed' do
       @resource.stubs(:should).with(:ensure).returns :installed
       @provider.expects(:yum).with('-d', '0', '-e', '0', '-y', :install, 'mypackage')
       @provider.install
     end
+
     it 'should use :install to update' do
       @provider.expects(:install)
       @provider.update
     end
+
     it 'should be able to set version' do
       @resource.stubs(:should).with(:ensure).returns '1.2'
       @provider.expects(:yum).with('-d', '0', '-e', '0', '-y', :install, 'mypackage-1.2')
       @provider.stubs(:query).returns :ensure => '1.2'
       @provider.install
     end
+
     it 'should be able to downgrade' do
       @resource.stubs(:should).with(:ensure).returns '1.0'
       @provider.expects(:yum).with('-d', '0', '-e', '0', '-y', :downgrade, 'mypackage-1.0')
       @provider.stubs(:query).returns(:ensure => '1.2').then.returns(:ensure => '1.0')
       @provider.install
     end
   end
 
   describe 'when uninstalling' do
     it 'should use erase to purge' do
       @provider.expects(:yum).with('-y', :erase, 'mypackage')
       @provider.purge
     end
+
     it 'should use rpm to uninstall' do
       @provider.expects(:rpm).with('-e', 'mypackage-1-1.i386')
       @provider.uninstall
     end
   end
 
   it 'should be versionable' do
     provider.should be_versionable
   end
-end
 
+  describe '#latest' do
+    describe 'when latest_info is nil' do
+      before :each do
+        @provider.stubs(:latest_info).returns(nil)
+      end
+
+      it 'raises if ensure is absent and latest_info is nil' do
+        @provider.stubs(:properties).returns({:ensure => :absent})
+
+        expect { @provider.latest }.to raise_error(
+          Puppet::DevError,
+          'Tried to get latest on a missing package'
+        )
+      end
+
+      it 'returns the ensure value if the package is not already installed' do
+        @provider.stubs(:properties).returns({:ensure => '3.4.5'})
+
+        @provider.latest.should == '3.4.5'
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe 'when latest_info is populated' do
+      before :each do
+        @provider.stubs(:latest_info).returns({
+          :name     => 'mypackage',
+          :epoch    => '1',
+          :version  => '2.3.4',
+          :release  => '5',
+          :arch     => 'i686',
+          :provider => :yum,
+          :ensure   => '2.3.4-5'
+        })
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the epoch in the version string' do
+        @provider.latest.should == '1:2.3.4-5'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end