diff --git a/spec/unit/type/ssh_authorized_key_spec.rb b/spec/unit/type/ssh_authorized_key_spec.rb
index a5f167165..71b8a9ab0 100755
--- a/spec/unit/type/ssh_authorized_key_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/type/ssh_authorized_key_spec.rb
@@ -1,151 +1,261 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env rspec
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 ssh_authorized_key = Puppet::Type.type(:ssh_authorized_key)
 
 describe ssh_authorized_key do
   before do
     @class = Puppet::Type.type(:ssh_authorized_key)
 
     @provider_class = stub 'provider_class', :name => "fake", :suitable? => true, :supports_parameter? => true
     @class.stubs(:defaultprovider).returns(@provider_class)
     @class.stubs(:provider).returns(@provider_class)
 
     @provider = stub 'provider', :class => @provider_class, :file_path => "/tmp/whatever", :clear => nil
     @provider_class.stubs(:new).returns(@provider)
     @catalog = Puppet::Resource::Catalog.new
   end
 
-  it "should have a name parameter" do
-    @class.attrtype(:name).should == :param
-  end
-
   it "should have :name be its namevar" do
     @class.key_attributes.should == [:name]
   end
 
-  it "should have a :provider parameter" do
-    @class.attrtype(:provider).should == :param
-  end
+  describe "when validating attributes" do
 
-  it "should have an ensure property" do
-    @class.attrtype(:ensure).should == :property
-  end
+    [:name, :provider].each do |param|
+      it "should have a #{param} parameter" do
+        @class.attrtype(param).should == :param
+      end
+    end
 
-  it "should support :present as a value for :ensure" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :ensure => :present, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
-  end
+    [:type, :key, :user, :target, :options, :ensure].each do |property|
+      it "should have a #{property} property" do
+        @class.attrtype(property).should == :property
+      end
+    end
 
-  it "should support :absent as a value for :ensure" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :ensure => :absent, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
   end
 
-  it "should have an type property" do
-    @class.attrtype(:type).should == :property
-  end
-  it "should support ssh-dss as an type value" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => "ssh-dss", :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
-  end
-  it "should support ssh-rsa as an type value" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => "ssh-rsa", :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
-  end
-  it "should support :dsa as an type value" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :dsa, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
-  end
-  it "should support :rsa as an type value" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
-  end
+  describe "when validating values" do
 
-  it "should not support values other than ssh-dss, ssh-rsa, dsa, rsa in the ssh_authorized_key_type" do
-    proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :something) }.should raise_error(Puppet::Error)
-  end
+    describe "for name" do
 
-  it "should have an key property" do
-    @class.attrtype(:key).should == :property
-  end
+      it "should support valid names" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "username", :ensure => :present, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "username@hostname", :ensure => :present, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
 
-  it "should have an user property" do
-    @class.attrtype(:user).should == :property
-  end
+      it "should not support whitespaces" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "my test", :ensure => :present, :user => "nobody") }.should raise_error(Puppet::Error,/Resourcename must not contain whitespace/)
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "my\ttest", :ensure => :present, :user => "nobody") }.should raise_error(Puppet::Error,/Resourcename must not contain whitespace/)
+      end
 
-  it "should have an options property" do
-    @class.attrtype(:options).should == :property
-  end
+    end
 
-  it "'s options property should return well formed string of arrays from is_to_s" do
-    resource = @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => ["a","b","c"])
+    describe "for ensure" do
 
-    resource.property(:options).is_to_s(["a","b","c"]).should == "a,b,c"
-  end
+      it "should support :present" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :ensure => :present, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
 
-  it "'s options property should return well formed string of arrays from is_to_s" do
-    resource = @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => ["a","b","c"])
+      it "should support :absent" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :ensure => :absent, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
 
-    resource.property(:options).should_to_s(["a","b","c"]).should == "a,b,c"
-  end
+      it "should not support other values" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :ensure => :foo, :user => "nobody") }.should raise_error(Puppet::Error, /Invalid value/)
+      end
+
+    end
+
+    describe "for type" do
+
+
+      it "should support ssh-dss" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => "ssh-dss", :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support ssh-rsa" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => "ssh-rsa", :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support :dsa" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :dsa, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support :rsa" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should alias :rsa to :ssh-rsa" do
+        key = @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody")
+        key.should(:type).should == :'ssh-rsa'
+      end
+
+      it "should alias :dsa to :ssh-dss" do
+        key = @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :dsa, :user => "nobody")
+        key.should(:type).should == :'ssh-dss'
+      end
+
+      it "should not support values other than ssh-dss, ssh-rsa, dsa, rsa" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :something) }.should raise_error(Puppet::Error,/Invalid value/)
+      end
+
+    end
+
+    describe "for key" do
+
+      it "should support a valid key like a 1024 bit rsa key" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :key => 'AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAAAgQDCPfzW2ry7XvMc6E5Kj2e5fF/YofhKEvsNMUogR3PGL/HCIcBlsEjKisrY0aYgD8Ikp7ZidpXLbz5dBsmPy8hJiBWs5px9ZQrB/EOQAwXljvj69EyhEoGawmxQMtYw+OAIKHLJYRuk1QiHAMHLp5piqem8ZCV2mLb9AsJ6f7zUVw==')}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support a valid key like a 4096 bit rsa key" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :key => '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')}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support a valid key like a 1024 bit dsa key" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :dsa, :user => "nobody", :key => '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')}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should not support whitespaces" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :key => 'AAA FA==')}.should raise_error(Puppet::Error,/Key must not contain whitespace/)
+      end
+
+    end
+
+    describe "for options" do
+
+      it "should support flags as options" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => 'cert-authority')}.should_not raise_error
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => 'no-port-forwarding')}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support key-value pairs as options" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => 'command="command"')}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support environments as options" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => 'environment="NAME=value"')}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support multiple options as an array" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => ['cert-authority','environment="NAME=value"'])}.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should not support a comma separated lists" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => 'cert-authority,no-port-forwarding')}.should raise_error(Puppet::Error, /must be provided as an array/)
+      end
+
+      it "should use :absent as a default value" do
+        @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody").should(:options).should == [:absent]
+      end
+
+      it "property should return well formed string of arrays from is_to_s" do
+        resource = @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => ["a","b","c"])
+        resource.property(:options).is_to_s(["a","b","c"]).should == "a,b,c"
+      end
+
+      it "property should return well formed string of arrays from is_to_s" do
+        resource = @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "nobody", :options => ["a","b","c"])
+        resource.property(:options).should_to_s(["a","b","c"]).should == "a,b,c"
+      end
+
+    end
+
+    describe "for user" do
+
+      it "should support present users" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "root") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should support absent users" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :user => "ihopeimabsent") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+    end
+
+    describe "for target" do
+
+      it "should support absolute paths" do
+        proc { @class.new(:name => "whev", :type => :rsa, :target => "/tmp/here") }.should_not raise_error
+      end
+
+      it "should use the user's path if not explicitly specified" do
+        @class.new(:name => "whev", :user => 'root').should(:target).should == File.expand_path("~root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
+      end
+
+      it "should not consider the user's path if explicitly specified" do
+        @class.new(:name => "whev", :user => 'root', :target => '/tmp/here').should(:target).should == '/tmp/here'
+      end
+
+      it "should inform about an absent user" do
+        Puppet::Log.level = :debug
+        @class.new(:name => "whev", :user => 'idontexist').should(:target)
+        @logs.map(&:message).should include("The required user is not yet present on the system")
+      end
+
+    end
 
-  it "should have a target property" do
-    @class.attrtype(:target).should == :property
   end
 
   describe "when neither user nor target is specified" do
+
     it "should raise an error" do
       proc do
-
-        @class.create(
-
+        @class.new(
           :name   => "Test",
           :key    => "AAA",
           :type   => "ssh-rsa",
-
           :ensure => :present)
-      end.should raise_error(Puppet::Error)
+      end.should raise_error(Puppet::Error,/user.*or.*target.*mandatory/)
     end
+
   end
 
   describe "when both target and user are specified" do
-    it "should use target" do
-
-      resource = @class.create(
 
+    it "should use target" do
+      resource = @class.new(
         :name => "Test",
         :user => "root",
-
-        :target => "/tmp/blah")
+        :target => "/tmp/blah"
+      )
       resource.should(:target).should == "/tmp/blah"
     end
+
   end
 
 
   describe "when user is specified" do
-    it "should determine target" do
 
+    it "should determine target" do
       resource = @class.create(
-
         :name   => "Test",
-
-        :user   => "root")
+        :user   => "root"
+      )
       target = File.expand_path("~root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
       resource.should(:target).should == target
     end
 
     # Bug #2124 - ssh_authorized_key always changes target if target is not defined
     it "should not raise spurious change events" do
       resource = @class.new(:name => "Test", :user => "root")
       target = File.expand_path("~root/.ssh/authorized_keys")
       resource.property(:target).safe_insync?(target).should == true
     end
+
   end
 
   describe "when calling validate" do
-    it "should not crash on a non-existant user" do
 
+    it "should not crash on a non-existant user" do
       resource = @class.create(
-
         :name   => "Test",
-
-        :user   => "ihopesuchuserdoesnotexist")
+        :user   => "ihopesuchuserdoesnotexist"
+      )
       proc { resource.validate }.should_not raise_error
     end
+
   end
+
 end