diff --git a/spec/unit/util/filetype_spec.rb b/spec/unit/util/filetype_spec.rb
index fdb5e7091..7c9685b41 100755
--- a/spec/unit/util/filetype_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/util/filetype_spec.rb
@@ -1,184 +1,190 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env rspec
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 require 'puppet/util/filetype'
 
 # XXX Import all of the tests into this file.
 describe Puppet::Util::FileType do
   describe "the flat filetype" do
-    before do
-      @type = Puppet::Util::FileType.filetype(:flat)
-    end
+    let(:path) { '/my/file' }
+    let(:type) { Puppet::Util::FileType.filetype(:flat) }
+    let(:file) { type.new(path) }
 
     it "should exist" do
-      @type.should_not be_nil
+      type.should_not be_nil
     end
 
     describe "when the file already exists" do
       it "should return the file's contents when asked to read it" do
-        file = @type.new("/my/file")
-        File.expects(:exist?).with("/my/file").returns true
-        File.expects(:read).with("/my/file").returns "my text"
+        File.expects(:exist?).with(path).returns true
+        File.expects(:read).with(path).returns "my text"
 
         file.read.should == "my text"
       end
 
       it "should unlink the file when asked to remove it" do
-        file = @type.new("/my/file")
-        File.expects(:exist?).with("/my/file").returns true
-        File.expects(:unlink).with("/my/file")
+        File.expects(:exist?).with(path).returns true
+        File.expects(:unlink).with(path)
 
         file.remove
       end
     end
 
     describe "when the file does not exist" do
       it "should return an empty string when asked to read the file" do
-        file = @type.new("/my/file")
-        File.expects(:exist?).with("/my/file").returns false
+        File.expects(:exist?).with(path).returns false
 
         file.read.should == ""
       end
     end
 
     describe "when writing the file" do
+      let(:tempfile) { stub 'tempfile', :print => nil, :close => nil, :flush => nil, :path => "/other/file" }
       before do
-        @file = @type.new("/my/file")
         FileUtils.stubs(:cp)
-
-        @tempfile = stub 'tempfile', :print => nil, :close => nil, :flush => nil, :path => "/other/file"
-        Tempfile.stubs(:new).returns @tempfile
+        Tempfile.stubs(:new).returns tempfile
       end
 
       it "should first create a temp file and copy its contents over to the file location" do
-        Tempfile.expects(:new).with("puppet").returns @tempfile
-        @tempfile.expects(:print).with("my text")
-        @tempfile.expects(:flush)
-        @tempfile.expects(:close)
-        FileUtils.expects(:cp).with(@tempfile.path, "/my/file")
+        Tempfile.expects(:new).with("puppet").returns tempfile
+        tempfile.expects(:print).with("my text")
+        tempfile.expects(:flush)
+        tempfile.expects(:close)
+        FileUtils.expects(:cp).with(tempfile.path, path)
 
-        @file.write "my text"
+        file.write "my text"
       end
 
       it "should set the selinux default context on the file" do
-        @file.expects(:set_selinux_default_context).with("/my/file")
-        @file.write "eh"
+        file.expects(:set_selinux_default_context).with(path)
+        file.write "eh"
       end
     end
 
     describe "when backing up a file" do
-      before do
-        @file = @type.new("/my/file")
-      end
-
       it "should do nothing if the file does not exist" do
-        File.expects(:exists?).with("/my/file").returns false
-        @file.expects(:bucket).never
-        @file.backup
+        File.expects(:exists?).with(path).returns false
+        file.expects(:bucket).never
+        file.backup
       end
 
       it "should use its filebucket to backup the file if it exists" do
-        File.expects(:exists?).with("/my/file").returns true
+        File.expects(:exists?).with(path).returns true
 
         bucket = mock 'bucket'
-        bucket.expects(:backup).with("/my/file")
+        bucket.expects(:backup).with(path)
 
-        @file.expects(:bucket).returns bucket
-        @file.backup
+        file.expects(:bucket).returns bucket
+        file.backup
       end
 
       it "should use the default filebucket" do
         bucket = mock 'bucket'
         bucket.expects(:bucket).returns "mybucket"
 
         Puppet::Type.type(:filebucket).expects(:mkdefaultbucket).returns bucket
 
-        @file.bucket.should == "mybucket"
+        file.bucket.should == "mybucket"
       end
     end
   end
 
-  describe "the suntab filetype" do
-    before :each do
-      @type = Puppet::Util::FileType.filetype(:suntab)
-      @cron = @type.new('no_such_user')
-    end
-
-    let :suntab do
-      File.read(my_fixture('suntab_output'))
-    end
+  shared_examples_for "crontab provider" do
+    let(:cron)         { type.new('no_such_user') }
+    let(:crontab)      { File.read(my_fixture(crontab_output)) }
+    let(:options)      { { :failonfail => true, :combine => true } }
+    let(:uid)          { 'no_such_user' }
+    let(:user_options) { options.merge({:uid => uid}) }
 
     it "should exist" do
-      @type.should_not be_nil
+      type.should_not be_nil
     end
 
     describe "#read" do
       it "should run crontab -l as the target user" do
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], :failonfail => true, :combine => true, :uid => 'no_such_user').returns suntab
-        @cron.read.should == suntab
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], user_options).returns crontab
+        cron.read.should == crontab
       end
 
       it "should not switch user if current user is the target user" do
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:uid).with('no_such_user').returns 9000
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:uid).with(uid).returns 9000
         Puppet::Util::SUIDManager.expects(:uid).returns 9000
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], :failonfail => true, :combine => true).returns suntab
-        @cron.read.should == suntab
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], options).returns crontab
+        cron.read.should == crontab
       end
 
-      # possible crontab output was taken from here:
-      # http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19082-01/819-2380/sysrescron-60/index.html
       it "should treat an absent crontab as empty" do
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], :failonfail => true, :combine => true, :uid => 'no_such_user').raises(Puppet::ExecutionFailure, 'crontab: can\'t open your crontab file')
-        @cron.read.should == ''
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], user_options).raises(Puppet::ExecutionFailure, absent_crontab)
+        cron.read.should == ''
       end
 
       it "should raise an error if the user is not authorized to use cron" do
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], :failonfail => true, :combine => true, :uid => 'no_such_user').raises(Puppet::ExecutionFailure, 'crontab: you are not authorized to use cron. Sorry.')
-        expect { @cron.read }.to raise_error Puppet::Error, /User no_such_user not authorized to use cron/
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-l'], user_options).raises(Puppet::ExecutionFailure, unauthorized_crontab)
+        expect {
+          cron.read
+        }.to raise_error Puppet::Error, /User #{uid} not authorized to use cron/
       end
     end
 
     describe "#remove" do
       it "should run crontab -r as the target user" do
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-r'], :failonfail => true, :combine => true, :uid => 'no_such_user')
-        @cron.remove
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab', '-r'], user_options)
+        cron.remove
       end
 
       it "should not switch user if current user is the target user" do
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:uid).with('no_such_user').returns 9000
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:uid).with(uid).returns 9000
         Puppet::Util::SUIDManager.expects(:uid).returns 9000
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab','-r'], :failonfail => true, :combine => true)
-        @cron.remove
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(['crontab','-r'], options)
+        cron.remove
       end
     end
 
     describe "#write" do
       before :each do
-        @tmp_cron = Tempfile.new("puppet_suntab_spec")
+        @tmp_cron = Tempfile.new("puppet_crontab_spec")
         @tmp_cron_path = @tmp_cron.path
-        Puppet::Util.stubs(:uid).with('no_such_user').returns 9000
-        Tempfile.expects(:new).with("puppet_suntab").returns @tmp_cron
+        Puppet::Util.stubs(:uid).with(uid).returns 9000
+        Tempfile.expects(:new).with("puppet_#{name}").returns @tmp_cron
       end
 
       after :each do
         File.should_not be_exist @tmp_cron_path
       end
 
       it "should run crontab as the target user on a temporary file" do
         File.expects(:chown).with(9000, nil, @tmp_cron_path)
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(["crontab", @tmp_cron_path], :failonfail => true, :combine => true, :uid => 'no_such_user')
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(["crontab", @tmp_cron_path], user_options)
 
         @tmp_cron.expects(:print).with("foo\n")
-        @cron.write "foo\n"
+        cron.write "foo\n"
       end
 
       it "should not switch user if current user is the target user" do
         Puppet::Util::SUIDManager.expects(:uid).returns 9000
         File.expects(:chown).with(9000, nil, @tmp_cron_path)
-        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(["crontab", @tmp_cron_path], :failonfail => true, :combine => true)
+        Puppet::Util.expects(:execute).with(["crontab", @tmp_cron_path], options)
+
         @tmp_cron.expects(:print).with("foo\n")
-        @cron.write "foo\n"
+        cron.write "foo\n"
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe "the suntab filetype" do
+    let(:type)           { Puppet::Util::FileType.filetype(:suntab) }
+    let(:name)           { type.name }
+    let(:crontab_output) { 'suntab_output' }
+
+    # possible crontab output was taken from here:
+    # http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19082-01/819-2380/sysrescron-60/index.html
+    let(:absent_crontab) do
+      'crontab: can\'t open your crontab file'
+    end
+    let(:unauthorized_crontab) do
+      'crontab: you are not authorized to use cron. Sorry.'
+    end
+
+    it_should_behave_like "crontab provider"
+  end
 end