diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_create_cron.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_create_cron.rb
index 5badac05f..d40228070 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_create_cron.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_create_cron.rb
@@ -1,31 +1,29 @@
 test_name "should create cron"
 
 tmpuser = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 tmpfile = "/tmp/cron-test-#{Time.new.to_i}"
 
 create_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => present, managehome => false }"
 delete_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => absent,  managehome => false }"
 
 agents.each do |host|
     step "ensure the user exist via puppet"
     apply_manifest_on host, create_user
 
     step "apply the resource on the host using puppet resource"
     on(host, puppet_resource("cron", "crontest", "user=#{tmpuser}",
                   "command=/bin/true", "ensure=present")) do
-        fail_test "didn't notice creation of the cron stuff" unless
-            stdout.include? 'created'
+      assert_match(/created/, stdout, "Did not create crontab for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
     run_cron_on(host, :list, tmpuser) do
-        fail_test "didn't find the command as expected" unless
-            stdout.include? "* * * * * /bin/true"
+      assert_match(/\* \* \* \* \* \/bin\/true/, stdout, "Incorrect crontab for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "remove the crontab file for that user"
     run_cron_on(host, :remove, tmpuser)
 
     step "remove the user from the system"
     apply_manifest_on host, delete_user
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_match_existing.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_match_existing.rb
index b5c5d359d..92e7dc2cc 100755
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_match_existing.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_match_existing.rb
@@ -1,37 +1,32 @@
 test_name "puppet should match existing job"
 
 tmpuser = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 tmpfile = "/tmp/cron-test-#{Time.new.to_i}"
 
 create_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => present, managehome => false }"
 delete_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => absent,  managehome => false }"
 
 agents.each do |host|
     step "ensure the user exist via puppet"
     apply_manifest_on host, create_user
 
-    step "create the existing job by hand..."
+    step "Create the existing cron job by hand..."
     run_cron_on(host,:add,tmpuser,"* * * * * /bin/true")
 
-    step "apply the resource on the host using puppet resource"
+    step "Apply the resource on the host using puppet resource"
     on(host, puppet_resource("cron", "crontest", "user=#{tmpuser}",
                   "command=/bin/true", "ensure=present")) do
-        # This is a weak/fragile test.  The output has changed
-        # causing this test to fail erronously.  Changed to the correct
-        # output to match, but this code should be re-feactored.
-        fail_test "didn't see the output we expected..." unless
-            stdout.include? 'present'
+      assert_match(/present/, stdout, "Failed creating crontab for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
-    step "verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
+    step "Verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
     run_cron_on(host, :list, tmpuser) do
-        fail_test "didn't find the command as expected" unless
-            stdout.include? "* * * * * /bin/true"
+      assert_match(/\* \* \* \* \* \/bin\/true/, stdout, "Did not find crontab for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "remove the crontab file for that user"
     run_cron_on(host, :remove, tmpuser)
 
     step "remove the user from the system"
     apply_manifest_on host, delete_user
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_cron.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_cron.rb
index 9956d0d71..d6b8822d6 100755
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_cron.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_cron.rb
@@ -1,36 +1,32 @@
 test_name "puppet should remove a crontab entry as expected"
 
 tmpuser = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 tmpfile = "/tmp/cron-test-#{Time.new.to_i}"
 
 create_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => present, managehome => false }"
 delete_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => absent,  managehome => false }"
 
 agents.each do |host|
     step "ensure the user exist via puppet"
     apply_manifest_on host, create_user
 
     step "create the existing job by hand..."
     run_cron_on(host,:add,tmpuser,"* * * * * /bin/true")
 
     step "apply the resource on the host using puppet resource"
     on(host, puppet_resource("cron", "crontest", "user=#{tmpuser}",
                   "command=/bin/true", "ensure=absent")) do
-        # REVISIT: This is ported from the original test, which seems to me a
-        # weak test, but I don't want to improve it now.  --daniel 2010-12-23
-        fail_test "didn't see the output we expected..." unless
-            stdout.include? 'removed'
+      assert_match(/crontest\D+ensure:\s+removed/, stdout, "Didn't remove crobtab entry for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
     run_cron_on(host, :list, tmpuser) do
-      fail_test "didn't found the command we tried to remove" if
-        stdout.include? "/bin/true"
+      assert_match(/\/bin\/true/, stdout, "Error: Found entry for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "remove the crontab file for that user"
     run_cron_on(host, :remove, tmpuser)
 
     step "remove the user from the system"
     apply_manifest_on host, delete_user
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_matching.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_matching.rb
index f4de0de0c..59042c7a8 100755
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_matching.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_remove_matching.rb
@@ -1,36 +1,35 @@
 test_name "puppet should remove a crontab entry based on command matching"
 
 tmpuser = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 tmpfile = "/tmp/cron-test-#{Time.new.to_i}"
 
 cron = '# Puppet Name: crontest\n* * * * * /bin/true\n1 1 1 1 1 /bin/true\n'
 
 create_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => present, managehome => false }"
 delete_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => absent,  managehome => false }"
 
 agents.each do |host|
     step "ensure the user exist via puppet"
     apply_manifest_on host, create_user
 
     step "create the existing job by hand..."
     run_cron_on(host,:add,tmpuser,"* * * * * /bin/true")
 
-    step "apply the resource change on the host"
+    step "Remove cron resource"
     on(host, puppet_resource("cron", "bogus", "user=#{tmpuser}",
                   "command=/bin/true", "ensure=absent")) do
-        fail_test "didn't see the output we expected..." unless
-            stdout.include? 'removed'
+      assert_match(/bogus\D+ensure: removed/, stdout, "Removing cron entry failed for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
     run_cron_on(host,:list,tmpuser) do
         count = stdout.scan("/bin/true").length
         fail_test "found /bin/true the wrong number of times (#{count})" unless count == 1
     end
 
     step "remove the crontab file for that user"
     run_cron_on(host,:remove,tmpuser)
 
     step "remove the user from the system"
     apply_manifest_on host, delete_user
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_update_existing.rb b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_update_existing.rb
index ff179307f..b37952a63 100755
--- a/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_update_existing.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/resource/cron/should_update_existing.rb
@@ -1,40 +1,37 @@
 test_name "puppet should update existing crontab entry"
 
 tmpuser = "pl#{rand(999999).to_i}"
 tmpfile = "/tmp/cron-test-#{Time.new.to_i}"
 
 create_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => present, managehome => false }"
 delete_user = "user { '#{tmpuser}': ensure => absent,  managehome => false }"
 
 agents.each do |host|
     step "ensure the user exist via puppet"
     apply_manifest_on host, create_user
 
     step "create the existing job by hand..."
     run_cron_on(host,:add,tmpuser,"* * * * * /bin/true")
 
     step "verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
     run_cron_on(host,:list,tmpuser) do
-        fail_test "didn't find the content in the crontab" unless
-            stdout.include? '* * * * * /bin/true'
+      assert_match(/\* \* \* \* \* \/bin\/true/, stdout, "Didn't find correct crobtab entry for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "apply the resource change on the host"
     on(host, puppet_resource("cron", "crontest", "user=#{tmpuser}",
-                  "command=/bin/true", "ensure=present", "hour='0-6'")) do
-        fail_test "didn't update the time as expected" unless
-            stdout.include? "hour => ['0-6']"
+      "command=/bin/true", "ensure=present", "hour='0-6'")) do
+        assert_match(/hour\s+=>\s+\['0-6'\]/, stdout, "Modifying cron entry failed for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "verify that crontab -l contains what you expected"
     run_cron_on(host,:list,tmpuser) do
-        fail_test "didn't find the content in the crontab" unless
-            stdout.include? '* 0-6 * * * /bin/true'
+      assert_match(/\* 0-6 \* \* \* \/bin\/true/, stdout, "Didn't find correctly modified time entry in crobtab entry for #{tmpuser} on #{host}")
     end
 
     step "remove the crontab file for that user"
     run_cron_on(host,:remove,tmpuser)
 
     step "remove the user from the system"
     apply_manifest_on host, delete_user
 end