diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a938783be..123849ac2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 ## PROJECT::GENERAL
 coverage
 rdoc
-doc
 log
 pkg/*
 tmp
@@ -20,3 +19,6 @@ vendor/bundle
 
 ## IDEs
 .idea/
+
+# master branch only!
+docs
diff --git a/.rspec b/.rspec
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a2cc1a6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.rspec
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+--require spec_helper
+--format documentation
+--color
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 42a8c942c..511312713 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ group :test do
   gem 'patron', '>= 0.4.2', :platforms => :ruby
   gem 'rack-test', '>= 0.6', :require => 'rack/test'
   gem 'rest-client', '~> 1.6.0', :platforms => [:jruby, :ruby_18]
+  gem 'rspec', '~> 3.7'
   gem 'simplecov'
   gem 'sinatra', '~> 1.3'
   gem 'typhoeus', '~> 1.3', :require => 'typhoeus'
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 2830fb212..e75ce067f 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 require 'rake/testtask'
+require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
+
+RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(:spec)
 
 task :default => :test
 
 desc "Run all tests"
-task :test do
+task :test => :spec do
   exec 'script/test'
 end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac6b2c9ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'faraday'
+
+# This file was generated by the `rspec --init` command. Conventionally, all
+# specs live under a `spec` directory, which RSpec adds to the `$LOAD_PATH`.
+# The generated `.rspec` file contains `--require spec_helper` which will cause
+# this file to always be loaded, without a need to explicitly require it in any
+# files.
+#
+# Given that it is always loaded, you are encouraged to keep this file as
+# light-weight as possible. Requiring heavyweight dependencies from this file
+# will add to the boot time of your test suite on EVERY test run, even for an
+# individual file that may not need all of that loaded. Instead, consider making
+# a separate helper file that requires the additional dependencies and performs
+# the additional setup, and require it from the spec files that actually need
+# it.
+#
+# See http://rubydoc.info/gems/rspec-core/RSpec/Core/Configuration
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+  # rspec-expectations config goes here. You can use an alternate
+  # assertion/expectation library such as wrong or the stdlib/minitest
+  # assertions if you prefer.
+  config.expect_with :rspec do |expectations|
+    # This option will default to `true` in RSpec 4. It makes the `description`
+    # and `failure_message` of custom matchers include text for helper methods
+    # defined using `chain`, e.g.:
+    #     be_bigger_than(2).and_smaller_than(4).description
+    #     # => "be bigger than 2 and smaller than 4"
+    # ...rather than:
+    #     # => "be bigger than 2"
+    expectations.include_chain_clauses_in_custom_matcher_descriptions = true
+  end
+
+  # rspec-mocks config goes here. You can use an alternate test double
+  # library (such as bogus or mocha) by changing the `mock_with` option here.
+  config.mock_with :rspec do |mocks|
+    # Prevents you from mocking or stubbing a method that does not exist on
+    # a real object. This is generally recommended, and will default to
+    # `true` in RSpec 4.
+    mocks.verify_partial_doubles = true
+  end
+
+  # This option will default to `:apply_to_host_groups` in RSpec 4 (and will
+  # have no way to turn it off -- the option exists only for backwards
+  # compatibility in RSpec 3). It causes shared context metadata to be
+  # inherited by the metadata hash of host groups and examples, rather than
+  # triggering implicit auto-inclusion in groups with matching metadata.
+  config.shared_context_metadata_behavior = :apply_to_host_groups
+
+  # Run specs in random order to surface order dependencies. If you find an
+  # order dependency and want to debug it, you can fix the order by providing
+  # the seed, which is printed after each run.
+  #     --seed 1234
+  config.order = :random
+
+  # Seed global randomization in this process using the `--seed` CLI option.
+  # Setting this allows you to use `--seed` to deterministically reproduce
+  # test failures related to randomization by passing the same `--seed` value
+  # as the one that triggered the failure.
+  Kernel.srand config.seed
+
+  # Limits the available syntax to the non-monkey patched syntax that is
+  # recommended. For more details, see:
+  #   - http://rspec.info/blog/2012/06/rspecs-new-expectation-syntax/
+  #   - http://www.teaisaweso.me/blog/2013/05/27/rspecs-new-message-expectation-syntax/
+  #   - http://rspec.info/blog/2014/05/notable-changes-in-rspec-3/#zero-monkey-patching-mode
+  config.disable_monkey_patching!
+
+# The settings below are suggested to provide a good initial experience
+# with RSpec, but feel free to customize to your heart's content.
+=begin
+  # This allows you to limit a spec run to individual examples or groups
+  # you care about by tagging them with `:focus` metadata. When nothing
+  # is tagged with `:focus`, all examples get run. RSpec also provides
+  # aliases for `it`, `describe`, and `context` that include `:focus`
+  # metadata: `fit`, `fdescribe` and `fcontext`, respectively.
+  config.filter_run_when_matching :focus
+
+  # Allows RSpec to persist some state between runs in order to support
+  # the `--only-failures` and `--next-failure` CLI options. We recommend
+  # you configure your source control system to ignore this file.
+  config.example_status_persistence_file_path = "spec/examples.txt"
+
+  # This setting enables warnings. It's recommended, but in some cases may
+  # be too noisy due to issues in dependencies.
+  config.warnings = true
+
+  # Many RSpec users commonly either run the entire suite or an individual
+  # file, and it's useful to allow more verbose output when running an
+  # individual spec file.
+  if config.files_to_run.one?
+    # Use the documentation formatter for detailed output,
+    # unless a formatter has already been configured
+    # (e.g. via a command-line flag).
+    config.default_formatter = "doc"
+  end
+
+  # Print the 10 slowest examples and example groups at the
+  # end of the spec run, to help surface which specs are running
+  # particularly slow.
+  config.profile_examples = 10
+=end
+end