diff --git a/spec/pickle/orm_adapters/active_record_spec.rb b/spec/pickle/orm_adapters/active_record_spec.rb
index 37d0cf06..366cbc7f 100644
--- a/spec/pickle/orm_adapters/active_record_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/pickle/orm_adapters/active_record_spec.rb
@@ -1,19 +1,11 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
-begin
-  require 'activerecord'
-rescue LoadError
-  require 'active_record'
-rescue LoadError
+if !defined?(ActiveRecord::Base)
   puts "** install activerecord to run the specs in #{__FILE__}"
-end
-
-if defined?(ActiveRecord::Base)
+else  
   require 'pickle/orm_adapters/active_record'
   
-  #
   # setup an activerecord db, and classes, specs are below
-  #
   
   database = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../../../tmp/active_record.sqlite')
   `mkdir -p #{File.dirname(database)}`
@@ -27,7 +19,7 @@
     end
   end
   
-  # stick the ActiveRecord classes and specs in a namespace to isolate them from the other specs
+  # stick the ActiveRecord classes and specs in a namespace to isolate them
   module ArOrmSpec
     class User < ActiveRecord::Base
       belongs_to :site, :class_name => "ArOrmSpec::Site"
@@ -47,9 +39,7 @@ class Note < AbstractNoteClass
       belongs_to :owner, :polymorphic => true
     end
   
-    #
     # here be the specs!
-    #
     describe ActiveRecord::Base::PickleOrmAdapter do
       before { DatabaseCleaner.clean }
     
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 84550df9..19cf7f02 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 require 'rubygems'
 require 'spec'
-require 'active_support'
-require 'active_record'
 
 $:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../lib')
 require 'pickle'
 
-Dir["#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/support/**/*.rb"].each {|f| require f}
\ No newline at end of file
+Dir["#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/support/**/*.rb"].each {|f| require f}
+
+require 'active_support'
diff --git a/spec/support/database.rb b/spec/support/database.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b420c7db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/database.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+require 'active_record'
+require 'database_cleaner'
+
+DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :truncation
\ No newline at end of file