diff --git a/.rspec b/.rspec
index 1c13385c0..30a045574 100644
--- a/.rspec
+++ b/.rspec
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 --require spec_helper
 --color
 --order random
+--exclude-pattern "spec/manageiq/**/*_spec.rb"
diff --git a/.rspec_ci b/.rspec_ci
index a635c038c..ef3e06047 100644
--- a/.rspec_ci
+++ b/.rspec_ci
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 --color
 --order random
 --profile 25
+--exclude-pattern "spec/manageiq/**/*_spec.rb"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b1c23c868..b5224dda4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ ManageIQ plugin for the Vmware provider.
 
 See the section on pluggable providers in the [ManageIQ Developer Setup](http://manageiq.org/docs/guides/developer_setup)
 
+For quick local setup run `bin/setup`, which will clone the core ManageIQ repository under the *spec* directory and setup necessary config files. If you have already cloned it, you can run `bin/update` to bring the core ManageIQ code up to date.
+
 ## License
 
 The gem is available as open source under the terms of the [Apache License 2.0](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0).
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index d10223cd2..452f0b473 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
 require 'bundler/setup'
-require 'bundler/gem_tasks'
 
 begin
   require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
 
   APP_RAKEFILE = File.expand_path("../spec/manageiq/Rakefile", __FILE__)
   load 'rails/tasks/engine.rake'
+  load 'rails/tasks/statistics.rake'
 rescue LoadError
 end
 
-namespace :spec do
-  desc "Setup environment for specs"
-  task :setup => 'app:test:providers:vmware:setup'
-end
+require 'bundler/gem_tasks'
 
-desc "Run all vmware specs"
-task :spec => 'app:test:providers:vmware'
+FileList['lib/tasks_private/**/*.rake'].each { |r| load r }
 
 task :default => :spec
diff --git a/bin/setup b/bin/setup
index e01a8505c..b3837b055 100755
--- a/bin/setup
+++ b/bin/setup
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ unless gem_root.join("spec/manageiq").exist?
 end
 
 require gem_root.join("spec/manageiq/lib/manageiq/environment").to_s
-ManageIQ::Environment.manageiq_plugin_setup
+ManageIQ::Environment.manageiq_plugin_setup(gem_root)
diff --git a/bin/update b/bin/update
index 417a86127..5a8b21228 100755
--- a/bin/update
+++ b/bin/update
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ else
 end
 
 require gem_root.join("spec/manageiq/lib/manageiq/environment").to_s
-ManageIQ::Environment.manageiq_plugin_setup
+ManageIQ::Environment.manageiq_plugin_update(gem_root)
diff --git a/config/settings.yml b/config/settings.yml
index 288237d97..9a7543175 100644
--- a/config/settings.yml
+++ b/config/settings.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 :ems:
   :ems_vmware:
+    :blacklisted_event_names: []
     :event_handling:
       :event_groups:
         :addition:
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 9c6d094be..0f7d73183 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@
 end
 
 Dir[Rails.root.join("spec/shared/**/*.rb")].each { |f| require f }
+Dir[ManageIQ::Providers::Vmware::Engine.root.join("spec/support/**/*.rb")].each { |f| require f }