diff --git a/tests/installer/test_run_setup.py b/tests/installer/test_run_setup.py
index 6c6e977ec..8e91bfa00 100644
--- a/tests/installer/test_run_setup.py
+++ b/tests/installer/test_run_setup.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from unittest import TestCase
 
 from packstack.modules import ospluginutils, puppet
 from packstack.installer import run_setup, basedefs
+from packstack.installer.utils import shell
 
 from ..test_base import PackstackTestCaseMixin, FakePopen
 
@@ -45,9 +46,15 @@ class CommandLineTestCase(PackstackTestCaseMixin, TestCase):
         """
         # we need following to pass manage_epel(enabled=1) and
         # manage_rdo(havana-6.noarch\nenabled=0) functions
-        fake = FakePopen()
-        fake.stdout = 'havana-6.noarch\nenabled=0enabled=1'
-        subprocess.Popen = fake
+        subprocess.Popen = FakePopen
+        FakePopen.register('cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver',
+                           stdout='nameserver 127.0.0.1')
+        FakePopen.register("rpm -q rdo-release "
+                           "--qf='%{version}-%{release}.%{arch}\n'",
+                           stdout='icehouse-2.noarch\n')
+        FakePopen.register_as_script('yum-config-manager --enable '
+                                     'openstack-icehouse',
+                                     stdout='[openstack-icehouse]\nenabled=1')
 
         # create a dummy public key
         dummy_public_key = os.path.join(self.tempdir, 'id_rsa.pub')
@@ -56,7 +63,8 @@ class CommandLineTestCase(PackstackTestCaseMixin, TestCase):
 
         # Save sys.argv and replace it with the args we want optparse to use
         orig_argv = sys.argv
-        sys.argv = ['packstack', '--ssh-public-key=%s' % dummy_public_key,
+        sys.argv = ['packstack', '--debug',
+                    '--ssh-public-key=%s' % dummy_public_key,
                     '--install-hosts=127.0.0.1', '--os-swift-install=y',
                     '--nagios-install=y', '--use-epel=y']
 
diff --git a/tests/installer/test_utils.py b/tests/installer/test_utils.py
index 4d46e2b49..9508018dd 100644
--- a/tests/installer/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/installer/test_utils.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import shutil
 import tempfile
 from unittest import TestCase
 
-from ..test_base import PackstackTestCaseMixin
+from ..test_base import PackstackTestCaseMixin, FakePopen
 from packstack.installer.utils import *
 from packstack.installer.utils.strings import STR_MASK
 from packstack.installer.exceptions import ExecuteRuntimeError
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class ParameterTestCase(PackstackTestCaseMixin, TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         # Creating a temp directory that can be used by tests
         self.tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        FakePopen.register('echo "this is test"',
+                           stdout='this is test')
 
     def tearDown(self):
         # remove the temp directory
diff --git a/tests/test_base.py b/tests/test_base.py
index 753b6b6de..1045699eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/test_base.py
@@ -18,20 +18,87 @@
 import shutil
 import tempfile
 import subprocess
+import logging
+import re
+
+from packstack.installer.utils.shell import block_fmt
+from packstack.installer.exceptions import (ScriptRuntimeError,
+                                            NetworkError)
+from packstack.installer.utils.strings import mask_string
+
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class FakePopen(object):
-    def __init__(self, returncode=0):
-        self.returncode = returncode
-        self.stdout = self.stderr = self.data = ""
+    '''The FakePopen class replaces subprocess.Popen. Instead of actually
+    executing commands, it permits the caller to register a list of
+    commands the output to produce using the FakePopen.register and
+    FakePopen.register_as_script method.  By default, FakePopen will return
+    empty stdout and stderr and a successful (0) returncode.
+    '''
 
-    def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        self.args = args
-        self.kwargs = kwargs
-        return self
+    cmd_registry = {}
+    script_registry = {}
 
-    def communicate(self, data=None):
-        self.data += data or ''
+    @classmethod
+    def register(cls, args, stdout='', stderr='', returncode=0):
+        '''Register a fake command.'''
+        if isinstance(args, list):
+            args = tuple(args)
+        cls.cmd_registry[args] = {'stdout': stdout,
+                                  'stderr': stderr,
+                                  'returncode': returncode}
+
+    @classmethod
+    def register_as_script(cls, args, stdout='', stderr='', returncode=0):
+        '''Register a fake script.'''
+        if isinstance(args, list):
+            args = '\n'.join(args)
+        prefix = "function t(){ exit $? ; } \n trap t ERR \n"
+        args = prefix + args
+        cls.script_registry[args] = {'stdout': stdout,
+                                     'stderr': stderr,
+                                     'returncode': returncode}
+
+    def __init__(self, args, **kwargs):
+        script = ["ssh", "-o", "StrictHostKeyChecking=no",
+                  "-o", "UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null"]
+        if args[-1] == "bash -x" and args[:5] == script:
+            self._init_as_script(args, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            self._init_as_cmd(args, **kwargs)
+
+    def _init_as_cmd(self, args, **kwargs):
+        self._is_script = False
+        if isinstance(args, list):
+            args = tuple(args)
+            cmd = ' '.join(args)
+        else:
+            cmd = args
+
+        if args in self.cmd_registry:
+            this = self.cmd_registry[args]
+        else:
+            LOG.warn('call to unregistered command: %s', cmd)
+            this = {'stdout': '', 'stderr': '', 'returncode': 0}
+
+        self.stdout = this['stdout']
+        self.stderr = this['stderr']
+        self.returncode = this['returncode']
+
+    def _init_as_script(self, args, **kwargs):
+        self._is_script = True
+
+    def communicate(self, input=None):
+        if self._is_script:
+            if input in self.script_registry:
+                this = self.script_registry[input]
+            else:
+                LOG.warn('call to unregistered script: %s', input)
+                this = {'stdout': '', 'stderr': '', 'returncode': 0}
+            self.stdout = this['stdout']
+            self.stderr = this['stderr']
+            self.returncode = this['returncode']
         return self.stdout, self.stderr
 
 
@@ -46,7 +113,7 @@ class PackstackTestCaseMixin(object):
 
         # some plugins call popen, we're replacing it for tests
         self._Popen = subprocess.Popen
-        self.fake_popen = subprocess.Popen = FakePopen()
+        self.fake_popen = subprocess.Popen = FakePopen
 
     def tearDown(self):
         # remove the temp directory