diff --git a/cancan.gemspec b/cancan.gemspec
index b067927..fcf362c 100644
--- a/cancan.gemspec
+++ b/cancan.gemspec
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_development_dependency 'rspec', '~> 2.0.0.beta.22'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rails', '~> 3.0.0'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rr', '~> 0.10.11' # 1.0.0 has respond_to? issues: http://github.com/btakita/rr/issues/issue/43
+  s.add_development_dependency 'supermodel', '~> 0.1.4'
 
   s.rubyforge_project = s.name
   s.required_rubygems_version = ">= 1.3.4"
diff --git a/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb b/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb
index 34a8b2b..80e60dc 100644
--- a/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cancan/controller_resource_spec.rb
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   end
 
   it "should load the resource into an instance variable if params[:id] is specified" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should not load resource into an instance variable if already set" do
@@ -26,19 +26,19 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   end
 
   it "should properly load resource for namespaced controller" do
-    @params.merge!(:controller => "admin/projects", :action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:controller => "admin/projects", :action => "show", :id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should properly load resource for namespaced controller when using '::' for namespace" do
-    @params.merge!(:controller => "Admin::ProjectsController", :action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:controller => "Admin::ProjectsController", :action => "show", :id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should build a new resource with hash if params[:id] is not specified" do
@@ -157,11 +157,11 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   end
 
   it "should load parent resource through proper id parameter" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "index", :project_id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "index", :project_id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :project, :parent => true)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should load resource through the association of another parent resource using instance variable" do
@@ -185,16 +185,16 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   end
 
   it "should not load through parent resource if instance isn't loaded when shallow" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :through => :category, :shallow => true)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should raise AccessDenied when attempting to load resource through nil" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :through => :category)
     lambda {
       resource.load_resource
@@ -242,19 +242,19 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   end
 
   it "should only authorize :read action on parent resource" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "new", :project_id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
-    stub(@controller).authorize!(:read, :some_project) { raise CanCan::AccessDenied }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "new", :project_id => project.id)
+    stub(@controller).authorize!(:read, project) { raise CanCan::AccessDenied }
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :project, :parent => true)
     lambda { resource.load_and_authorize_resource }.should raise_error(CanCan::AccessDenied)
   end
 
   it "should load the model using a custom class" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => project.id)
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :class => Project)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should authorize based on resource name if class is false" do
@@ -265,20 +265,20 @@ describe CanCan::ControllerResource do
   end
 
   it "should load and authorize using custom instance name" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find(123) { :some_project }
-    stub(@controller).authorize!(:show, :some_project) { raise CanCan::AccessDenied }
+    project = Project.create!
+    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => project.id)
+    stub(@controller).authorize!(:show, project) { raise CanCan::AccessDenied }
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :instance_name => :custom_project)
     lambda { resource.load_and_authorize_resource }.should raise_error(CanCan::AccessDenied)
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@custom_project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@custom_project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should load resource using custom find_by attribute" do
-    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => 123)
-    stub(Project).find_by_name!(123) { :some_project }
+    project = Project.create!(:name => "foo")
+    @params.merge!(:action => "show", :id => "foo")
     resource = CanCan::ControllerResource.new(@controller, :find_by => :name)
     resource.load_resource
-    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == :some_project
+    @controller.instance_variable_get(:@project).should == project
   end
 
   it "should raise ImplementationRemoved when adding :name option" do
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index e91a763..da6b77b 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 require 'rubygems'
-require 'bundler'
-Bundler.require(:default, :test)
+require 'bundler/setup'
+Bundler.require(:default)
+require 'supermodel' # shouldn't Bundler do this already?
 require 'active_support/all'
 require 'matchers'
 require 'cancan/matchers'
 
 RSpec.configure do |config|
   config.mock_with :rr
+  config.before(:each) do
+    Project.delete_all
+    Category.delete_all
+  end
 end
 
 class Ability
@@ -16,17 +21,12 @@ class Ability
   end
 end
 
-# Generic class to mimic a model
-class Project
-  attr_accessor :name
+class Category < SuperModel::Base
+  has_many :projects
+end
 
-  def initialize(attributes = {})
-    @name = attributes[:name]
-  end
-
-  def attributes=(attributes)
-    @name = attributes[:name] if attributes[:name]
-  end
+class Project < SuperModel::Base
+  belongs_to :category
 
   class << self
     protected