diff --git a/gems/acts_as_list/Gemfile b/gems/acts_as_list/Gemfile
index 71d8209b537..d9266971335 100644
--- a/gems/acts_as_list/Gemfile
+++ b/gems/acts_as_list/Gemfile
@@ -1,8 +1,2 @@
 source 'https://rubygems.org'
-gemspec
-
-if CANVAS_RAILS3
-  gem 'rails', '3.2.15'
-else
-  gem 'rails', :github => 'makandra/rails', :branch => '2-3-lts', :ref => 'e86daf8ff727d5efc0040c876ba00c9444a5d915'
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+gemspec
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gems/acts_as_list/acts_as_list.gemspec b/gems/acts_as_list/acts_as_list.gemspec
index d47b7c462e7..75b4b083f48 100644
--- a/gems/acts_as_list/acts_as_list.gemspec
+++ b/gems/acts_as_list/acts_as_list.gemspec
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ lib = File.expand_path('../lib', __FILE__)
 $LOAD_PATH.unshift(lib) unless $LOAD_PATH.include?(lib)
 
 unless defined?(CANVAS_RAILS3)
-  CANVAS_RAILS3 = !!ENV["CANVAS_RAILS3"] || File.exist?(File.expand_path("../../../config/RAILS3", __FILE__))
+  require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
 end
 
 Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.test_files    = spec.files.grep(%r{^(test|spec|features)/})
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
-  spec.add_dependency "rails"
+  if CANVAS_RAILS3
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>3.2'
+  else
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>2.3'
+  end
 
   spec.add_development_dependency "bundler", "~> 1.5"
   spec.add_development_dependency "sqlite3"
diff --git a/gems/adheres_to_policy/Gemfile b/gems/adheres_to_policy/Gemfile
index 6fe2e4c2581..b22426aba77 100644
--- a/gems/adheres_to_policy/Gemfile
+++ b/gems/adheres_to_policy/Gemfile
@@ -3,11 +3,4 @@ source 'https://rubygems.org'
 # Specify your gem's dependencies in adheres_to_policy.gemspec
 gemspec
 gem 'simplecov', '0.8.2', :require => false
-gem 'simplecov-rcov', '0.2.3', :require => false
-require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
-
-if CANVAS_RAILS3
-  gem 'rails', '3.2.15'
-else
-  gem 'rails', :github => 'makandra/rails', :branch => '2-3-lts', :ref => 'e86daf8ff727d5efc0040c876ba00c9444a5d915'
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+gem 'simplecov-rcov', '0.2.3', :require => false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gems/adheres_to_policy/adheres_to_policy.gemspec b/gems/adheres_to_policy/adheres_to_policy.gemspec
index fcf3087e0f2..84568a437af 100644
--- a/gems/adheres_to_policy/adheres_to_policy.gemspec
+++ b/gems/adheres_to_policy/adheres_to_policy.gemspec
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 lib = File.expand_path('../lib', __FILE__)
 $LOAD_PATH.unshift(lib) unless $LOAD_PATH.include?(lib)
 
+unless defined?(CANVAS_RAILS3)
+  require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
+end
+
 Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.name          = "adheres_to_policy"
   spec.version       = '0.0.1'
@@ -14,7 +18,11 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.test_files    = spec.files.grep(%r{^(test|spec|features)/})
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
-  spec.add_dependency "rails"
+  if CANVAS_RAILS3
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>3.2'
+  else
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>2.3'
+  end
 
   spec.add_development_dependency "bundler", "~> 1.5"
   spec.add_development_dependency "rake"
diff --git a/gems/adheres_to_policy/test.sh b/gems/adheres_to_policy/test.sh
index e765379abfa..14855dce878 100755
--- a/gems/adheres_to_policy/test.sh
+++ b/gems/adheres_to_policy/test.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 result=0
 
 echo "################ Running tests against Rails 2 ################"
-unset  CANVAS_RAILS3
+export  CANVAS_RAILS3=0
 bundle install
 bundle exec rspec spec
 let result=$result+$?
diff --git a/gems/canvas_stringex/Gemfile b/gems/canvas_stringex/Gemfile
index 69e9487a211..1a94184a625 100644
--- a/gems/canvas_stringex/Gemfile
+++ b/gems/canvas_stringex/Gemfile
@@ -4,11 +4,6 @@ gemspec
 gem 'simplecov', '0.8.2', :require => false
 gem 'simplecov-rcov', '0.2.3', :require => false
 
-if CANVAS_RAILS3
-  gem 'rails', '3.2.15'
-else
-  gem 'rails', :github => 'makandra/rails', :branch => '2-3-lts', :ref => 'e86daf8ff727d5efc0040c876ba00c9444a5d915'
-end
 
 platforms :ruby_20, :ruby_21 do
   gem 'syck', '1.0.1'
diff --git a/gems/canvas_stringex/canvas_stringex.gemspec b/gems/canvas_stringex/canvas_stringex.gemspec
index acd02ee9ead..59416261640 100644
--- a/gems/canvas_stringex/canvas_stringex.gemspec
+++ b/gems/canvas_stringex/canvas_stringex.gemspec
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.test_files    = spec.files.grep(%r{^(test|spec|features)/})
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
-  unless CANVAS_RAILS3
+  if CANVAS_RAILS3
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>3.2'
+  else
     spec.add_dependency 'fake_arel', '~> 1.5'
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>2.3'
   end
 
   spec.add_development_dependency "activerecord"
diff --git a/gems/canvas_stringex/test.sh b/gems/canvas_stringex/test.sh
index 5979486cc39..69e01dec942 100755
--- a/gems/canvas_stringex/test.sh
+++ b/gems/canvas_stringex/test.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 result=0
 
 echo "################ Running tests against Rails 2 ################"
-unset CANVAS_RAILS3
+export CANVAS_RAILS3=0
 bundle install
 bundle exec rspec spec
 let result=$result+$?
diff --git a/gems/html_text_helper/Gemfile b/gems/html_text_helper/Gemfile
index 0361bf438e7..8b6b724abbd 100644
--- a/gems/html_text_helper/Gemfile
+++ b/gems/html_text_helper/Gemfile
@@ -4,11 +4,3 @@ source 'https://rubygems.org'
 gemspec
 gem 'simplecov', '0.8.2', :require => false
 gem 'simplecov-rcov', '0.2.3', :require => false
-
-require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
-
-if CANVAS_RAILS3
-  gem 'rails', '3.2.15'
-else
-  gem 'rails', :github => 'makandra/rails', :branch => '2-3-lts', :ref => 'e86daf8ff727d5efc0040c876ba00c9444a5d915'
-end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gems/html_text_helper/html_text_helper.gemspec b/gems/html_text_helper/html_text_helper.gemspec
index f14c2bb6724..a8b91fb4a6d 100644
--- a/gems/html_text_helper/html_text_helper.gemspec
+++ b/gems/html_text_helper/html_text_helper.gemspec
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 lib = File.expand_path('../lib', __FILE__)
 $LOAD_PATH.unshift(lib) unless $LOAD_PATH.include?(lib)
 
+unless defined?(CANVAS_RAILS3)
+  require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
+end
+
 Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.name          = "html_text_helper"
   spec.version       = '0.0.1'
@@ -15,9 +19,14 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
   spec.add_dependency 'nokogiri', '1.5.6'
-  spec.add_dependency 'rails'
   spec.add_dependency 'sanitize', '2.0.3'
 
+  if CANVAS_RAILS3
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>3.2'
+  else
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>2.3'
+  end
+
   spec.add_development_dependency "bundler", "~> 1.5"
   spec.add_development_dependency "rake"
   spec.add_development_dependency "rspec", "2.14.1"
diff --git a/gems/html_text_helper/test.sh b/gems/html_text_helper/test.sh
index 74b6bb6cd49..db4a2d4c7dc 100755
--- a/gems/html_text_helper/test.sh
+++ b/gems/html_text_helper/test.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 result=0
 
 echo "################ Running tests against Rails 2 ################"
-unset  CANVAS_RAILS3
+export  CANVAS_RAILS3=0
 bundle install
 bundle exec rspec spec
 let result=$result+$?
diff --git a/gems/workflow/Gemfile b/gems/workflow/Gemfile
index a00a846d00b..1e8dc1a30e9 100644
--- a/gems/workflow/Gemfile
+++ b/gems/workflow/Gemfile
@@ -2,11 +2,3 @@ source 'https://rubygems.org'
 
 # Specify your gem's dependencies in canvas_workflow.gemspec
 gemspec
-
-require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
-
-if CANVAS_RAILS3
-  gem 'rails', '3.2.15'
-else
-  gem 'rails', :github => 'makandra/rails', :branch => '2-3-lts', :ref => 'e86daf8ff727d5efc0040c876ba00c9444a5d915'
-end
diff --git a/gems/workflow/workflow.gemspec b/gems/workflow/workflow.gemspec
index 6146c8d4ffc..0f297e9d97d 100644
--- a/gems/workflow/workflow.gemspec
+++ b/gems/workflow/workflow.gemspec
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 lib = File.expand_path('../lib', __FILE__)
 $LOAD_PATH.unshift(lib) unless $LOAD_PATH.include?(lib)
 
+unless defined?(CANVAS_RAILS3)
+  require File.expand_path("../../../config/canvas_rails3", __FILE__)
+end
+
 Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.name          = "workflow"
   spec.version       = '0.0.1'
@@ -14,7 +18,11 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.test_files    = spec.files.grep(%r{^(test|spec|features)/})
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
-  spec.add_dependency 'rails'
+  if CANVAS_RAILS3
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>3.2'
+  else
+    spec.add_dependency 'rails', '~>2.3'
+  end
 
   spec.add_development_dependency "bundler", "~> 1.5"
   spec.add_development_dependency "rake"