diff --git a/.sync.yml b/.sync.yml
index fdf310f0c..0034c7421 100644
--- a/.sync.yml
+++ b/.sync.yml
@@ -32,3 +32,14 @@ spec/default_facts.yml:
       - 2.5.0
     vm_guests:
       - invalid_existing_guest
+spec/spec_helper.rb:
+  spec_overrides:
+    - "module DefaultHieraConfig"
+    - "  extend RSpec::SharedContext"
+    - "  let(:hiera_config) { 'spec/fixtures/hiera/default_config.yaml' }"
+    - "end"
+    - ""
+    - "RSpec.configure do |c|"
+    - "  c.default_facts = default_facts"
+    - "  c.include DefaultHieraConfig"
+    - "end " # trailing space prevents PDK from skipping this line
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index a538290a0..fc145a864 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 require 'puppetlabs_spec_helper/module_spec_helper'
 require 'rspec-puppet-utils'
 require 'rspec-puppet-facts'
-require 'faker'
 include RspecPuppetFacts
 
+require 'spec_helper_local' if File.file?(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'spec_helper_local.rb'))
+
 default_facts = {
   puppetversion: Puppet.version,
   facterversion: Facter.version,
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
   default_facts.merge!(YAML.safe_load(File.read(default_module_facts_path)))
 end
 
+# 'spec_overrides' from sync.yml will appear below this line
 module DefaultHieraConfig
   extend RSpec::SharedContext
   let(:hiera_config) { 'spec/fixtures/hiera/default_config.yaml' }
@@ -41,64 +43,4 @@ module DefaultHieraConfig
 RSpec.configure do |c|
   c.default_facts = default_facts
   c.include DefaultHieraConfig
-end
-
-# Stub the default dependency loader to do normal resolution except where overridden
-def stub_loader!
-  allow_any_instance_of(Puppet::Pops::Loader::DependencyLoader).to receive(:load).and_call_original
-end
-
-# Stub the dependency loader to resolve a named function to a double of some type
-#
-# @param name [String] The name of the puppet function to stub
-# @param dbl [RSpec double] Optional RSpeck double with `call` mocked;
-#        will be used instead of the block if supplied
-# @yield [*args] A block that takes all parameters given to the puppet function;
-#        required if dbl is not supplied, and ignored if dbl is supplied
-def stub_function(name, dbl = nil, &func)
-  func = dbl || func
-  stub = ->(_scope, *args, &block) do
-    func.call(*args, &block)
-  end
-  allow_any_instance_of(Puppet::Pops::Loader::DependencyLoader).to receive(:load).with(:function, name).and_return(stub)
-end
-
-def stub_with_call(name)
-  double(name).tap do |dbl|
-    dbl.define_singleton_method(:allow_call) do
-      allow(dbl).to receive(:call)
-    end
-    stub_function(name, dbl)
-  end
-end
-
-def stub(name)
-  dbl = double(name)
-
-  yield dbl
-  stub_function(name, dbl)
-end
-
-def allow_call(dbl)
-  allow(dbl).to receive(:call)
-end
-
-class Hash
-  # deep_merge copied with minor adaptation from:
-  # https://github.com/rails/rails/blob/main/activesupport/lib/active_support/deep_mergeable.rb
-  def deep_merge(other, &block)
-    dup.deep_merge!(other, &block)
-  end
-
-  def deep_merge!(other, &block)
-    merge!(other) do |key, this_val, other_val|
-      if this_val.is_a?(Hash) && other_val.is_a?(Hash)
-        this_val.deep_merge(other_val, &block)
-      elsif block_given?
-        block.call(key, this_val, other_val)
-      else
-        other_val
-      end
-    end
-  end
-end
+end 
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper/deep_merge.rb b/spec/spec_helper/deep_merge.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed4a0cb0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/spec_helper/deep_merge.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+class Hash
+  # deep_merge copied with minor adaptation from:
+  # https://github.com/rails/rails/blob/main/activesupport/lib/active_support/deep_mergeable.rb
+  def deep_merge(other, &block)
+    dup.deep_merge!(other, &block)
+  end
+
+  def deep_merge!(other, &block)
+    merge!(other) do |key, this_val, other_val|
+      if this_val.is_a?(Hash) && other_val.is_a?(Hash)
+        this_val.deep_merge(other_val, &block)
+      elsif block_given?
+        block.call(key, this_val, other_val)
+      else
+        other_val
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper/stub_loader.rb b/spec/spec_helper/stub_loader.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d0911a5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/spec_helper/stub_loader.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Stub the default dependency loader to do normal resolution except where overridden
+def stub_loader!
+  allow_any_instance_of(Puppet::Pops::Loader::DependencyLoader).to receive(:load).and_call_original
+end
+
+# Stub the dependency loader to resolve a named function to a double of some type
+#
+# @param name [String] The name of the puppet function to stub
+# @param dbl [RSpec double] Optional RSpec double with `call` mocked;
+#        will be used instead of the block if supplied
+# @yield [*args] A block that takes all parameters given to the puppet function;
+#        required if dbl is not supplied, and ignored if dbl is supplied
+def stub_function(name, dbl = nil, &func)
+  func = dbl || func
+  stub = ->(_scope, *args, &block) do
+    func.call(*args, &block)
+  end
+  allow_any_instance_of(Puppet::Pops::Loader::DependencyLoader).to receive(:load).with(:function, name).and_return(stub)
+end
+
+def stub(name)
+  dbl = double(name)
+
+  yield dbl
+  stub_function(name, dbl)
+end
+
+def allow_call(dbl)
+  allow(dbl).to receive(:call)
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper_local.rb b/spec/spec_helper_local.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b4e553e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/spec_helper_local.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+require 'faker'
+require 'spec_helper/deep_merge'
+require 'spec_helper/stub_loader'