diff --git a/spec/helpers.rb b/spec/helpers.rb
index e23faaf..8a25a50 100644
--- a/spec/helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,23 @@
 require 'uri'
 
 module Helpers
+
+  # @param [Hash] opts A hash of methods, passed directly to the double
+  #   definition. Use this to stub other required methods.
+  #
+  # @return double for Net::HTTPResponse
   def res_double(opts={})
-    double('Net::HTTPResponse', {to_hash: {}, body: 'response body'}.merge(opts))
+    instance_double('Net::HTTPResponse', {to_hash: {}, body: 'response body'}.merge(opts))
   end
 
+  # Given a Net::HTTPResponse or double and a Request or double, create a
+  # RestClient::Response object.
+  #
+  # @param net_http_res_double an rspec double for Net::HTTPResponse
+  # @param request A RestClient::Request or rspec double
+  #
+  # @return [RestClient::Response]
+  #
   def response_from_res_double(net_http_res_double, request=nil, duration: 1)
     request ||= request_double()
     start_time = Time.now - duration
@@ -17,6 +30,7 @@ module Helpers
     response
   end
 
+  # Redirect stderr to a string for the duration of the passed block.
   def fake_stderr
     original_stderr = $stderr
     $stderr = StringIO.new
@@ -26,9 +40,11 @@ module Helpers
     $stderr = original_stderr
   end
 
+  # Create a double for RestClient::Request
   def request_double(url: 'http://example.com', method: 'get')
-    double('request', url: url, uri: URI.parse(url), method: method,
-           user: nil, password: nil, cookie_jar: HTTP::CookieJar.new,
-           redirection_history: nil, args: {url: url, method: method})
+    instance_double('RestClient::Request',
+      url: url, uri: URI.parse(url), method: method, user: nil, password: nil,
+      cookie_jar: HTTP::CookieJar.new, redirection_history: nil,
+      args: {url: url, method: method})
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/abstract_response_spec.rb b/spec/unit/abstract_response_spec.rb
index 0e221e6..edf6923 100644
--- a/spec/unit/abstract_response_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/abstract_response_spec.rb
@@ -2,21 +2,21 @@ require_relative '_lib'
 
 describe RestClient::AbstractResponse, :include_helpers do
 
+  # Sample class implementing AbstractResponse used for testing.
   class MyAbstractResponse
 
     include RestClient::AbstractResponse
 
     attr_accessor :size
 
-    def initialize net_http_res, request
-      @net_http_res = net_http_res
-      @request = request
+    def initialize(net_http_res, request)
+      response_set_vars(net_http_res, request, Time.now - 1)
     end
 
   end
 
   before do
-    @net_http_res = double('net http response')
+    @net_http_res = res_double()
     @request = request_double(url: 'http://example.com', method: 'get')
     @response = MyAbstractResponse.new(@net_http_res, @request)
   end
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ describe RestClient::AbstractResponse, :include_helpers do
     it 'handles cookies when URI scheme is implicit' do
       net_http_res = double('net http response')
       expect(net_http_res).to receive(:to_hash).and_return('set-cookie' => ['session_id=1; path=/'])
-      request = double(url: 'example.com', uri: URI.parse('http://example.com'),
-                       method: 'get', cookie_jar: HTTP::CookieJar.new)
+      request = double('request', url: 'example.com', uri: URI.parse('http://example.com'),
+                       method: 'get', cookie_jar: HTTP::CookieJar.new, redirection_history: nil)
       response = MyAbstractResponse.new(net_http_res, request)
       expect(response.cookie_jar).to be_a HTTP::CookieJar
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ describe RestClient::AbstractResponse, :include_helpers do
     end
 
     it "should gracefully handle 302 redirect with no location header" do
-      @net_http_res = res_double(code: 302, location: nil)
+      @net_http_res = res_double(code: 302)
       @request = request_double()
       @response = MyAbstractResponse.new(@net_http_res, @request)
       expect(@response).to receive(:check_max_redirects).and_return('fake-check')