diff --git a/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/create_remote_file_test.rb b/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/create_remote_file_test.rb
index c4dd005d4b..0a33d0d7b9 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/create_remote_file_test.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/create_remote_file_test.rb
@@ -81,10 +81,18 @@
       remote_filename = File.join(remote_tmpdir, "testfile.txt")
       contents = fixture_contents("simple_text_file")
 
-      create_remote_file default, remote_filename, contents, { :protocol => "rsync" }
-
-      remote_contents = on(default, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
-      assert_equal contents, remote_contents
+      result = create_remote_file default, remote_filename, contents, { :protocol => "rsync" }
+
+      fails_intermittently("https://tickets.puppetlabs.com/browse/BKR-612",
+        "default" => default,
+        "remote_tmpdir" => remote_tmpdir,
+        "remote_filename" => remote_filename,
+        "contents" => contents,
+        "result" => result
+        ) do
+          remote_contents = on(default, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
+          assert_equal contents, remote_contents
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -154,15 +162,26 @@
 
     step "#create_remote_file creates remote files on all remote hosts, when given an array, using rsync" do
       remote_tmpdir = tmpdir_on default
+
+      # NOTE: we do not do this step in the non-hosts-array version of the test, not sure why
       on hosts, "mkdir -p #{remote_tmpdir}"
+
       remote_filename = File.join(remote_tmpdir, "testfile.txt")
       contents = fixture_contents("simple_text_file")
 
-      create_remote_file hosts, remote_filename, contents, { :protocol => 'rsync' }
+      result = create_remote_file hosts, remote_filename, contents, { :protocol => 'rsync' }
 
       hosts.each do |host|
-        remote_contents = on(host, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
-        assert_equal contents, remote_contents
+        fails_intermittently("https://tickets.puppetlabs.com/browse/BKR-612",
+          "host" => host,
+          "remote_tmpdir" => remote_tmpdir,
+          "remote_filename" => remote_filename,
+          "contents" => contents,
+          "result" => result
+          ) do
+          remote_contents = on(host, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
+          assert_equal contents, remote_contents
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/rsync_to_test.rb b/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/rsync_to_test.rb
index 6d8a56ffb0..9292d80000 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/rsync_to_test.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/base/dsl/helpers/host_helpers/rsync_to_test.rb
@@ -80,17 +80,21 @@
       Dir.mktmpdir do |local_dir|
         local_filename, contents = create_local_file_from_fixture("simple_text_file", local_dir, "testfile.txt")
         remote_tmpdir = tmpdir_on default
+        remote_filename = File.join(remote_tmpdir, "testfile.txt")
 
         result = rsync_to default, local_filename, remote_tmpdir
 
-        remote_filename = File.join(remote_tmpdir, "testfile.txt")
-        remote_contents = on(default, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
-
         fails_intermittently("https://tickets.puppetlabs.com/browse/QENG-3053",
+          "result"          => result,
           "default"         => default,
+          "contents"        => contents,
+          "local_filename"  => local_filename,
+          "local_dir"       => local_dir,
           "remote_filename" => remote_filename,
+          "remote_tmdir"    => remote_tmpdir,
           "result"          => result.inspect,
         ) do
+          remote_contents = on(default, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
           assert_equal contents, remote_contents
         end
       end
@@ -103,11 +107,22 @@
         on hosts, "mkdir -p #{remote_tmpdir}"
         remote_filename = File.join(remote_tmpdir, "testfile.txt")
 
-        rsync_to hosts, local_filename, remote_tmpdir
+        result = rsync_to hosts, local_filename, remote_tmpdir
 
         hosts.each do |host|
-          remote_contents = on(host, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
-          assert_equal contents, remote_contents
+          fails_intermittently("https://tickets.puppetlabs.com/browse/QENG-3053",
+            "result"          => result,
+            "host"            => host,
+            "contents"        => contents,
+            "local_filename"  => local_filename,
+            "local_dir"       => local_dir,
+            "remote_filename" => remote_filename,
+            "remote_tmdir"    => remote_tmpdir,
+            "result"          => result.inspect,
+          ) do
+            remote_contents = on(host, "cat #{remote_filename}").stdout
+            assert_equal contents, remote_contents
+          end
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/base/host_test.rb b/acceptance/tests/base/host_test.rb
index bf76a5420b..d4b431dbdb 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/base/host_test.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/base/host_test.rb
@@ -175,13 +175,8 @@
   end
 end
 
-# TODO: re-enable via resolution of QENG-3063
-#
-# step "#reboot: can reboot the host"
-# hosts.each do |host|
-#   host.reboot
-#   fails_intermittently("https://tickets.puppetlabs.com/browse/QENG-3063",
-#     "host" => "#{host}") do
-#     on host, "echo #{host} rebooted!"
-#   end
-# end
+step "#reboot: can reboot the host"
+hosts.each do |host|
+  host.reboot
+  on host, "echo #{host} rebooted!"
+end
diff --git a/lib/beaker/logger.rb b/lib/beaker/logger.rb
index 4a3233f440..76dab0bb4a 100644
--- a/lib/beaker/logger.rb
+++ b/lib/beaker/logger.rb
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ def optionally_color color_code, msg, add_newline = true
         to.print color_code if @color
         to.send print_statement, msg
         to.print NORMAL if @color unless color_code == NONE
+        to.flush
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/beaker/logger_spec.rb b/spec/beaker/logger_spec.rb
index 844623a2f1..da5e5cd618 100644
--- a/spec/beaker/logger_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/beaker/logger_spec.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 module Beaker
   describe Logger do
-    let(:my_io)     { MockIO.new                         }
+    let(:my_io)     { StringIO.new                         }
     let(:logger)    { Logger.new(my_io, :quiet => true)  }
     let(:test_dir)  { 'tmp/tests' }
     let(:dummy_prefix)  { 'dummy' }
diff --git a/spec/mocks.rb b/spec/mocks.rb
index f18cb7d55c..292b695d23 100644
--- a/spec/mocks.rb
+++ b/spec/mocks.rb
@@ -1,18 +1,5 @@
 require 'rspec/mocks'
 
-class MockIO < IO
-  def initialize
-  end
-
-  methods.each do |meth|
-    define_method(:meth) {}
-  end
-
-  def === other
-    super other
-  end
-end
-
 module MockNet
   class HTTP