diff --git a/.gemspec b/.gemspec
index 132a393f116..ad210114202 100644
--- a/.gemspec
+++ b/.gemspec
@@ -33,19 +33,11 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.specification_version = 3
   s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<facter>, [">= 2.0.1", "< 4"])
   s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<hiera>, [">= 3.2.1", "< 4"])
-  s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<semantic_puppet>, ["~> 1.0"])
-  # i18n support (gettext-setup and dependencies)
+  s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<semantic_puppet>, "~> 1.0")
   s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<fast_gettext>, "~> 1.1.2")
   s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<locale>, "~> 2.1")
   s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<multi_json>, "~> 1.13")
   s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<httpclient>, "~> 2.8")
-  # hocon is an optional hiera backend shipped in puppet-agent packages
-  s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<hocon>, "~> 1.0")
-  # net-ssh is a runtime dependency of Puppet::Util::NetworkDevice::Transport::Ssh
-  # Beaker 3.0.0 to 3.10.0 depends on net-ssh 3.3.0beta1
-  # Beaker 3.11.0+ depends on net-ssh 4.0+
-  # be lenient to allow module testing where Beaker and Puppet are in same Gemfile
-  s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<net-ssh>, [">= 3.0", "< 5"]) if Gem::Version.new(RUBY_VERSION.dup) >= Gem::Version.new('2.0.0')
 
   # loads platform specific gems like ffi, win32 platform gems
   # as additional runtime dependencies
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index c8756007fcd..dad0dea2e60 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ group(:development, :test) do
   gem "rspec-its", "~> 1.1", :require => false
   gem "rspec-collection_matchers", "~> 1.1", :require => false
   gem "rspec-legacy_formatters", "~> 1.0", :require => false
-
-  # Mocha is not compatible across minor version changes; because of this only
-  # versions matching ~> 0.10.5 are supported. All other versions are unsupported
-  # and can be expected to fail.
   gem "mocha", '~> 1.5.0', :require => false
 
   gem "yarjuf", "~> 2.0"
@@ -50,14 +46,9 @@ group(:development, :test) do
   # json-schema does not support windows, so omit it from the platforms list
   gem "json-schema", "~> 2.0", :require => false, :platforms => [:ruby, :jruby]
 
-  if RUBY_VERSION >= '2.0'
-    # pin rubocop as 0.50 requires a higher version of the rainbow gem (see below)
-    gem 'rubocop', '~> 0.49.1', :platforms => [:ruby]
-    gem 'rubocop-i18n', '~> 1.2.0', :platforms => [:ruby]
-  end
+  gem 'rubocop', '~> 0.49', :platforms => [:ruby]
+  gem 'rubocop-i18n', '~> 1.2.0', :platforms => [:ruby]
 
-  # pin rainbow gem as 2.2.1 requires rubygems 2.6.9+ and (donotwant)
-  gem "rainbow", "< 2.2.1", :platforms => [:ruby]
 
   gem 'rdoc', "~> 4.1", :platforms => [:ruby]
   gem 'yard'
@@ -68,6 +59,7 @@ group(:development, :test) do
   gem 'webmock', '~> 1.24'
   gem 'vcr', '~> 2.9'
   gem "hiera-eyaml", :require => false
+  gem "hocon", '~> 1.0', :require => false
 
   gem 'memory_profiler', :platforms => [:mri_21, :mri_22, :mri_23, :mri_24, :mri_25]
 end
@@ -81,7 +73,6 @@ group(:development) do
 end
 
 group(:extra) do
-  gem "rack", "~> 1.4", :require => false
   gem "puppetlabs_spec_helper", :require => false
   gem "msgpack", :require => false
 end
diff --git a/ext/project_data.yaml b/ext/project_data.yaml
index e05e164d2b8..94dc5a0191d 100644
--- a/ext/project_data.yaml
+++ b/ext/project_data.yaml
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ gem_required_rubygems_version: '> 1.3.1'
 gem_runtime_dependencies:
   facter: ['> 2.0.1', '< 4']
   hiera: ['>= 3.2.1', '< 4']
-  # PUP-7115 - return to a gem dependency in Puppet 5
-  semantic_puppet: ['~> 1.0']
+  semantic_puppet: '~> 1.0'
   fast_gettext: '~> 1.1.2'
   locale: '~> 2.1'
   multi_json: '~> 1.10'
+  httpclient: '~> 2.8'
 gem_rdoc_options:
   - --title
   - "Puppet - Configuration Management"
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ gem_platform_dependencies:
       CFPropertyList: '~> 2.2'
   x86-mingw32:
     gem_runtime_dependencies:
-      # Pinning versions that require native extensions
-      # ffi is pinned due to PUP-8438
-      ffi: '<= 1.9.18'
+      ffi: '~> 1.9.25'
       # win32-xxxx gems are pinned due to PUP-6445
       win32-dir: '= 0.4.9'
       win32-process: '= 0.7.5'
@@ -48,8 +46,7 @@ gem_platform_dependencies:
       minitar: '~> 0.6.1'
   x64-mingw32:
     gem_runtime_dependencies:
-      # ffi is pinned due to PUP-8438
-      ffi: '<= 1.9.18'
+      ffi: '~> 1.9.25'
       # win32-xxxx gems are pinned due to PUP-6445
       win32-dir: '= 0.4.9'
       win32-process: '= 0.7.5'