diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3a4f2b5..990a71a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ tmp
 coverage
 pkg
 .bundle
+.internal_test_app
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 5765daf..77e39c4 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -8,17 +8,28 @@ gemspec
 # Git. Remember to move these dependencies to your gemspec before releasing
 # your gem to rubygems.org.
 
-# load local rails test instance Gemfile (engine cart adds this automagically)
-file = File.expand_path("Gemfile", ENV['ENGINE_CART_DESTINATION'] || ENV['RAILS_ROOT'] || File.expand_path("../spec/internal", __FILE__))
-if File.exists?(file)
-  puts "Loading #{file} ..." if $DEBUG # `ruby -d` or `bundle -v`
-  instance_eval File.read(file)
+# BEGIN ENGINE_CART BLOCK
+# engine_cart: 0.8.0
+# engine_cart stanza: 0.8.0
+# the below comes from engine_cart, a gem used to test this Rails engine gem in the context of a Rails app.
+file = File.expand_path("Gemfile", ENV['ENGINE_CART_DESTINATION'] || ENV['RAILS_ROOT'] || File.expand_path(".internal_test_app", File.dirname(__FILE__)))
+if File.exist?(file)
+  begin
+    eval_gemfile file
+  rescue Bundler::GemfileError => e
+    Bundler.ui.warn '[EngineCart] Skipping Rails application dependencies:'
+    Bundler.ui.warn e.message
+  end
 else
-  gem 'rails', ENV['RAILS_VERSION']
-  # explicitly include sass-rails to get compatible sprocket dependencies
-  if ENV['RAILS_VERSION'] and ENV['RAILS_VERSION'] =~ /^4.2/
-    gem 'sass-rails', ">= 5.0.0.beta1"
+  Bundler.ui.warn "[EngineCart] Unable to find test application dependencies in #{file}, using placeholder dependencies"
+
+  gem 'rails', ENV['RAILS_VERSION'] if ENV['RAILS_VERSION']
+
+  if ENV['RAILS_VERSION'].nil? || ENV['RAILS_VERSION'] =~ /^4.2/
+    gem 'responders', "~> 2.0"
+    gem 'sass-rails', ">= 5.0"
   else
     gem 'sass-rails', "< 5.0"
   end
 end
+# END ENGINE_CART BLOCK
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/blacklight-hierarchy.gemspec b/blacklight-hierarchy.gemspec
index f2dedb3..3d333c4 100644
--- a/blacklight-hierarchy.gemspec
+++ b/blacklight-hierarchy.gemspec
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   
   s.add_development_dependency "rspec-rails"
   s.add_development_dependency "sqlite3"
-  s.add_development_dependency "engine_cart"
+  s.add_development_dependency "engine_cart", '~> 0.8'
   s.add_development_dependency "capybara"
   s.add_development_dependency "coveralls"
 end
diff --git a/lib/blacklight/hierarchy/engine.rb b/lib/blacklight/hierarchy/engine.rb
index 16d444a..abbb486 100644
--- a/lib/blacklight/hierarchy/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/blacklight/hierarchy/engine.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 require 'blacklight'
+require 'rails'
 
 module Blacklight
   module Hierarchy
     class Engine < Rails::Engine
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end