diff --git a/.codeclimate.yml b/.codeclimate.yml
index 48306bb98..2ed8f7bf3 100644
--- a/.codeclimate.yml
+++ b/.codeclimate.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,37 @@
 ---
-version: '2'
+version: "2"         # required to adjust maintainability checks
+checks:
+  argument-count:
+    config:
+      threshold: 5
+  complex-logic:
+    config:
+      threshold: 4
+  file-lines:
+    config:
+      threshold: 300
+  method-complexity:
+    config:
+      threshold: 5
+  method-count:
+    config:
+      threshold: 20
+  method-lines:
+    config:
+      threshold: 25
+  nested-control-flow:
+    config:
+      threshold: 4
+  return-statements:
+    config:
+      threshold: 4
+  similar-code:
+    config:
+      threshold: # language-specific defaults. an override will affect all languages.
+  identical-code:
+    config:
+      threshold: # language-specific defaults. an override will affect all languages.
+
 plugins:
   duplication:
     enabled: true
@@ -18,7 +50,7 @@ plugins:
       file: .reek.yml
   rubocop:
     enabled: true
-    channel: rubocop-0-70
+    channel: rubocop-0-71
     config:
       file: .rubocop.yml
 
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3f5d8abce..7d7b4f473 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -17,3 +17,5 @@ my_app/spec/examples.txt
 tmp/
 
 /OLD_README.md
+
+/Gemfile.local
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 9bea9e098..1069a71ad 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 source "https://rubygems.org"
 gemspec
 
-gem "appraisal", "~> 2.2.0"
+LOCAL_GEMS = "Gemfile.local"
+
+gem "appraisal", ">= 2.2"
 gem "rspec-eventually", require: false
 gem "rspec-its",        require: false
 gem "sidekiq", git: "https://github.com/mperham/sidekiq.git"
@@ -31,3 +33,5 @@ platforms :mri do
   gem "toxiproxy"
   gem "travis"
 end
+
+eval(File.read(LOCAL_GEMS)) if File.exist?(LOCAL_GEMS) # rubocop:disable Security/Eval