diff --git a/app/controllers/spotlight/searches_controller.rb b/app/controllers/spotlight/searches_controller.rb
index 452f33595d..c7c4b2c52f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/spotlight/searches_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/spotlight/searches_controller.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class SearchesController < Spotlight::ApplicationController
 
     def create
       @search.attributes = search_params
-      @search.query_params = params.to_unsafe_h.except(:exhibit_id, :search, *blacklisted_search_session_params).reject { |_k, v| v.blank? }
+      @search.query_params = query_params
 
       if @search.save
         redirect_to :back, notice: t(:'helpers.submit.search.created', model: @search.class.model_name.human.downcase)
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ def search_params
       )
     end
 
+    def query_params
+      params.to_unsafe_h.with_indifferent_access.except(:exhibit_id, :search, *blacklisted_search_session_params).reject { |_k, v| v.blank? }
+    end
+
     def featured_image_attributes
       [:display, :source, :image, :remote_image_url, :document_global_id, :image_crop_x, :image_crop_y, :image_crop_w, :image_crop_h]
     end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/spotlight/appearances_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/spotlight/appearances_controller_spec.rb
index 5ad9be6683..c85d1399b2 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/spotlight/appearances_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/spotlight/appearances_controller_spec.rb
@@ -41,15 +41,27 @@
     end
 
     describe 'PATCH update' do
+      let(:first_nav) { exhibit.main_navigations.first }
+      let(:last_nav) { exhibit.main_navigations.last }
       it 'updates the navigation' do
-        first_nav = exhibit.main_navigations.first
-        last_nav = exhibit.main_navigations.last
-        patch :update, exhibit_id: exhibit, exhibit: {
-          main_navigations_attributes: {
-            0 => { id: first_nav.id, label: 'Some Label', weight: 500 },
-            1 => { id: last_nav.id, display: false }
+        if Rails::VERSION::MAJOR >= 5
+          patch :update, params: {
+            exhibit_id: exhibit,
+            exhibit: {
+              main_navigations_attributes: {
+                0 => { id: first_nav.id, label: 'Some Label', weight: 500 },
+                1 => { id: last_nav.id, display: false }
+              }
+            }
           }
-        }
+        else
+          patch :update, exhibit_id: exhibit, exhibit: {
+            main_navigations_attributes: [
+              { id: first_nav.id, label: 'Some Label', weight: 500 },
+              { id: last_nav.id, display: false }
+            ]
+          }
+        end
         expect(flash[:notice]).to eq 'The exhibit was successfully updated.'
         expect(response).to redirect_to edit_exhibit_appearance_path(exhibit)
         assigns[:exhibit].tap do |saved|
diff --git a/spec/controllers/spotlight/catalog_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/spotlight/catalog_controller_spec.rb
index 0f4bed120f..898afcf0ca 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/spotlight/catalog_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/spotlight/catalog_controller_spec.rb
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
       it 'shows the index when there are parameters' do
         expect(controller).to receive(:add_breadcrumb).with('Home', exhibit_path(exhibit, q: ''))
         expect(controller).to receive(:add_breadcrumb).with('Search Results', search_exhibit_catalog_path(exhibit, q: 'map'))
-        get :index, params: { exhibit_id: exhibit, q: 'map' }
+        get :index, exhibit_id: exhibit, q: 'map'
         expect(response).to be_successful
       end
       it 'redirects to the exhibit home page when there are no parameters' do
diff --git a/spec/controllers/spotlight/solr_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/spotlight/solr_controller_spec.rb
index 4758acf267..a7942bea57 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/spotlight/solr_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/spotlight/solr_controller_spec.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
           doc = arr.first
         end
 
-        post :update, body: { a: 1 }.to_json, params: { exhibit_id: exhibit }, as: :json
+        post_update_with_json_body(exhibit, a: 1)
 
         expect(response).to be_successful
         expect(doc).to include 'a' => 1
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         end
 
         it 'raises an error' do
-          post :update, body: { a: 1 }.to_json, params: { exhibit_id: exhibit }, as: :json
+          post_update_with_json_body(exhibit, a: 1)
 
           expect(response.code).to eq '409'
         end
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           doc = arr.first
         end
 
-        post :update, body: { a: 1 }.to_json, params: { exhibit_id: exhibit }, as: :json
+        post_update_with_json_body(exhibit, a: 1)
 
         expect(response).to be_successful
         expect(doc).to include exhibit.solr_data
@@ -67,11 +67,19 @@
 
         allow_any_instance_of(SolrDocument).to receive(:to_solr).and_return(b: 1)
 
-        post :update, body: { a: 1 }.to_json, params: { exhibit_id: exhibit }, as: :json
+        post_update_with_json_body(exhibit, a: 1)
 
         expect(response).to be_successful
         expect(doc).to include b: 1
       end
     end
   end
+
+  def post_update_with_json_body(exhibit, hash)
+    if Rails::VERSION::MAJOR >= 5
+      post :update, body: hash.to_json, params: { exhibit_id: exhibit }, as: :json
+    else
+      post :update, hash.to_json, content_type: :json, exhibit_id: exhibit
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index ce228e4101..50766157c1 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 
 Internal::Application.config.active_job.queue_adapter = :inline
 
+require 'rails-controller-testing' if Rails::VERSION::MAJOR >= 5
 require 'rspec/collection_matchers'
 require 'rspec/its'
 require 'rspec/rails'
 require 'rspec/active_model/mocks'
-require 'rails-controller-testing'
 
 require 'capybara/poltergeist'
 
@@ -91,8 +91,10 @@
   config.after(:each, type: :feature) { Warden.test_reset! }
   config.include Controllers::EngineHelpers, type: :controller
   config.include Capybara::DSL
-  config.include ::Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
-  config.include ::Rails.application.routes.mounted_helpers
+  if Rails::VERSION::MAJOR >= 5
+    config.include ::Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
+    config.include ::Rails.application.routes.mounted_helpers
+  end
   config.include Spotlight::TestFeaturesHelpers, type: :feature
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/support/helpers/controller_level_helpers.rb b/spec/support/helpers/controller_level_helpers.rb
index c6803be6ff..71e0730b84 100644
--- a/spec/support/helpers/controller_level_helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/support/helpers/controller_level_helpers.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ def blacklight_configuration_context
 
   def initialize_controller_helpers(helper)
     helper.extend ControllerLevelHelpers
+    initialize_routing_helpers(helper)
+  end
+
+  def initialize_routing_helpers(helper)
+    return unless Rails::VERSION::MAJOR >= 5
+
     helper.class.include ::Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
     helper.class.include ::Rails.application.routes.mounted_helpers if ::Rails.application.routes.respond_to?(:mounted_helpers)
   end
diff --git a/spec/support/views/test_view_helpers.rb b/spec/support/views/test_view_helpers.rb
index b48ce92707..4d2e3d2356 100644
--- a/spec/support/views/test_view_helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/support/views/test_view_helpers.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ module TestViewHelpers
 
     included do
       before do
+        view.send(:extend, Spotlight::MainAppHelpers)
         view.send(:extend, Spotlight::CrudLinkHelpers)
         view.send(:extend, Spotlight::TitleHelper)
         view.send(:extend, Spotlight::NavbarHelper)
diff --git a/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra b/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra
index d4a54e7e51..cc2e637172 100644
--- a/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra
+++ b/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 gem 'acts-as-taggable-on', github: 'mbleigh/acts-as-taggable-on'
-gem 'rails-controller-testing'
+gem 'rails-controller-testing', require: false
 gem 'friendly_id', github: 'norman/friendly_id'
 gem 'social-share-button', github: 'cbeer/social-share-button', branch: 'on_load'