diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/conversation_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/conversation_spec.rb
index c77ba7d..bc4ff5c 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/conversation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/conversation_spec.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   <subject>#{data[:subject]}</subject>
   <created_at>#{data[:created_at].utc.iso8601}</created_at>
   <participant_handles>#{data[:participants]}</participant_handles>
-#{data[:messages].map {|a| a.to_xml.to_s.indent(2) }.join("\n")}
+#{data[:messages].map {|a| indent(a.to_xml.to_s, 2) }.join("\n")}
 </conversation>
 XML
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/poll_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/poll_spec.rb
index e6480fd..2065785 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/poll_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/poll_spec.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
 <poll>
   <guid>#{data[:guid]}</guid>
   <question>#{data[:question]}</question>
-#{data[:poll_answers].map {|a| a.to_xml.to_s.indent(2) }.join("\n")}
+#{data[:poll_answers].map {|a| indent(a.to_xml.to_s, 2) }.join("\n")}
 </poll>
 XML
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ XML
     "guid": "#{data[:guid]}",
     "question": "#{data[:question]}",
     "poll_answers": [
-#{data[:poll_answers].map {|a| JSON.pretty_generate(a.to_json).indent(6) }.join(",\n")}
+#{data[:poll_answers].map {|a| indent(JSON.pretty_generate(a.to_json), 6) }.join(",\n")}
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/spec/support/helper_methods.rb b/spec/support/helper_methods.rb
index d3d4c03..cffd839 100644
--- a/spec/support/helper_methods.rb
+++ b/spec/support/helper_methods.rb
@@ -35,3 +35,8 @@ def change_time(time, options={})
 
   ::Time.utc(time.year, time.month, time.day, new_hour, new_min, new_sec)
 end
+
+# indent helper
+def indent(string, amount)
+  string.gsub(/^/, " " * amount)
+end