diff --git a/src/ruby/Rakefile b/src/ruby/Rakefile
index b27305d16c3..afb354e9228 100755
--- a/src/ruby/Rakefile
+++ b/src/ruby/Rakefile
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@
 require 'rake/extensiontask'
 require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
 require 'rubocop/rake_task'
+require 'bundler/gem_tasks'
 
-desc 'Run Rubocop to check for style violations'
+# Add rubocop style checking tasks
 RuboCop::RakeTask.new
 
+# Add the extension compiler task
 Rake::ExtensionTask.new 'grpc' do |ext|
   ext.lib_dir = File.join('lib', 'grpc')
 end
 
+# Define the test suites
 SPEC_SUITES = [
   { id: :wrapper, title: 'wrapper layer', files: %w(spec/*.rb) },
   { id: :idiomatic, title: 'idiomatic layer', dir: %w(spec/generic),
@@ -19,36 +22,34 @@ SPEC_SUITES = [
   { id: :server, title: 'rpc server thread tests', dir: %w(spec/generic),
     tag: 'server' }
 ]
+namespace :suite do
+  SPEC_SUITES.each do |suite|
+    desc "Run all specs in the #{suite[:title]} spec suite"
+    RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(suite[:id]) do |t|
+      spec_files = []
+      suite[:files].each { |f| spec_files += Dir[f] } if suite[:files]
+
+      if suite[:dir]
+        suite[:dir].each { |f| spec_files += Dir["#{f}/**/*_spec.rb"] }
+      end
+      helper = 'spec/spec_helper.rb'
+      spec_files << helper unless spec_files.include?(helper)
 
-desc 'Run all RSpec tests'
-namespace :spec do
-  namespace :suite do
-    SPEC_SUITES.each do |suite|
-      desc "Run all specs in #{suite[:title]} spec suite"
-      RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(suite[:id]) do |t|
-        spec_files = []
-        suite[:files].each { |f| spec_files += Dir[f] } if suite[:files]
-
-        if suite[:dirs]
-          suite[:dirs].each { |f| spec_files += Dir["#{f}/**/*_spec.rb"] }
-        end
-
-        t.pattern = spec_files
-        t.rspec_opts = "--tag #{suite[:tag]}" if suite[:tag]
-        if suite[:tags]
-          t.rspec_opts = suite[:tags].map { |x| "--tag #{x}" }.join(' ')
-        end
+      t.pattern = spec_files
+      t.rspec_opts = "--tag #{suite[:tag]}" if suite[:tag]
+      if suite[:tags]
+        t.rspec_opts = suite[:tags].map { |x| "--tag #{x}" }.join(' ')
       end
     end
   end
 end
 
-desc 'Compiles the extension then runs all the tests'
-task :all
+# Define dependencies between the suites.
+task 'suite:wrapper' => [:compile, :rubocop]
+task 'suite:idiomatic' => 'suite:wrapper'
+task 'suite:bidi' => 'suite:wrapper'
+task 'suite:server' => 'suite:wrapper'
 
+desc 'Compiles the gRPC extension then runs all the tests'
+task all: ['suite:idiomatic', 'suite:bidi', 'suite:server']
 task default: :all
-task 'spec:suite:wrapper' => [:compile, :rubocop]
-task 'spec:suite:idiomatic' => 'spec:suite:wrapper'
-task 'spec:suite:bidi' => 'spec:suite:wrapper'
-task 'spec:suite:server' => 'spec:suite:wrapper'
-task all: ['spec:suite:idiomatic', 'spec:suite:bidi', 'spec:suite:server']