diff --git a/lib/puppet/parser/functions/ensure_packages.rb b/lib/puppet/parser/functions/ensure_packages.rb
index 3cd2b2014..ef0cccaaf 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/parser/functions/ensure_packages.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/parser/functions/ensure_packages.rb
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ module Puppet::Parser::Functions
 
     if arguments[0].is_a?(Hash)
       if arguments[1]
-        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'present' }.merge(arguments[1])
-        if defaults['ensure'] == 'installed'
-          defaults['ensure'] = 'present'
+        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'installed' }.merge(arguments[1])
+        if defaults['ensure'] == 'present'
+          defaults['ensure'] = 'installed'
         end
       else
-        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'present' }
+        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'installed' }
       end
 
       Puppet::Parser::Functions.function(:ensure_resources)
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ module Puppet::Parser::Functions
       packages = Array(arguments[0])
 
       if arguments[1]
-        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'present' }.merge(arguments[1])
-        if defaults['ensure'] == 'installed'
-          defaults['ensure'] = 'present'
+        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'installed' }.merge(arguments[1])
+        if defaults['ensure'] == 'present'
+          defaults['ensure'] = 'installed'
         end
       else
-        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'present' }
+        defaults = { 'ensure' => 'installed' }
       end
 
       Puppet::Parser::Functions.function(:ensure_resource)
diff --git a/spec/functions/ensure_packages_spec.rb b/spec/functions/ensure_packages_spec.rb
index 1f6b85db0..41a8846af 100644
--- a/spec/functions/ensure_packages_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/functions/ensure_packages_spec.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
       # this lambda is required due to strangeness within rspec-puppet's expectation handling
       it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('puppet').with_ensure('absent') }
-      it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('facter').with_ensure('present') }
+      it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('facter').with_ensure('installed') }
     end
 
     describe 'after running ensure_package("facter", { "provider" => "gem" })' do
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
       # this lambda is required due to strangeness within rspec-puppet's expectation handling
       it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('puppet').with_ensure('absent').without_provider }
-      it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('facter').with_ensure('present').with_provider('gem') }
+      it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('facter').with_ensure('installed').with_provider('gem') }
     end
   end
 
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@
     end
 
     # this lambda is required due to strangeness within rspec-puppet's expectation handling
-    it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('foo').with('provider' => 'rpm', 'ensure' => 'present') }
-    it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('bar').with('provider' => 'gem', 'ensure' => 'present') }
+    it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('foo').with('provider' => 'rpm', 'ensure' => 'installed') }
+    it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('bar').with('provider' => 'gem', 'ensure' => 'installed') }
 
     context 'with UTF8 and double byte characters' do
       it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('パッケージ').with('ensure' => 'absent') }
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@
     end
   end
 
-  context 'when given a catalog with "package { puppet: ensure => present }"' do
-    let(:pre_condition) { 'package { puppet: ensure => present }' }
+  context 'when given a catalog with "package { puppet: ensure => installed }"' do
+    let(:pre_condition) { 'package { puppet: ensure => installed }' }
 
-    describe 'after running ensure_package("puppet", { "ensure" => "installed" })' do
-      before(:each) { subject.execute('puppet', 'ensure' => 'installed') }
+    describe 'after running ensure_package("puppet", { "ensure" => "present" })' do
+      before(:each) { subject.execute('puppet', 'ensure' => 'present') }
 
       # this lambda is required due to strangeness within rspec-puppet's expectation handling
-      it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('puppet').with_ensure('present') }
+      it { expect(-> { catalogue }).to contain_package('puppet').with_ensure('installed') }
     end
   end
 end