diff --git a/lib/actions/actions.js b/lib/actions/actions.js
index 2d91f322..b0ef7470 100644
--- a/lib/actions/actions.js
+++ b/lib/actions/actions.js
@@ -386,183 +386,3 @@ actions.bulkDirectory = function directory(source, destination, process) {
   });
   return this;
 };
-
-/**
- * Remotely fetch a package from github (or an archive), store this into a _cache
- * folder, and provide a "remote" object as a facade API to ourself (part of
- * genrator API, copy, template, directory). It's possible to remove local cache,
- * and force a new remote fetch of the package.
- *
- * ### Examples:
- *
- *     this.remote('user', 'repo', function(err, remote) {
- *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
- *     });
- *
- *     this.remote('user', 'repo', 'branch', function(err, remote) {
- *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
- *     });
- *
- *     this.remote('http://foo.com/bar.zip', function(err, remote) {
- *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
- *     });
- *
- * When fetching from Github
- * @param {String} username
- * @param {String} repo
- * @param {String} branch
- * @param {Function} cb
- * @param {Boolean} refresh
- *
- * @also
- * When fetching an archive
- * @param {String} url
- * @param {Function} cb
- * @param {Boolean} refresh
- */
-
-actions.remote = function () {
-  var username;
-  var repo;
-  var branch;
-  var cb;
-  var refresh;
-  var url;
-  var cache;
-
-  if (arguments.length <= 3 && typeof arguments[2] !== 'function') {
-    url = arguments[0];
-    cb = arguments[1];
-    refresh = arguments[2];
-    cache = path.join(this.cacheRoot(), _.slugify(url));
-  } else {
-    username = arguments[0];
-    repo = arguments[1];
-    branch = arguments[2];
-    cb = arguments[3];
-    refresh = arguments[4];
-
-    if (!cb) {
-      cb = branch;
-      branch = 'master';
-    }
-
-    cache = path.join(this.cacheRoot(), username, repo, branch);
-    url = 'http://github.com/' + [username, repo, 'archive', branch].join('/') + '.tar.gz';
-  }
-
-  var self = this;
-
-  var done = function (err) {
-    if (err) {
-      return cb(err);
-    }
-
-    self.remoteDir(cache, cb);
-  };
-
-  fs.stat(cache, function (err) {
-    // already cached
-    if (!err) {
-      // no refresh, so we can use this cache
-      if (!refresh) {
-        return done();
-      }
-
-      // otherwise, we need to remove it, to fetch it again
-      rimraf(cache, function (err) {
-        if (err) {
-          return cb(err);
-        }
-        self.tarball(url, cache, done);
-      });
-
-    } else {
-      self.tarball(url, cache, done);
-    }
-  });
-
-  return this;
-};
-
-/**
- * Retrieve a stored directory and use as a remote reference. This is handy if
- * you have files you want to move that may have been downloaded differently to
- * using `this.remove()` (eg such as `node_modules` installed via `package.json`)
- *
- * ### Examples:
- *
- *     this.remote('foo/bar', function(err, remote) {
- *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
- *     });
- *
- * @param {String} cache
- */
-actions.remoteDir = function (cache, cb) {
-  var self = this;
-  var files = this.expandFiles('**', { cwd: cache, dot: true });
-
-  var remote = {};
-  remote.cachePath = cache;
-
-  // simple proxy to `.copy(source, destination)`
-  remote.copy = function copy(source, destination) {
-    source = path.join(cache, source);
-    self.copy(source, destination);
-    return this;
-  };
-
-  // simple proxy to `.bulkCopy(source, destination)`
-  remote.bulkCopy = function copy(source, destination) {
-    source = path.join(cache, source);
-    self.bulkCopy(source, destination);
-    return this;
-  };
-
-  // same as `.template(source, destination, data)`
-  remote.template = function template(source, destination, data) {
-    data = data || self;
-    destination = destination || source;
-    source = path.join(cache, source);
-
-    var body = self.engine(self.read(source), data);
-    self.write(destination, body);
-  };
-
-  // same as `.template(source, destination)`
-  remote.directory = function directory(source, destination) {
-    var root = self.sourceRoot();
-    self.sourceRoot(cache);
-    self.directory(source, destination);
-    self.sourceRoot(root);
-  };
-
-  // simple proxy to `.bulkDirectory(source, destination)`
-  remote.bulkDirectory = function directory(source, destination) {
-    var root = self.sourceRoot();
-    self.sourceRoot(cache);
-    self.bulkDirectory(source, destination);
-    self.sourceRoot(root);
-  };
-
-  var noop = function () {};
-  var fileLogger = { write: noop, warn: noop };
-
-  // Set the file-utils environments
-  // Set logger as a noop as logging is handled by the yeoman conflicter
-  remote.src = file.createEnv({
-    base: cache,
-    dest: self.destinationRoot(),
-    logger: fileLogger
-  });
-  remote.dest = file.createEnv({
-    base: self.destinationRoot(),
-    dest: cache,
-    logger: fileLogger
-  });
-
-  remote.dest.registerValidationFilter('collision', self.getCollisionFilter());
-  remote.src.registerValidationFilter('collision', self.getCollisionFilter());
-
-  cb(null, remote, files);
-};
diff --git a/lib/actions/fetch.js b/lib/actions/fetch.js
index 1c3eb476..e9154440 100644
--- a/lib/actions/fetch.js
+++ b/lib/actions/fetch.js
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ fetch.extract = function _extract(archive, destination, cb) {
   });
 };
 
+/** @alias fetch.extract */
 fetch.tarball = fetch.extract;
 
+/**
+ * Export of the `request` node module.
+ * @deprecated Require your own version of the request module.
+ *             Yeoman will eventually remove it.
+ */
 fetch.request = require('request');
diff --git a/lib/actions/remote.js b/lib/actions/remote.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7ff8fb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/actions/remote.js
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+'use strict';
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
+var _ = require('lodash');
+var fileUtils = require('file-utils');
+var rimraf = require('rimraf');
+
+var noop = _.noop;
+
+/**
+ * @mixin
+ * @alias actions/remote
+ */
+var remote = module.exports;
+
+/**
+ * Remotely fetch a package from github (or an archive), store this into a _cache
+ * folder, and provide a "remote" object as a facade API to ourself (part of
+ * genrator API, copy, template, directory). It's possible to remove local cache,
+ * and force a new remote fetch of the package.
+ *
+ * ### Examples:
+ *
+ *     this.remote('user', 'repo', function(err, remote) {
+ *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
+ *     });
+ *
+ *     this.remote('user', 'repo', 'branch', function(err, remote) {
+ *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
+ *     });
+ *
+ *     this.remote('http://foo.com/bar.zip', function(err, remote) {
+ *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
+ *     });
+ *
+ * When fetching from Github
+ * @param {String} username
+ * @param {String} repo
+ * @param {String} branch
+ * @param {Function} cb
+ * @param {Boolean} refresh
+ *
+ * @also
+ * When fetching an archive
+ * @param {String} url
+ * @param {Function} cb
+ * @param {Boolean} refresh
+ */
+
+remote.remote = function () {
+  var username;
+  var repo;
+  var branch;
+  var cb;
+  var refresh;
+  var url;
+  var cache;
+
+  if (arguments.length <= 3 && typeof arguments[2] !== 'function') {
+    url = arguments[0];
+    cb = arguments[1];
+    refresh = arguments[2];
+    cache = path.join(this.cacheRoot(), _.slugify(url));
+  } else {
+    username = arguments[0];
+    repo = arguments[1];
+    branch = arguments[2];
+    cb = arguments[3];
+    refresh = arguments[4];
+
+    if (!cb) {
+      cb = branch;
+      branch = 'master';
+    }
+
+    cache = path.join(this.cacheRoot(), username, repo, branch);
+    url = 'http://github.com/' + [username, repo, 'archive', branch].join('/') + '.tar.gz';
+  }
+
+  var self = this;
+
+  var done = function (err) {
+    if (err) {
+      return cb(err);
+    }
+
+    self.remoteDir(cache, cb);
+  };
+
+  fs.stat(cache, function (err) {
+    // already cached
+    if (!err) {
+      // no refresh, so we can use this cache
+      if (!refresh) {
+        return done();
+      }
+
+      // otherwise, we need to remove it, to fetch it again
+      rimraf(cache, function (err) {
+        if (err) {
+          return cb(err);
+        }
+        self.extract(url, cache, done);
+      });
+
+    } else {
+      self.extract(url, cache, done);
+    }
+  });
+
+  return this;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Retrieve a stored directory and use as a remote reference. This is handy if
+ * you have files you want to move that may have been downloaded differently to
+ * using `this.remove()` (eg such as `node_modules` installed via `package.json`)
+ *
+ * ### Examples:
+ *
+ *     this.remote('foo/bar', function(err, remote) {
+ *       remote.copy('.', 'vendors/user-repo');
+ *     });
+ *
+ * @param {String} cache
+ */
+remote.remoteDir = function (cache, cb) {
+  var self = this;
+  var files = this.expandFiles('**', { cwd: cache, dot: true });
+
+  var remote = {};
+  remote.cachePath = cache;
+
+  // simple proxy to `.copy(source, destination)`
+  remote.copy = function copy(source, destination) {
+    source = path.join(cache, source);
+    self.copy(source, destination);
+    return this;
+  };
+
+  // simple proxy to `.bulkCopy(source, destination)`
+  remote.bulkCopy = function copy(source, destination) {
+    source = path.join(cache, source);
+    self.bulkCopy(source, destination);
+    return this;
+  };
+
+  // same as `.template(source, destination, data)`
+  remote.template = function template(source, destination, data) {
+    data = data || self;
+    destination = destination || source;
+    source = path.join(cache, source);
+
+    var body = self.engine(self.read(source), data);
+    self.write(destination, body);
+  };
+
+  // same as `.template(source, destination)`
+  remote.directory = function directory(source, destination) {
+    var root = self.sourceRoot();
+    self.sourceRoot(cache);
+    self.directory(source, destination);
+    self.sourceRoot(root);
+  };
+
+  // simple proxy to `.bulkDirectory(source, destination)`
+  remote.bulkDirectory = function directory(source, destination) {
+    var root = self.sourceRoot();
+    self.sourceRoot(cache);
+    self.bulkDirectory(source, destination);
+    self.sourceRoot(root);
+  };
+
+  var fileLogger = { write: noop, warn: noop };
+
+  // Set the file-utils environments
+  // Set logger as a noop as logging is handled by the yeoman conflicter
+  remote.src = fileUtils.createEnv({
+    base: cache,
+    dest: self.destinationRoot(),
+    logger: fileLogger
+  });
+  remote.dest = fileUtils.createEnv({
+    base: self.destinationRoot(),
+    dest: cache,
+    logger: fileLogger
+  });
+
+  remote.dest.registerValidationFilter('collision', self.getCollisionFilter());
+  remote.src.registerValidationFilter('collision', self.getCollisionFilter());
+
+  cb(null, remote, files);
+};
diff --git a/lib/base.js b/lib/base.js
index 1d12b23d..6a1ef927 100644
--- a/lib/base.js
+++ b/lib/base.js
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ var fileLogger = { write: noop, warn: noop };
  * @mixes actions/invoke
  * @mixes actions/spawn_command
  * @mixes actions/string
+ * @mixes actions/remote
  * @mixes actions/user
  * @mixes actions/wiring
  * @mixes actions/help
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/fetch'));
 _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/file'));
 _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/install'));
 _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/string'));
+_.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/remote'));
 _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/wiring'));
 _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./actions/help'));
 _.extend(Base.prototype, require('./util/common'));
diff --git a/test/fetch.js b/test/fetch.js
index 342f6f80..b442f772 100644
--- a/test/fetch.js
+++ b/test/fetch.js
@@ -5,48 +5,29 @@ var path = require('path');
 var util = require('util');
 var events = require('events');
 var tmpdir = require('os').tmpdir();
-var assert = require('assert');
+var assert = require('../lib/test/assert');
 var nock = require('nock');
-var generators = require('..');
+var yeoman = require('..');
 var fetch = require('../lib/actions/fetch');
 
-var noop = function () { return this; };
-
-describe('generators.Base fetch utilities', function () {
-  // increase timeout to 15s for this suite (slow connections like mine needs that)
-  this.timeout(50000);
-
-  before(generators.test.setUpTestDirectory(path.join(__dirname, 'temp')));
+var tmp = path.join(tmpdir, 'yeoman-test');
 
+describe('yeoman.generators.Base fetch utilities', function () {
   beforeEach(function () {
-    function Dummy() {
-      generators.Base.apply(this, arguments);
-    }
-    util.inherits(Dummy, generators.Base);
-
-    Dummy.prototype.test = function () {
-      this.shouldRun = true;
-    };
-
-    this.env = generators();
-    this.dummy = new Dummy({
-      env: this.env,
+    this.dummy = new yeoman.generators.Base({
+      env: yeoman(),
       resolved: 'test:fetch'
     });
-    this.Dummy = Dummy;
   });
 
   describe('#tarball()', function () {
     it('download and untar via the NPM download package', function (done) {
-      var tmp = path.join(tmpdir, 'yeoman-test');
       var scope = nock('http://example.com')
         .get('/f.tar.gz')
         .replyWithFile(200, path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/testFile.tar.gz'));
 
       this.dummy.tarball('http://example.com/f.tar.gz', tmp, function (err) {
-        if (err) {
-          return done(err);
-        }
+        if (err) return done(err);
         assert(scope.isDone());
         done();
       });
@@ -59,43 +40,16 @@ describe('generators.Base fetch utilities', function () {
 
   describe('#fetch()', function () {
     it('allow the fetching of a single file', function (done) {
-      var tmp = path.join(tmpdir, 'yeoman-test');
       var scope = nock('http://example.com')
         .get('/f.txt')
         .replyWithFile(200, path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/help.txt'));
 
       this.dummy.fetch('http://example.com/f.txt', tmp, function (err) {
-        if (err) {
-          return done(err);
-        }
+        if (err) return done(err);
         assert(scope.isDone());
         fs.stat(path.join(tmp, 'f.txt'), done);
       });
     });
   });
 
-  describe('#remote()', function () {
-    it('remotely fetch a package on github', function (done) {
-      this.dummy.remote('yeoman', 'generator', done);
-    });
-
-    it('cache the result internally into a `_cache` folder', function (done) {
-      fs.stat(path.join(this.dummy.cacheRoot(), 'yeoman/generator/master'), done);
-    });
-
-    it('invoke `cb` with a remote object to interract with the downloaded package', function (done) {
-      this.dummy.remote('yeoman', 'generator', function (err, remote) {
-        if (err) {
-          return done(err);
-        }
-
-        ['copy', 'template', 'directory'].forEach(function (method) {
-          assert.equal(typeof remote[method], 'function');
-        });
-
-        done();
-      });
-    });
-  });
-
 });
diff --git a/test/remote.js b/test/remote.js
index eb6d4d39..d2567d0c 100644
--- a/test/remote.js
+++ b/test/remote.js
@@ -14,6 +14,25 @@ describe('yeoman.base#remote', function () {
     this.dummy = env.create('dummy');
   });
 
+  it('remotely fetch a package on github', function (done) {
+    this.dummy.remote('yeoman', 'generator', done);
+  });
+
+  it('cache the result internally into a `_cache` folder', function (done) {
+    this.dummy.remote('yeoman', 'generator', function () {
+      fs.stat(path.join(this.dummy.cacheRoot(), 'yeoman/generator/master'), done);
+    }.bind(this));
+  });
+
+  it('invoke `cb` with a remote object to interract with the downloaded package', function (done) {
+    this.dummy.remote('yeoman', 'generator', function (err, remote) {
+      if (err) return done(err);
+
+      assert.implement(remote, ['copy', 'template', 'directory']);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('github', function () {
     describe('callback argument remote#copy', function () {