diff --git a/.kitchen.yml b/.kitchen.yml
index 614cfe96..fa5fead1 100644
--- a/.kitchen.yml
+++ b/.kitchen.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ suites:
     run_list:
       - recipe[sensu-test::ensure_group]
       - recipe[sensu::default]
+      - recipe[sensu-test::gem_lwrp]
       - recipe[sensu-test::good_checks]
     attributes:
       sensu:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a3115358..7dea582a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ cookbook. Please see HISTORY.md for changes from older versions of this project.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- exposed `package_name` as an optional parameter to the `sensu_gem` resource in case you need to install multiple versions of a gem. (@majormoses)
+
 ## [5.3.0] - 2018-08-19
 ### Added
 - First class support for defining checks via cron syntax (@vbichov)
diff --git a/providers/gem.rb b/providers/gem.rb
index 86cc91b3..39e3e1cd 100644
--- a/providers/gem.rb
+++ b/providers/gem.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     version new_resource.version
     source  new_resource.source
     options new_resource.options
+    package_name new_resource.package_name unless new_resource.package_name.nil?
   end
 
   new_resource.updated_by_last_action(g.updated_by_last_action?)
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
     version new_resource.version
     source  new_resource.source
     options new_resource.options
+    package_name new_resource.package_name unless new_resource.package_name.nil?
     action :upgrade
   end
 
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@
   g = gem_package new_resource.name do
     gem_binary Sensu::Helpers.gem_binary
     version new_resource.version
+    package_name new_resource.package_name unless new_resource.package_name.nil?
     action :remove
   end
 
diff --git a/resources/gem.rb b/resources/gem.rb
index 10f74fa5..4b0fa7c7 100644
--- a/resources/gem.rb
+++ b/resources/gem.rb
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@
 attribute :version, :kind_of => String
 attribute :source,  :kind_of => String
 attribute :options, :kind_of => [String, Hash]
+attribute :package_name, :kind_of => [String, NilClass], :default => nil
diff --git a/test/cookbooks/sensu-test/recipes/gem_lwrp.rb b/test/cookbooks/sensu-test/recipes/gem_lwrp.rb
index 430b953e..cdb3e8e6 100644
--- a/test/cookbooks/sensu-test/recipes/gem_lwrp.rb
+++ b/test/cookbooks/sensu-test/recipes/gem_lwrp.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@
   action :install
 end
 
+# for testing the package proprty
+sensu_gem 'sensu-plugins-disk-checks-newer' do
+  action :install
+  version '3.1.0'
+  package_name 'sensu-plugins-disk-checks'
+end
+
 # for testing upgrade action with source
 sensu_gem 'sensu-plugins-memory-checks' do
   source mem_checks
diff --git a/test/integration/default/serverspec/default_spec.rb b/test/integration/default/serverspec/default_spec.rb
index 52df3b79..fe09fd61 100644
--- a/test/integration/default/serverspec/default_spec.rb
+++ b/test/integration/default/serverspec/default_spec.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 sensu_pkg_name = windows? ? 'Sensu' : 'sensu'
 
+sensu_gem_bin = '/opt/sensu/embedded/bin/gem'
+
 describe package(sensu_pkg_name) do
   it { should be_installed }
 end
@@ -11,3 +13,7 @@
   its(:content) { should_not match /"id": / }
   # it { should be_grouped_into('nogroup') } unless windows?
 end
+
+describe command("#{sensu_gem_bin} list | grep sensu-plugins-disk-checks") do
+  its('stdout') { should match(/3\.(\d+).\d+/)}
+end