diff --git a/api/app/controllers/spree/api/resource_controller.rb b/api/app/controllers/spree/api/resource_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..60dae7d6dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/app/controllers/spree/api/resource_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+class Spree::Api::ResourceController < Spree::Api::BaseController
+  before_action :load_resource, only: [:show, :update, :destroy]
+
+  def index
+    @collection = model_class.accessible_by(current_ability, :read).ransack(params[:q]).result.page(params[:page]).per(params[:per_page])
+    instance_variable_set("@#{controller_name}", @collection)
+
+    respond_with(@collection)
+  end
+
+  def show
+    respond_with(@object)
+  end
+
+  def new
+    authorize! :new, model_class
+    respond_with(model_class.new)
+  end
+
+  def create
+    authorize! :create, model_class
+
+    @object = model_class.new(permitted_resource_params)
+    instance_variable_set("@#{object_name}", @object)
+
+    if @object.save
+      respond_with(@object, status: 201, default_template: :show)
+    else
+      invalid_resource!(@object)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def update
+    authorize! :update, @object
+
+    if @object.update_attributes(permitted_resource_params)
+      respond_with(@object, status: 200, default_template: :show)
+    else
+      invalid_resource!(@object)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def destroy
+    authorize! :destroy, @object
+
+    if @object.destroy
+      respond_with(@object, status: 204)
+    else
+      invalid_resource!(@object)
+    end
+  end
+
+  protected
+
+  def load_resource
+    @object = model_class.accessible_by(current_ability, :read).find(params[:id])
+    instance_variable_set("@#{object_name}", @object)
+  end
+
+  def permitted_resource_params
+    params.require(object_name).permit(permitted_resource_attributes)
+  end
+
+  def permitted_resource_attributes
+    send("permitted_#{object_name}_attributes")
+  end
+
+  def model_class
+    "Spree::#{controller_name.classify}".constantize
+  end
+
+  def object_name
+    controller_name.singularize
+  end
+end
diff --git a/api/app/controllers/spree/api/users_controller.rb b/api/app/controllers/spree/api/users_controller.rb
index 088a0ea6ce..6f52497d74 100644
--- a/api/app/controllers/spree/api/users_controller.rb
+++ b/api/app/controllers/spree/api/users_controller.rb
@@ -1,56 +1,12 @@
-module Spree
-  module Api
-    class UsersController < Spree::Api::BaseController
+class Spree::Api::UsersController < Spree::Api::ResourceController
 
-      def index
-        @users = Spree.user_class.accessible_by(current_ability,:read).ransack(params[:q]).result.page(params[:page]).per(params[:per_page])
-        respond_with(@users)
-      end
+  protected
 
-      def show
-        respond_with(user)
-      end
-
-      def new
-      end
-
-      def create
-        authorize! :create, Spree.user_class
-        @user = Spree.user_class.new(user_params)
-        if @user.save
-          respond_with(@user, :status => 201, :default_template => :show)
-        else
-          invalid_resource!(@user)
-        end
-      end
-
-      def update
-        authorize! :update, user
-        if user.update_attributes(user_params)
-          respond_with(user, :status => 200, :default_template => :show)
-        else
-          invalid_resource!(user)
-        end
-      end
-
-      def destroy
-        authorize! :destroy, user
-        user.destroy
-        respond_with(user, :status => 204)
-      end
-
-      private
-
-      def user
-        @user ||= Spree.user_class.accessible_by(current_ability, :read).find(params[:id])
-      end
-
-      def user_params
-        params.require(:user).permit(permitted_user_attributes |
-                                       [bill_address_attributes: permitted_address_attributes,
-                                        ship_address_attributes: permitted_address_attributes])
-      end
+  def model_class
+    Spree.user_class
+  end
 
-    end
+  def permitted_resource_attributes
+    super | [bill_address_attributes: permitted_address_attributes, ship_address_attributes: permitted_address_attributes]
   end
 end
diff --git a/api/spec/controllers/spree/api/resource_controller_spec.rb b/api/spec/controllers/spree/api/resource_controller_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..44ef39cb5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/spec/controllers/spree/api/resource_controller_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+module Spree
+  module Api
+    class WidgetsController < Spree::Api::ResourceController
+      prepend_view_path('spec/test_views')
+
+      def model_class
+        Widget
+      end
+
+      def permitted_widget_attributes
+        [:name]
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe Api::WidgetsController, type: :controller do
+    render_views
+
+    after(:all) do
+      Rails.application.reload_routes!
+    end
+
+    with_model 'Widget' do
+      table do |t|
+        t.string :name
+        t.integer :position
+        t.timestamps null: false
+      end
+
+      model do
+        acts_as_list
+        validates :name, presence: true
+      end
+    end
+
+    before do
+      Spree::Core::Engine.routes.draw do
+        namespace :api do
+          resources :widgets
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    let(:user) { create(:user, :with_api_key) }
+    let(:admin_user) { create(:admin_user, :with_api_key) }
+
+    describe "#index" do
+      let!(:widget) { Widget.create!(name: "a widget") }
+
+      it "returns no widgets" do
+        api_get :index, token: user.spree_api_key
+        expect(response).to be_success
+        expect(json_response['widgets']).to be_blank
+      end
+
+      context "it has authorization to read widgets" do
+        it "returns widgets" do
+          api_get :index, token: admin_user.spree_api_key
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          expect(json_response['widgets']).to include(
+            'name' => 'a widget',
+            'position' => 1
+          )
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "#show" do
+      let(:widget) { Widget.create!(name: "a widget") }
+
+      it "returns not found" do
+        api_get :show, id: widget.to_param, token: user.spree_api_key
+        assert_not_found!
+      end
+
+      context "it has authorization read widgets" do
+        it "returns widget details" do
+          api_get :show, id: widget.to_param, token: admin_user.spree_api_key
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          expect(json_response['name']).to eq 'a widget'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "#new" do
+      it "returns unauthorized" do
+        api_get :new, token: user.spree_api_key
+        expect(response).to be_unauthorized
+      end
+
+      context "it is allowed to view a new widget" do
+        it "can learn how to create a new widget" do
+          api_get :new, token: admin_user.spree_api_key
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          expect(json_response["attributes"]).to eq(['name'])
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "#create" do
+      it "returns unauthorized" do
+        expect {
+          api_post :create, widget: { name: "a widget" }, token: user.spree_api_key
+        }.not_to change(Widget, :count)
+        expect(response).to be_unauthorized
+      end
+
+      context "it is authorized to create widgets" do
+        it "can create a widget" do
+          expect {
+            api_post :create, widget: { name: "a widget" }, token: admin_user.spree_api_key
+          }.to change(Widget, :count).by(1)
+          expect(response).to be_created
+          expect(json_response['name']).to eq 'a widget'
+          expect(Widget.last.name).to eq 'a widget'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "#update" do
+      let!(:widget) { Widget.create!(name: "a widget") }
+      it "returns unauthorized" do
+        api_put :update, id: widget.to_param, widget: { name: "another widget" }, token: user.spree_api_key
+        assert_not_found!
+        expect(widget.reload.name).to eq 'a widget'
+      end
+
+      context "it is authorized to update widgets" do
+        it "can update a widget" do
+          api_put :update, id: widget.to_param, widget: { name: "another widget" }, token: admin_user.spree_api_key
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          expect(json_response['name']).to eq 'another widget'
+          expect(widget.reload.name).to eq 'another widget'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "#destroy" do
+      let!(:widget) { Widget.create!(name: "a widget") }
+      it "returns unauthorized" do
+        api_delete :destroy, id: widget.to_param, token: user.spree_api_key
+        assert_not_found!
+        expect { widget.reload }.not_to raise_error
+      end
+
+      context "it is authorized to destroy widgets" do
+        it "can destroy a widget" do
+          api_delete :destroy, id: widget.to_param, token: admin_user.spree_api_key
+          expect(response.status).to eq 204
+          expect { widget.reload }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/api/spec/spec_helper.rb b/api/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 85a2a77548..55fd413f96 100644
--- a/api/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/api/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
   config.include Spree::TestingSupport::Preferences
   config.include Spree::TestingSupport::Mail
 
+  config.extend WithModel
+
   config.fail_fast = ENV['FAIL_FAST'] || false
 
   config.before(:each) do
diff --git a/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/index.v1.rabl b/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/index.v1.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d6cb52f46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/index.v1.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+object false
+child(@collection => :widgets) do
+  extends "spree/api/widgets/show"
+end
+node(:count) { @collection.count }
+node(:current_page) { params[:page] || 1 }
+node(:pages) { @collection.num_pages }
diff --git a/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/new.v1.rabl b/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/new.v1.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f1a3ddd5fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/new.v1.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+object false
+node(:attributes) { [:name] }
diff --git a/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/show.v1.rabl b/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/show.v1.rabl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..10d957afed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/spec/test_views/spree/api/widgets/show.v1.rabl
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+object @object
+attributes :name, :position