diff --git a/functions/background/index.js b/functions/background/index.js
index 46fe9e82cf..2d195d8d6b 100644
--- a/functions/background/index.js
+++ b/functions/background/index.js
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ exports.helloWorld = (event, callback) => {
 // [END functions_background_helloworld]
 
 // [START functions_background_promise]
+const requestPromiseNative = require('request-promise-native');
+
 /**
  * Background Cloud Function that returns a Promise. Note that we don't pass
  * a "callback" argument to the function.
@@ -45,9 +47,7 @@ exports.helloWorld = (event, callback) => {
  * @returns {Promise}
  */
 exports.helloPromise = (event) => {
-  const request = require('request-promise');
-
-  return request({
+  return requestPromiseNative({
     uri: event.data.endpoint
   });
 };
diff --git a/functions/background/package.json b/functions/background/package.json
index 4a28cd2681..85feedf166 100644
--- a/functions/background/package.json
+++ b/functions/background/package.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "request": "2.83.0",
-    "request-promise": "4.2.2"
+    "request-promise-native": "^1.0.5"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@google-cloud/nodejs-repo-tools": "^3.0.0",
diff --git a/functions/background/test/index.test.js b/functions/background/test/index.test.js
index 6f7e73b9dd..a3654b4228 100644
--- a/functions/background/test/index.test.js
+++ b/functions/background/test/index.test.js
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ const test = require(`ava`);
 const tools = require(`@google-cloud/nodejs-repo-tools`);
 
 function getSample () {
-  const requestPromise = sinon.stub().returns(Promise.resolve(`test`));
+  const requestPromiseNative = sinon.stub().returns(Promise.resolve(`test`));
 
   return {
     program: proxyquire(`../`, {
-      'request-promise': requestPromise
+      'request-promise-native': requestPromiseNative
     }),
     mocks: {
-      requestPromise: requestPromise
+      requestPromiseNative: requestPromiseNative
     }
   };
 }
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ test.serial(`should make a promise request`, (t) => {
 
   return sample.program.helloPromise(event)
     .then((result) => {
-      t.deepEqual(sample.mocks.requestPromise.firstCall.args, [{ uri: `foo.com` }]);
+      t.deepEqual(sample.mocks.requestPromiseNative.firstCall.args, [{ uri: `foo.com` }]);
       t.is(result, `test`);
     });
 });
diff --git a/functions/node8/index.js b/functions/node8/index.js
index ece8dccbbf..47191eba9d 100644
--- a/functions/node8/index.js
+++ b/functions/node8/index.js
@@ -224,6 +224,40 @@ exports.helloAnalytics = (data, context) => {
 };
 // [END functions_firebase_analytics_node8]
 
+// [START functions_background_promise_node8]
+const requestPromiseNative = require('request-promise-native');
+
+/**
+ * Background Cloud Function that returns a Promise. Note that we don't pass
+ * a "callback" argument to the function.
+ *
+ * @param {object} data The Cloud Functions event data.
+ * @returns {Promise}
+ */
+exports.helloPromise = (data) => {
+  return requestPromiseNative({
+    uri: data.endpoint
+  });
+};
+// [END functions_background_promise_node8]
+
+// [START functions_background_synchronous_node8]
+/**
+ * Background Cloud Function that returns synchronously. Note that we don't pass
+ * a "callback" argument to the function.
+ *
+ * @param {object} data The Cloud Functions event data.
+ */
+exports.helloSynchronous = (data) => {
+  // This function returns synchronously
+  if (data.something === true) {
+    return 'Something is true!';
+  } else {
+    throw new Error('Something was not true!');
+  }
+};
+// [END functions_background_synchronous_node8]
+
 // [START functions_firebase_reactive_node8]
 const Firestore = require('@google-cloud/firestore');
 
diff --git a/functions/node8/package.json b/functions/node8/package.json
index 071c641294..fc95af51b8 100644
--- a/functions/node8/package.json
+++ b/functions/node8/package.json
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
     "uuid": "^3.3.2"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "request": "^2.88.0",
+    "request-promise-native": "^1.0.5",
     "@google-cloud/firestore": "^0.18.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/functions/node8/test/index.test.js b/functions/node8/test/index.test.js
index 219eac4738..92d4a69420 100644
--- a/functions/node8/test/index.test.js
+++ b/functions/node8/test/index.test.js
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-const sinon = require('sinon');
+const sinon = require(`sinon`);
 const uuid = require('uuid');
 const test = require('ava');
 const utils = require('@google-cloud/nodejs-repo-tools');
 const proxyquire = require(`proxyquire`).noCallThru();
 
 function getSample () {
+  const requestPromiseNative = sinon.stub().returns(Promise.resolve(`test`));
+
   const firestoreMock = {
     doc: sinon.stub().returnsThis(),
     set: sinon.stub()
@@ -29,10 +31,12 @@ function getSample () {
 
   return {
     program: proxyquire(`../`, {
+      'request-promise-native': requestPromiseNative,
       '@google-cloud/firestore': sinon.stub().returns(firestoreMock)
     }),
     mocks: {
-      firestore: firestoreMock
+      firestore: firestoreMock,
+      requestPromiseNative: requestPromiseNative
     }
   };
 }
@@ -155,6 +159,33 @@ test.serial('should monitor Analytics', t => {
   t.is(console.log.args[4][0], `Location: London, UK`);
 });
 
+test.serial(`should make a promise request`, (t) => {
+  const sample = getSample();
+  const data = {
+    endpoint: `foo.com`
+  };
+
+  return sample.program.helloPromise(data)
+    .then((result) => {
+      t.deepEqual(sample.mocks.requestPromiseNative.firstCall.args, [{ uri: `foo.com` }]);
+      t.is(result, `test`);
+    });
+});
+
+test.serial(`should return synchronously`, (t) => {
+  t.is(getSample().program.helloSynchronous({
+    something: true
+  }), `Something is true!`);
+});
+
+test.serial(`should throw an error`, (t) => {
+  t.throws(() => {
+    getSample().program.helloSynchronous({
+      something: false
+    });
+  }, Error, `Something was not true!`);
+});
+
 test(`should update data in response to Firestore events`, t => {
   const sample = getSample();