diff --git a/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go b/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go
index ea58302a0bc..a85bf114f29 100644
--- a/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go
+++ b/pkg/apiserver/apiserver.go
@@ -25,18 +25,29 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/labels"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/util"
 )
 
 // RESTStorage is a generic interface for RESTful storage services
 type RESTStorage interface {
 	List(labels.Query) (interface{}, error)
 	Get(id string) (interface{}, error)
-	Delete(id string) error
+	Delete(id string) (<-chan interface{}, error)
 	Extract(body string) (interface{}, error)
-	Create(interface{}) error
-	Update(interface{}) error
+	Create(interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error)
+	Update(interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error)
+}
+
+func MakeAsync(fn func() interface{}) <-chan interface{} {
+	channel := make(chan interface{}, 1)
+	go func() {
+		defer util.HandleCrash()
+		channel <- fn()
+	}()
+	return channel
 }
 
 // Status is a return value for calls that don't return other objects
@@ -135,6 +146,17 @@ func (server *ApiServer) readBody(req *http.Request) (string, error) {
 	return string(body), err
 }
 
+func (server *ApiServer) waitForObject(out <-chan interface{}, timeout time.Duration) (interface{}, error) {
+	tick := time.After(timeout)
+	var obj interface{}
+	select {
+	case obj = <-out:
+		return obj, nil
+	case <-tick:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Timed out waiting for synchronization.")
+	}
+}
+
 // handleREST is the main dispatcher for the server.  It switches on the HTTP method, and then
 // on path length, according to the following table:
 //   Method     Path          Action
@@ -144,7 +166,17 @@ func (server *ApiServer) readBody(req *http.Request) (string, error) {
 //   PUT        /foo/bar      update 'bar'
 //   DELETE     /foo/bar      delete 'bar'
 // Returns 404 if the method/pattern doesn't match one of these entries
+// The server accepts several query parameters:
+//    sync=[false|true] Synchronous request (only applies to create, update, delete operations)
+//    timeout=<duration> Timeout for synchronous requests, only applies if sync=true
+//    labels=<label-selector> Used for filtering list operations
 func (server *ApiServer) handleREST(parts []string, requestUrl *url.URL, req *http.Request, w http.ResponseWriter, storage RESTStorage) {
+	sync := requestUrl.Query().Get("sync") == "true"
+	timeout, err := time.ParseDuration(requestUrl.Query().Get("timeout"))
+	if err != nil && len(requestUrl.Query().Get("timeout")) > 0 {
+		log.Printf("Failed to parse: %#v '%s'", err, requestUrl.Query().Get("timeout"))
+		timeout = time.Second * 30
+	}
 	switch req.Method {
 	case "GET":
 		switch len(parts) {
@@ -159,7 +191,7 @@ func (server *ApiServer) handleREST(parts []string, requestUrl *url.URL, req *ht
 				server.error(err, w)
 				return
 			}
-			server.write(200, controllers, w)
+			server.write(http.StatusOK, controllers, w)
 		case 2:
 			item, err := storage.Get(parts[1])
 			if err != nil {
@@ -190,24 +222,44 @@ func (server *ApiServer) handleREST(parts []string, requestUrl *url.URL, req *ht
 			server.error(err, w)
 			return
 		}
-		err = storage.Create(obj)
+		out, err := storage.Create(obj)
+		if err == nil && sync {
+			obj, err = server.waitForObject(out, timeout)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			server.error(err, w)
-		} else {
-			server.write(200, obj, w)
+			return
 		}
+		var statusCode int
+		if sync {
+			statusCode = http.StatusOK
+		} else {
+			statusCode = http.StatusAccepted
+		}
+		server.write(statusCode, obj, w)
 		return
 	case "DELETE":
 		if len(parts) != 2 {
 			server.notFound(req, w)
 			return
 		}
-		err := storage.Delete(parts[1])
+		out, err := storage.Delete(parts[1])
+		var obj interface{}
+		obj = Status{Success: true}
+		if err == nil && sync {
+			obj, err = server.waitForObject(out, timeout)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			server.error(err, w)
 			return
 		}
-		server.write(200, Status{Success: true}, w)
+		var statusCode int
+		if sync {
+			statusCode = http.StatusOK
+		} else {
+			statusCode = http.StatusAccepted
+		}
+		server.write(statusCode, obj, w)
 		return
 	case "PUT":
 		if len(parts) != 2 {
@@ -223,12 +275,21 @@ func (server *ApiServer) handleREST(parts []string, requestUrl *url.URL, req *ht
 			server.error(err, w)
 			return
 		}
-		err = storage.Update(obj)
+		out, err := storage.Update(obj)
+		if err == nil && sync {
+			obj, err = server.waitForObject(out, timeout)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			server.error(err, w)
 			return
 		}
-		server.write(200, obj, w)
+		var statusCode int
+		if sync {
+			statusCode = http.StatusOK
+		} else {
+			statusCode = http.StatusAccepted
+		}
+		server.write(statusCode, obj, w)
 		return
 	default:
 		server.notFound(req, w)
diff --git a/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go b/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go
index 41197d5b7e3..a89358a6deb 100644
--- a/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"reflect"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/labels"
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ type SimpleRESTStorage struct {
 	item    Simple
 	deleted string
 	updated Simple
+	channel <-chan interface{}
 }
 
 func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) List(labels.Query) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -62,9 +64,9 @@ func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Get(id string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return storage.item, storage.err
 }
 
-func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Delete(id string) error {
+func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Delete(id string) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
 	storage.deleted = id
-	return storage.err
+	return storage.channel, storage.err
 }
 
 func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -73,13 +75,13 @@ func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return item, storage.err
 }
 
-func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Create(interface{}) error {
-	return storage.err
+func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Create(interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return storage.channel, storage.err
 }
 
-func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Update(object interface{}) error {
+func (storage *SimpleRESTStorage) Update(object interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
 	storage.updated = object.(Simple)
-	return storage.err
+	return storage.channel, storage.err
 }
 
 func extractBody(response *http.Response, object interface{}) (string, error) {
@@ -270,7 +272,7 @@ func TestCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	expectNoError(t, err)
 	response, err := client.Do(request)
 	expectNoError(t, err)
-	if response.StatusCode != 200 {
+	if response.StatusCode != http.StatusAccepted {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected response %#v", response)
 	}
 
@@ -281,3 +283,58 @@ func TestCreate(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected data: %#v, expected %#v (%s)", itemOut, simple, string(body))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSyncCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	channel := make(chan interface{}, 1)
+	storage := SimpleRESTStorage{
+		channel: channel,
+	}
+	handler := New(map[string]RESTStorage{
+		"foo": &storage,
+	}, "/prefix/version")
+	server := httptest.NewServer(handler)
+	client := http.Client{}
+
+	simple := Simple{Name: "foo"}
+	data, _ := json.Marshal(simple)
+	request, err := http.NewRequest("POST", server.URL+"/prefix/version/foo?sync=true", bytes.NewBuffer(data))
+	expectNoError(t, err)
+	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+	wg.Add(1)
+	var response *http.Response
+	go func() {
+		response, err = client.Do(request)
+		expectNoError(t, err)
+		if response.StatusCode != 200 {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected response %#v", response)
+		}
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+	output := Simple{Name: "bar"}
+	channel <- output
+	wg.Wait()
+	var itemOut Simple
+	body, err := extractBody(response, &itemOut)
+	expectNoError(t, err)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(itemOut, output) {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected data: %#v, expected %#v (%s)", itemOut, simple, string(body))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSyncCreateTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	handler := New(map[string]RESTStorage{
+		"foo": &SimpleRESTStorage{},
+	}, "/prefix/version")
+	server := httptest.NewServer(handler)
+	client := http.Client{}
+
+	simple := Simple{Name: "foo"}
+	data, _ := json.Marshal(simple)
+	request, err := http.NewRequest("POST", server.URL+"/prefix/version/foo?sync=true&timeout=1us", bytes.NewBuffer(data))
+	expectNoError(t, err)
+	response, err := client.Do(request)
+	expectNoError(t, err)
+	if response.StatusCode != 500 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected response %#v", response)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/client/client.go b/pkg/client/client.go
index 90300589d11..e7df7f8d817 100644
--- a/pkg/client/client.go
+++ b/pkg/client/client.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func (client Client) rawRequest(method, path string, requestBody io.Reader, targ
 	if err != nil {
 		return body, err
 	}
-	if response.StatusCode != 200 {
+	if response.StatusCode < http.StatusOK || response.StatusCode > http.StatusPartialContent {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("request [%s %s] failed (%d) %s: %s", method, client.makeURL(path), response.StatusCode, response.Status, string(body))
 	}
 	if target != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/registry/controller_registry.go b/pkg/registry/controller_registry.go
index 1824ba965a2..76034b95675 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/controller_registry.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/controller_registry.go
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Get(id string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return controller, err
 }
 
-func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) error {
-	return storage.registry.DeleteController(id)
+func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return apiserver.Status{Success: true} }), storage.registry.DeleteController(id)
 }
 
 func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -68,10 +68,10 @@ func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, err
 	return result, err
 }
 
-func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Create(controller interface{}) error {
-	return storage.registry.CreateController(controller.(api.ReplicationController))
+func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Create(controller interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return controller }), storage.registry.CreateController(controller.(api.ReplicationController))
 }
 
-func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Update(controller interface{}) error {
-	return storage.registry.UpdateController(controller.(api.ReplicationController))
+func (storage *ControllerRegistryStorage) Update(controller interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return controller }), storage.registry.UpdateController(controller.(api.ReplicationController))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go b/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go
index 272238c6894..f3ea52a8277 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Get(id string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return pod, err
 }
 
-func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) error {
-	return storage.registry.DeletePod(id)
+func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return apiserver.Status{Success: true} }), storage.registry.DeletePod(id)
 }
 
 func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -121,18 +121,19 @@ func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return pod, err
 }
 
-func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Create(pod interface{}) error {
+func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Create(pod interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
 	podObj := pod.(api.Pod)
 	if len(podObj.ID) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("id is unspecified: %#v", pod)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("id is unspecified: %#v", pod)
 	}
 	machine, err := storage.scheduler.Schedule(podObj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return storage.registry.CreatePod(machine, podObj)
+
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return pod }), storage.registry.CreatePod(machine, podObj)
 }
 
-func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Update(pod interface{}) error {
-	return storage.registry.UpdatePod(pod.(api.Pod))
+func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Update(pod interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return pod }), storage.registry.UpdatePod(pod.(api.Pod))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/registry/service_registry.go b/pkg/registry/service_registry.go
index 128e3b571b5..9b936841a7f 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/service_registry.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/service_registry.go
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Get(id string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return service, err
 }
 
-func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) error {
+func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
 	svc, err := sr.Get(id)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	if svc.(*api.Service).CreateExternalLoadBalancer {
 		var balancer cloudprovider.TCPLoadBalancer
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Delete(id string) error {
 		if ok && balancer != nil {
 			err = balancer.DeleteTCPLoadBalancer(id, "us-central1")
 			if err != nil {
-				return err
+				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return sr.registry.DeleteService(id)
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return apiserver.Status{Success: true} }), sr.registry.DeleteService(id)
 }
 
 func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Extract(body string) (interface{}, error) {
 	return svc, err
 }
 
-func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Create(obj interface{}) error {
+func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Create(obj interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
 	srv := obj.(api.Service)
 	if srv.CreateExternalLoadBalancer {
 		var balancer cloudprovider.TCPLoadBalancer
@@ -123,15 +123,16 @@ func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Create(obj interface{}) error {
 		if ok && balancer != nil {
 			err := balancer.CreateTCPLoadBalancer(srv.ID, "us-central1", srv.Port, sr.hosts)
 			if err != nil {
-				return err
+				return nil, err
 			}
 		} else {
-			return fmt.Errorf("requested an external service, but no cloud provider supplied.")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("requested an external service, but no cloud provider supplied.")
 		}
 	}
-	return sr.registry.CreateService(srv)
+	// TODO actually wait for the object to be fully created here.
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return obj }), sr.registry.CreateService(srv)
 }
 
-func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Update(obj interface{}) error {
-	return sr.registry.UpdateService(obj.(api.Service))
+func (sr *ServiceRegistryStorage) Update(obj interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
+	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() interface{} { return obj }), sr.registry.UpdateService(obj.(api.Service))
 }