diff --git a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go
index 7432a49fad4..c15391c9c13 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func (h *EtcdHelper) listEtcdNode(key string) ([]*etcd.Node, uint64, error) {
 }
 
 // ExtractList extracts a go object per etcd node into a slice with the resource version.
+// DEPRECATED: Use ExtractToList instead, it's more convenient.
 func (h *EtcdHelper) ExtractList(key string, slicePtr interface{}, resourceVersion *uint64) error {
 	nodes, index, err := h.listEtcdNode(key)
 	if resourceVersion != nil {
@@ -152,6 +153,27 @@ func (h *EtcdHelper) ExtractList(key string, slicePtr interface{}, resourceVersi
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ExtractToList is just like ExtractList, but it works on a ThingyList api object.
+// extracts a go object per etcd node into a slice with the resource version.
+func (h *EtcdHelper) ExtractToList(key string, listObj runtime.Object) error {
+	var resourceVersion uint64
+	listPtr, err := runtime.GetItemsPtr(listObj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	err = h.ExtractList(key, listPtr, &resourceVersion)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if h.ResourceVersioner != nil {
+		err = h.ResourceVersioner.SetResourceVersion(listObj, resourceVersion)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ExtractObj unmarshals json found at key into objPtr. On a not found error, will either return
 // a zero object of the requested type, or an error, depending on ignoreNotFound. Treats
 // empty responses and nil response nodes exactly like a not found error.
diff --git a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go
index 32c937c8f2f..8eea5fce8b7 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func TestIsEtcdNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	try(fmt.Errorf("some other kind of error"), false)
 }
 
-func TestExtractList(t *testing.T) {
+func TestExtractToList(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := NewFakeEtcdClient(t)
 	fakeClient.Data["/some/key"] = EtcdResponseWithError{
 		R: &etcd.Response{
@@ -88,27 +88,23 @@ func TestExtractList(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	expect := []api.Pod{
-		{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo", ResourceVersion: 1}},
-		{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "bar", ResourceVersion: 2}},
-		{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "baz", ResourceVersion: 3}},
+	expect := api.PodList{
+		JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ResourceVersion: 10},
+		Items: []api.Pod{
+			{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo", ResourceVersion: 1}},
+			{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "bar", ResourceVersion: 2}},
+			{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "baz", ResourceVersion: 3}},
+		},
 	}
 
-	var got []api.Pod
+	var got api.PodList
 	helper := EtcdHelper{fakeClient, latest.Codec, versioner}
-	resourceVersion := uint64(0)
-	err := helper.ExtractList("/some/key", &got, &resourceVersion)
+	err := helper.ExtractToList("/some/key", &got)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %#v", err)
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %v", err)
 	}
-	if resourceVersion != 10 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected resource version %d", resourceVersion)
-	}
-
-	for i := 0; i < len(expect); i++ {
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(got[i], expect[i]) {
-			t.Errorf("\nWanted:\n%#v\nGot:\n%#v\n", expect[i], got[i])
-		}
+	if e, a := expect, got; !reflect.DeepEqual(e, a) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %#v, got %#v", e, a)
 	}
 }