diff --git a/cmd/integration/integration.go b/cmd/integration/integration.go
index 66b214720f3..19dc55170a7 100644
--- a/cmd/integration/integration.go
+++ b/cmd/integration/integration.go
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ func main() {
 	util.InitLogs()
 	defer util.FlushLogs()
 
+	go func() {
+		defer util.FlushLogs()
+		time.Sleep(3 * time.Minute)
+		glog.Fatalf("This test has timed out.")
+	}()
+
 	manifestUrl := ServeCachedManifestFile()
 	// Setup
 	servers := []string{"http://localhost:4001"}
diff --git a/pkg/registry/etcd_registry.go b/pkg/registry/etcd_registry.go
index b9cee2cc3b8..162d62c61ba 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/etcd_registry.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/etcd_registry.go
@@ -108,16 +108,18 @@ func (registry *EtcdRegistry) runPod(pod api.Pod, machine string) error {
 	}
 
 	contKey := makeContainerKey(machine)
-	var manifests []api.ContainerManifest
-	err = registry.helper().AtomicUpdate(contKey, &manifests, func() (interface{}, error) {
+	err = registry.helper().AtomicUpdate(contKey, &[]api.ContainerManifest{}, func(in interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
+		manifests := *in.(*[]api.ContainerManifest)
 		return append(manifests, manifest), nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		// Don't strand stuff.
-		registry.etcdClient.Delete(podKey, false)
-		return err
+		_, err2 := registry.etcdClient.Delete(podKey, false)
+		if err2 != nil {
+			glog.Errorf("Probably stranding a pod, couldn't delete %v: %#v", podKey, err2)
+		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return err
 }
 
 func (registry *EtcdRegistry) UpdatePod(pod api.Pod) error {
@@ -143,8 +145,8 @@ func (registry *EtcdRegistry) deletePodFromMachine(machine, podID string) error
 
 	// Next, remove the pod from the machine atomically.
 	contKey := makeContainerKey(machine)
-	var manifests []api.ContainerManifest
-	return registry.helper().AtomicUpdate(contKey, &manifests, func() (interface{}, error) {
+	return registry.helper().AtomicUpdate(contKey, &[]api.ContainerManifest{}, func(in interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
+		manifests := *in.(*[]api.ContainerManifest)
 		newManifests := make([]api.ContainerManifest, 0, len(manifests))
 		found := false
 		for _, manifest := range manifests {
diff --git a/pkg/util/etcd_tools.go b/pkg/util/etcd_tools.go
index 912147ab55d..39f4b37a3f5 100644
--- a/pkg/util/etcd_tools.go
+++ b/pkg/util/etcd_tools.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func (h *EtcdHelper) SetObj(key string, obj interface{}) error {
 
 // Pass an EtcdUpdateFunc to EtcdHelper.AtomicUpdate to make an atomic etcd update.
 // See the comment for AtomicUpdate for more detail.
-type EtcdUpdateFunc func() (interface{}, error)
+type EtcdUpdateFunc func(input interface{}) (output interface{}, err error)
 
 // AtomicUpdate generalizes the pattern that allows for making atomic updates to etcd objects.
 // Note, tryUpdate may be called more than once.
@@ -161,33 +161,42 @@ type EtcdUpdateFunc func() (interface{}, error)
 // Example:
 //
 // h := &util.EtcdHelper{client}
-// var currentObj MyType
-// err := h.AtomicUpdate("myKey", &currentObj, func() (interface{}, error) {
+// err := h.AtomicUpdate("myKey", &MyType{}, func(input interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 //	// Before this function is called, currentObj has been reset to etcd's current
 //	// contents for "myKey".
 //
+//	cur := input.(*MyType) // Gauranteed to work.
+//
 //	// Make a *modification*.
-//	currentObj.Counter++
+//	cur.Counter++
 //
 //	// Return the modified object. Return an error to stop iterating.
-//	return currentObj, nil
+//	return cur, nil
 // })
 //
-func (h *EtcdHelper) AtomicUpdate(key string, objPtr interface{}, tryUpdate EtcdUpdateFunc) error {
+func (h *EtcdHelper) AtomicUpdate(key string, ptrToType interface{}, tryUpdate EtcdUpdateFunc) error {
+	pt := reflect.TypeOf(ptrToType)
+	if pt.Kind() != reflect.Ptr {
+		// Panic is appropriate, because this is a programming error.
+		panic("need ptr to type")
+	}
 	for {
-		origBody, index, err := h.bodyAndExtractObj(key, objPtr, true)
+		obj := reflect.New(pt.Elem()).Interface()
+		origBody, index, err := h.bodyAndExtractObj(key, obj, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		ret, err := tryUpdate()
+		ret, err := tryUpdate(obj)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
 		// First time this key has been used, just set.
+		// TODO: This is racy. Fix when our client supports prevExist. See:
+		// https://github.com/coreos/etcd/blob/master/Documentation/api.md#atomic-compare-and-swap
 		if index == 0 {
-			//return h.SetObj(key, ret)
+			return h.SetObj(key, ret)
 		}
 
 		data, err := json.Marshal(ret)