diff --git a/pkg/api/types.go b/pkg/api/types.go
index 5972cd0bc24..b63abde4bf6 100644
--- a/pkg/api/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/types.go
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ type PodStatus string
 // These are the valid statuses of pods.
 const (
 	// PodWaiting means that we're waiting for the pod to begin running.
-	PodWaiting = "Waiting"
+	PodWaiting PodStatus = "Waiting"
 	// PodRunning means that the pod is up and running.
 	PodRunning PodStatus = "Running"
 	// PodTerminated means that the pod has stopped.
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
index 25a5d05558c..54e5b489dbe 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ type PodStatus string
 // These are the valid statuses of pods.
 const (
 	// PodWaiting means that we're waiting for the pod to begin running.
-	PodWaiting = "Waiting"
+	PodWaiting PodStatus = "Waiting"
 	// PodRunning means that the pod is up and running.
 	PodRunning PodStatus = "Running"
 	// PodTerminated means that the pod has stopped.
diff --git a/pkg/registry/etcdregistry.go b/pkg/registry/etcdregistry.go
index de24edb13fb..bafbd68076c 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/etcdregistry.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/etcdregistry.go
@@ -86,18 +86,11 @@ func makeContainerKey(machine string) string {
 
 // CreatePod creates a pod based on a specification, schedule it onto a specific machine.
 func (registry *EtcdRegistry) CreatePod(machine string, pod api.Pod) error {
-	// TODO: When our client supports it, switch to atomic creates.
-	var pod2 api.Pod
-	err := registry.helper.ExtractObj(makePodKey(pod.ID), &pod2, false)
-	if err == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("a pod named %s already exists (%#v)", pod.ID, pod2)
-	}
-
 	// Set status to "Waiting".
 	pod.CurrentState.Status = api.PodWaiting
 	pod.CurrentState.Host = ""
 
-	err = registry.helper.SetObj(makePodKey(pod.ID), &pod)
+	err := registry.helper.CreateObj(makePodKey(pod.ID), &pod)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/registry/etcdregistry_test.go b/pkg/registry/etcdregistry_test.go
index 93c6e323f14..3e3fece4c59 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/etcdregistry_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/etcdregistry_test.go
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreatePodAlreadyExisting(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestEtcdCreatePodWithContainersError(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := tools.MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
+	fakeClient.TestIndex = true
 	fakeClient.Data["/registry/pods/foo"] = tools.EtcdResponseWithError{
 		R: &etcd.Response{
 			Node: nil,
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreatePodWithContainersError(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	})
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Error("Unexpected non-error")
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected non-error")
 	}
 	_, err = fakeClient.Get("/registry/pods/foo", false, false)
 	if err == nil {
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreatePodWithContainersError(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestEtcdCreatePodWithContainersNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := tools.MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
+	fakeClient.TestIndex = true
 	fakeClient.Data["/registry/pods/foo"] = tools.EtcdResponseWithError{
 		R: &etcd.Response{
 			Node: nil,
@@ -202,7 +204,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreatePodWithContainersNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	resp, err := fakeClient.Get("/registry/pods/foo", false, false)
@@ -588,7 +590,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreateController(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestEtcdCreateControllerAlreadyExisting(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := tools.MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
-	fakeClient.Set("/registry/controllers/foo", util.MakeJSONString(api.ReplicationController{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}), 0)
+	fakeClient.Set("/registry/controllers/foo", api.EncodeOrDie(api.ReplicationController{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}), 0)
 
 	registry := MakeTestEtcdRegistry(fakeClient, []string{"machine"})
 	err := registry.CreateController(api.ReplicationController{
@@ -680,7 +682,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreateService(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestEtcdCreateServiceAlreadyExisting(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := tools.MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
-	fakeClient.Set("/registry/services/specs/foo", util.MakeJSONString(api.Service{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}), 0)
+	fakeClient.Set("/registry/services/specs/foo", api.EncodeOrDie(api.Service{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}), 0)
 	registry := MakeTestEtcdRegistry(fakeClient, []string{"machine"})
 	err := registry.CreateService(api.Service{
 		JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"},
@@ -782,7 +784,7 @@ func TestEtcdUpdateEndpoints(t *testing.T) {
 		Endpoints: []string{"baz", "bar"},
 	}
 
-	fakeClient.Set("/registry/services/endpoints/foo", util.MakeJSONString(api.Endpoints{}), 0)
+	fakeClient.Set("/registry/services/endpoints/foo", api.EncodeOrDie(api.Endpoints{}), 0)
 
 	err := registry.UpdateEndpoints(endpoints)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/tools/fake_etcd_client.go b/pkg/tools/fake_etcd_client.go
index 39a0c320783..cb4c914ecbd 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/fake_etcd_client.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/fake_etcd_client.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ func (f *FakeEtcdClient) generateIndex() uint64 {
 	}
 
 	f.ChangeIndex++
+	f.t.Logf("generating index %v", f.ChangeIndex)
 	return f.ChangeIndex
 }
 
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ func (f *FakeEtcdClient) Get(key string, sort, recursive bool) (*etcd.Response,
 
 func (f *FakeEtcdClient) nodeExists(key string) bool {
 	result, ok := f.Data[key]
-	return ok && result.R != nil && result.R.Node != nil
+	return ok && result.R != nil && result.R.Node != nil && result.E == nil
 }
 
 func (f *FakeEtcdClient) setLocked(key, value string, ttl uint64) (*etcd.Response, error) {
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ func (f *FakeEtcdClient) setLocked(key, value string, ttl uint64) (*etcd.Respons
 	if f.nodeExists(key) {
 		prevResult := f.Data[key]
 		createdIndex := prevResult.R.Node.CreatedIndex
+		f.t.Logf("updating %v, index %v -> %v", key, createdIndex, i)
 		result := EtcdResponseWithError{
 			R: &etcd.Response{
 				Node: &etcd.Node{
@@ -141,6 +143,7 @@ func (f *FakeEtcdClient) setLocked(key, value string, ttl uint64) (*etcd.Respons
 		return result.R, nil
 	}
 
+	f.t.Logf("creating %v, index %v", key, i)
 	result := EtcdResponseWithError{
 		R: &etcd.Response{
 			Node: &etcd.Node{
@@ -163,6 +166,7 @@ func (f *FakeEtcdClient) Set(key, value string, ttl uint64) (*etcd.Response, err
 
 func (f *FakeEtcdClient) CompareAndSwap(key, value string, ttl uint64, prevValue string, prevIndex uint64) (*etcd.Response, error) {
 	if f.Err != nil {
+		f.t.Logf("c&s: returning err %v", f.Err)
 		return nil, f.Err
 	}
 
@@ -179,16 +183,19 @@ func (f *FakeEtcdClient) CompareAndSwap(key, value string, ttl uint64, prevValue
 	defer f.Mutex.Unlock()
 
 	if !f.nodeExists(key) {
+		f.t.Logf("c&s: node doesn't exist")
 		return nil, EtcdErrorNotFound
 	}
 
 	prevNode := f.Data[key].R.Node
 
 	if prevValue != "" && prevValue != prevNode.Value {
+		f.t.Logf("body didn't match")
 		return nil, EtcdErrorTestFailed
 	}
 
 	if prevIndex != 0 && prevIndex != prevNode.ModifiedIndex {
+		f.t.Logf("got index %v but needed %v", prevIndex, prevNode.ModifiedIndex)
 		return nil, EtcdErrorTestFailed
 	}