diff --git a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go
index 39539e1289c..8320511bed6 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (h *EtcdHelper) ExtractList(key string, slicePtr interface{}) error {
 	v := pv.Elem()
 	for _, node := range nodes {
 		obj := reflect.New(v.Type().Elem())
-		err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(node.Value), obj.Interface())
+		err = api.DecodeInto([]byte(node.Value), obj.Interface())
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func (h *EtcdHelper) bodyAndExtractObj(key string, objPtr interface{}, ignoreNot
 		return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("key '%v' found no nodes field: %#v", key, response)
 	}
 	body = response.Node.Value
-	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(body), objPtr)
+	err = api.DecodeInto([]byte(body), objPtr)
 	if jsonBase, err := api.FindJSONBase(objPtr); err == nil {
 		jsonBase.ResourceVersion = response.Node.ModifiedIndex
 		// Note that err shadows the err returned below, so we won't
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func (h *EtcdHelper) bodyAndExtractObj(key string, objPtr interface{}, ignoreNot
 // SetObj marshals obj via json, and stores under key. Will do an
 // atomic update if obj's ResourceVersion field is set.
 func (h *EtcdHelper) SetObj(key string, obj interface{}) error {
-	data, err := json.Marshal(obj)
+	data, err := api.Encode(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go
index 0796bbb8773..905e5091b48 100644
--- a/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tools/etcd_tools_test.go
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ func TestIsNotFoundErr(t *testing.T) {
 	try(fmt.Errorf("some other kind of error"), false)
 }
 
-type testMarshalType struct {
-	ID string `json:"id"`
-}
-
 func TestExtractList(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
 	fakeClient.Data["/some/key"] = EtcdResponseWithError{
@@ -68,12 +64,12 @@ func TestExtractList(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	expect := []testMarshalType{
-		{"foo"},
-		{"bar"},
-		{"baz"},
+	expect := []api.Pod{
+		{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}},
+		{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "bar"}},
+		{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "baz"}},
 	}
-	var got []testMarshalType
+	var got []api.Pod
 	helper := EtcdHelper{fakeClient}
 	err := helper.ExtractList("/some/key", &got)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -86,10 +82,10 @@ func TestExtractList(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestExtractObj(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
-	expect := testMarshalType{ID: "foo"}
+	expect := api.Pod{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}
 	fakeClient.Set("/some/key", util.MakeJSONString(expect), 0)
 	helper := EtcdHelper{fakeClient}
-	var got testMarshalType
+	var got api.Pod
 	err := helper.ExtractObj("/some/key", &got, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %#v", err)
@@ -123,7 +119,7 @@ func TestExtractObjNotFoundErr(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	helper := EtcdHelper{fakeClient}
 	try := func(key string) {
-		var got testMarshalType
+		var got api.Pod
 		err := helper.ExtractObj(key, &got, false)
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Errorf("%s: wanted error but didn't get one", key)
@@ -140,14 +136,18 @@ func TestExtractObjNotFoundErr(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSetObj(t *testing.T) {
-	obj := testMarshalType{ID: "foo"}
+	obj := api.Pod{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}
 	fakeClient := MakeFakeEtcdClient(t)
 	helper := EtcdHelper{fakeClient}
 	err := helper.SetObj("/some/key", obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %#v", err)
 	}
-	expect := util.MakeJSONString(obj)
+	data, err := api.Encode(obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %#v", err)
+	}
+	expect := string(data)
 	got := fakeClient.Data["/some/key"].R.Node.Value
 	if expect != got {
 		t.Errorf("Wanted %v, got %v", expect, got)