diff --git a/integration/integration_test.go b/integration/integration_test.go
index 9c2598c..4e41fcd 100644
--- a/integration/integration_test.go
+++ b/integration/integration_test.go
@@ -271,14 +271,20 @@ func TestSync(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestExists(t *testing.T) {
 	runTest(t, func(t *testing.T, c *zk.Conn) {
+		if ok, _, err := c.Exists("/"); err != nil || !ok {
+			t.Errorf("expected /, got err=%v, ok=%v", err, ok)
+		}
 		if _, err := c.Create("/abc", []byte(""), 0, acl); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		if ok, _, err := c.Exists("/"); err != nil || !ok {
+			t.Errorf("expected /, got err=%v, ok=%v", err, ok)
+		}
 		if ok, _, err := c.Exists("/abc"); err != nil || !ok {
-			t.Fatalf("expected it to exist %v %v", err, ok)
+			t.Errorf("expected it to exist %v %v", err, ok)
 		}
 		if ok, _, err := c.Exists("/ab"); ok {
-			t.Fatalf("expected it to not exist %v %v", err, ok)
+			t.Errorf("expected it to not exist %v %v", err, ok)
 		}
 	})
 }
diff --git a/stat.go b/stat.go
index c353cde..d54e9a7 100644
--- a/stat.go
+++ b/stat.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func statGetsRev(p string, rev int64) []etcd.Op {
 
 func statGets(p string) []etcd.Op { return statGetsRev(p, 0) }
 
-func statTxn(txnresp *etcd.TxnResponse) (s Stat) {
+func statTxn(p string, txnresp *etcd.TxnResponse) (s Stat, err error) {
 	ctime := txnresp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange()
 	mtime := txnresp.Responses[1].GetResponseRange()
 	node := txnresp.Responses[2].GetResponseRange()
@@ -64,5 +64,21 @@ func statTxn(txnresp *etcd.TxnResponse) (s Stat) {
 		s.DataLength = int32(len(node.Kvs[0].Value))
 	}
 	s.NumChildren = int32(len(children.Kvs))
-	return s
+
+	if p != "/" {
+		if s.Ctime == 0 {
+			return s, ErrNoNode
+		}
+		return s, nil
+	}
+
+	// fix ups for special root node
+
+	// lie about having the quota dir so stat on "/" xchks OK
+	s.NumChildren++
+	// Cversion for root begins at -1, then 0 on first child
+	if len(cver.Kvs) == 0 {
+		s.Cversion = -1
+	}
+	return s, nil
 }
diff --git a/zketcd.go b/zketcd.go
index 4577fe4..7fcc113 100644
--- a/zketcd.go
+++ b/zketcd.go
@@ -140,9 +140,8 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) GetChildren2(xid Xid, op *GetChildren2Request) ZKResponse {
 		return mkErr(err)
 	}
 
-	resp.Stat = statTxn(txnresp)
-	if op.Path != "/" && resp.Stat.Ctime == 0 {
-		return mkZKErr(xid, ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision), errNoNode)
+	if resp.Stat, err = statTxn(op.Path, txnresp); err != nil {
+		return apiErrToZKErr(xid, ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision), err)
 	}
 
 	children := txnresp.Responses[5].GetResponseRange()
@@ -258,7 +257,7 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) Exists(xid Xid, op *ExistsRequest) ZKResponse {
 	}
 
 	exResp := &ExistsResponse{}
-	exResp.Stat = statTxn(txnresp)
+	exResp.Stat, err = statTxn(op.Path, txnresp)
 	zxid := ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision)
 	z.s.Wait(exResp.Stat.Czxid, p, EventNodeCreated)
 
@@ -279,8 +278,8 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) Exists(xid Xid, op *ExistsRequest) ZKResponse {
 		z.s.Watch(zxid, xid, p, ev, f)
 	}
 
-	if exResp.Stat.Mtime == 0 {
-		return mkZKErr(xid, zxid, errNoNode)
+	if err != nil {
+		return apiErrToZKErr(xid, zxid, err)
 	}
 
 	glog.V(7).Infof("Exists(%v) = (zxid=%v, resp=%+v)", xid, zxid, *exResp)
@@ -298,9 +297,8 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) GetData(xid Xid, op *GetDataRequest) ZKResponse {
 	zxid := ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision)
 
 	datResp := &GetDataResponse{}
-	datResp.Stat = statTxn(txnresp)
-	if datResp.Stat.Mtime == 0 {
-		return mkZKErr(xid, zxid, errNoNode)
+	if datResp.Stat, err = statTxn(op.Path, txnresp); err != nil {
+		return apiErrToZKErr(xid, zxid, err)
 	}
 
 	z.s.Wait(datResp.Stat.Mzxid, p, EventNodeDataChanged)
@@ -362,7 +360,8 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) mkSetDataTxnOp(op *SetDataRequest) opBundle {
 			glog.Warningf("set data failed (%v)", err)
 			return mkZKErr(xid, zxid, errSystemError)
 		}
-		return mkZKResp(xid, zxid, &SetDataResponse{Stat: statTxn(statResp)})
+		st, _ := statTxn(op.Path, statResp)
+		return mkZKResp(xid, zxid, &SetDataResponse{Stat: st})
 	}
 
 	return opBundle{apply, reply}
@@ -382,9 +381,8 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) GetAcl(xid Xid, op *GetAclRequest) ZKResponse {
 	zxid := ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision)
 	resps := txnresp.Responses
 	txnresp.Responses = resps[1:]
-	resp.Stat = statTxn(txnresp)
-	if resp.Stat.Ctime == 0 {
-		return mkZKErr(xid, zxid, errNoNode)
+	if resp.Stat, err = statTxn(op.Path, txnresp); err != nil {
+		return apiErrToZKErr(xid, zxid, err)
 	}
 	resp.Acl = decodeACLs(resps[0].GetResponseRange().Kvs[0].Value)
 
@@ -410,9 +408,8 @@ func (z *zkEtcd) GetChildren(xid Xid, op *GetChildrenRequest) ZKResponse {
 		return mkErr(err)
 	}
 
-	s := statTxn(txnresp)
-	if op.Path != "/" && s.Ctime == 0 {
-		return mkZKErr(xid, ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision), errNoNode)
+	if _, err := statTxn(op.Path, txnresp); err != nil {
+		return apiErrToZKErr(xid, ZXid(txnresp.Header.Revision), err)
 	}
 
 	children := txnresp.Responses[5].GetResponseRange()