diff --git a/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http.go b/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http.go
index b7c9e23fa..f01586a4c 100644
--- a/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http.go
+++ b/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http.go
@@ -176,12 +176,12 @@ func (h Handler) serveKeys(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.R
 		return
 	default:
 		log.Println(err)
-		http.Error(w, "Internal Server Error", 500)
+		http.Error(w, "Internal Server Error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
 
 	if err := encodeResponse(ctx, w, resp); err != nil {
-		http.Error(w, "Timeout while waiting for response", 504)
+		http.Error(w, "Timeout while waiting for response", http.StatusGatewayTimeout)
 		return
 	}
 }
@@ -261,6 +261,8 @@ func parseUint64(s string) uint64 {
 	return v
 }
 
+// encodeResponse serializes the given etcdserver Response and writes the
+// resulting JSON to the given ResponseWriter, utilizing the provided context
 func encodeResponse(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, resp etcdserver.Response) (err error) {
 	var ev *store.Event
 	switch {
@@ -288,6 +290,7 @@ func encodeResponse(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, resp etcdserver.
 	return nil
 }
 
+// waitForEvent waits for a given watcher to return its associated event. It returns a non-nil error if the given Context times out or the given ResponseWriter triggers a CloseNotify.
 func waitForEvent(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, wa store.Watcher) (*store.Event, error) {
 	// TODO(bmizerany): support streaming?
 	defer wa.Remove()
diff --git a/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http_test.go b/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http_test.go
index 799707e7a..a3b3fda47 100644
--- a/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http_test.go
+++ b/etcdserver/etcdhttp/http_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"net/url"
 	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -71,3 +73,197 @@ func TestSet(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func stringp(s string) *string { return &s }
+
+// eventingWatcher immediately returns a simple event of the given action on its channel
+type eventingWatcher struct {
+	action string
+}
+
+func (w *eventingWatcher) EventChan() chan *store.Event {
+	ch := make(chan *store.Event)
+	go func() {
+		ch <- &store.Event{
+			Action: w.action,
+			Node:   &store.NodeExtern{},
+		}
+	}()
+	return ch
+}
+
+func (w *eventingWatcher) Remove() {}
+
+func TestEncodeResponse(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		ctx  context.Context
+		resp etcdserver.Response
+		idx  uint64
+		code int
+		err  error
+	}{
+		// standard case, standard 200 response
+		{
+			context.Background(),
+			etcdserver.Response{
+				Event: &store.Event{
+					Action:   store.Get,
+					Node:     &store.NodeExtern{},
+					PrevNode: &store.NodeExtern{},
+				},
+				Watcher: nil,
+			},
+			0,
+			http.StatusOK,
+			nil,
+		},
+		// check new nodes return StatusCreated
+		{
+			context.Background(),
+			etcdserver.Response{
+				Event: &store.Event{
+					Action:   store.Create,
+					Node:     &store.NodeExtern{},
+					PrevNode: &store.NodeExtern{},
+				},
+				Watcher: nil,
+			},
+			0,
+			http.StatusCreated,
+			nil,
+		},
+		{
+			context.Background(),
+			etcdserver.Response{
+				Watcher: &eventingWatcher{store.Create},
+			},
+			0,
+			http.StatusCreated,
+			nil,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range testCases {
+		rw := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		err := encodeResponse(tt.ctx, rw, tt.resp)
+		if err != tt.err {
+			t.Errorf("case %d: unexpected err: got %v, want %v", i, err, tt.err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if gct := rw.Header().Get("Content-Type"); gct != "application/json" {
+			t.Errorf("case %d: bad Content-Type: got %q, want application/json", i, gct)
+		}
+
+		if gei := rw.Header().Get("X-Etcd-Index"); gei != strconv.Itoa(int(tt.idx)) {
+			t.Errorf("case %d: bad X-Etcd-Index header: got %s, want %d", i, gei, tt.idx)
+		}
+
+		if rw.Code != tt.code {
+			t.Errorf("case %d: bad response code: got %d, want %v", i, rw.Code, tt.code)
+		}
+
+	}
+
+}
+
+type dummyWatcher struct {
+	echan chan *store.Event
+}
+
+func (w *dummyWatcher) EventChan() chan *store.Event {
+	return w.echan
+}
+func (w *dummyWatcher) Remove() {}
+
+type dummyResponseWriter struct {
+	cnchan chan bool
+	http.ResponseWriter
+}
+
+func (rw *dummyResponseWriter) CloseNotify() <-chan bool {
+	return rw.cnchan
+}
+
+func TestWaitForEventChan(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ec := make(chan *store.Event)
+	dw := &dummyWatcher{
+		echan: ec,
+	}
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	var ev *store.Event
+	var err error
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		ev, err = waitForEvent(ctx, w, dw)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+	ec <- &store.Event{
+		Action: store.Get,
+		Node: &store.NodeExtern{
+			Key:           "/foo/bar",
+			ModifiedIndex: 12345,
+		},
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+	want := &store.Event{
+		Action: store.Get,
+		Node: &store.NodeExtern{
+			Key:           "/foo/bar",
+			ModifiedIndex: 12345,
+		},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(ev, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad event: got %#v, want %#v", ev, want)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWaitForEventCloseNotify(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	dw := &dummyWatcher{}
+	cnchan := make(chan bool)
+	w := &dummyResponseWriter{
+		cnchan: cnchan,
+	}
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	var ev *store.Event
+	var err error
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		ev, err = waitForEvent(ctx, w, dw)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+	close(cnchan)
+	wg.Wait()
+	if ev != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("non-nil Event returned with CloseNotifier: %v", ev)
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("nil err returned with CloseNotifier!")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWaitForEventCancelledContext(t *testing.T) {
+	cctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	dw := &dummyWatcher{}
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	var ev *store.Event
+	var err error
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		ev, err = waitForEvent(cctx, w, dw)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+	cancel()
+	wg.Wait()
+	if ev != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("non-nil Event returned with cancelled context: %v", ev)
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("nil err returned with cancelled context!")
+	}
+}