diff --git a/etcd/embed.go b/etcd/embed.go
index b0e742913..ee0fd1e55 100644
--- a/etcd/embed.go
+++ b/etcd/embed.go
@@ -264,13 +264,17 @@ func (e *Etcd) nodeState(ctx context.Context, peerID string) (disco.NodeState, e
 		return disco.NodeStateResizing, nil
 	}
 
-	kvs := resp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange().Kvs
-	if len(kvs) > 1 {
-		return disco.NodeStateUnknown, disco.ErrTooManyResults
+	if len(resp.Responses) == 0 {
+		return disco.NodeStateUnknown, disco.ErrNoResults
 	}
+
+	kvs := resp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange().Kvs
 	if len(kvs) == 0 {
 		return disco.NodeStateUnknown, disco.ErrNoResults
 	}
+	if len(kvs) > 1 {
+		return disco.NodeStateUnknown, disco.ErrTooManyResults
+	}
 
 	return disco.NodeState(kvs[0].Value), nil
 }
@@ -698,12 +702,11 @@ func (e *Etcd) getKeyBytes(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]byte, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	kvs := resp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange().Kvs
-
-	if !resp.Succeeded {
-		return nil, errors.New("tx failed")
+	if len(resp.Responses) == 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("key does not exist")
 	}
 
+	kvs := resp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange().Kvs
 	if len(kvs) == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("key does not exist")
 	}
@@ -711,24 +714,28 @@ func (e *Etcd) getKeyBytes(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]byte, error) {
 	return kvs[0].Value, nil
 }
 
-func (e *Etcd) getKeyWithPrefix(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]string, [][]byte, error) {
-
+func (e *Etcd) getKeyWithPrefix(ctx context.Context, key string) (keys []string, values [][]byte, err error) {
 	resp, err := e.cli.Txn(ctx).
 		Then(clientv3.OpGet(key, clientv3.WithPrefix())).
 		Commit()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
+
+	if len(resp.Responses) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, errors.New("key does not exist")
+	}
+
 	kvs := resp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange().Kvs
+	if len(kvs) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, nil
+	}
 
-	var (
-		keys   []string
-		values [][]byte
-	)
-
-	for _, kv := range kvs {
-		keys = append(keys, string(kv.Key))
-		values = append(values, kv.Value)
+	keys = make([]string, len(kvs))
+	values = make([][]byte, len(kvs))
+	for i, kv := range kvs {
+		keys[i] = string(kv.Key)
+		values[i] = kv.Value
 	}
 
 	return keys, values, nil
@@ -746,6 +753,9 @@ func (e *Etcd) keyExists(ctx context.Context, key string) (bool, error) {
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
+	if len(resp.Responses) == 0 {
+		return false, nil
+	}
 	return resp.Responses[0].GetResponseRange().Count > 0, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go b/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go
index f4edf0298..2f443642c 100644
--- a/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go
+++ b/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pilosa/pilosa/v2"
+	"github.com/pilosa/pilosa/v2/disco"
 	picli "github.com/pilosa/pilosa/v2/http"
 )
 
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ func TestClusterStuff(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		t.Log("done with pause, waiting for stability")
-		waitForStatus(t, cli1, "NORMAL", 30, time.Second)
+		waitForStatus(t, cli1, string(disco.ClusterStateNormal), 30, time.Second)
 		t.Log("done waiting for stability")
 
 		// Check query results from each node.
@@ -112,9 +113,9 @@ func waitForStatus(t *testing.T, c *picli.InternalClient, status string, n int,
 	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
 		s, err := c.Status(context.TODO())
 		if err != nil {
-			t.Logf("Status (%d/%d): %v (sleep: %s)\\n", i, n, err, sleep.String())
+			t.Logf("Status (try %d/%d): %v (retrying in %s)", i, n, err, sleep.String())
 		} else {
-			t.Logf("Status (%d/%d): %s (sleep: %s)\n", i, n, s, sleep.String())
+			t.Logf("Status (try %d/%d): %s (retrying in %s)", i, n, s, sleep.String())
 		}
 		if s == status {
 			return
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ func waitForStatus(t *testing.T, c *picli.InternalClient, status string, n int,
 		t.Fatalf("querying status: %v", err)
 	}
 	if status != s {
-		t.Fatalf("waited %d %v for status: %v, got: %v", n, sleep, status, s)
+		waited := time.Duration(n) * sleep
+		t.Fatalf("waited %s for status: %s, got: %s", waited.String(), status, s)
 	}
 }