diff --git a/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb b/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
index 1ae9300..99055d8 100644
--- a/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
+++ b/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ module RemoteStorage
       update_all_directory_objects(user, directory, timestamp)
 
       server.headers["ETag"] = object.etag
-      server.halt 200
+      server.halt object_exists ? 200 : 201
     rescue ::Riak::HTTPFailedRequest
       server.halt 422
     end
diff --git a/spec/permissions_spec.rb b/spec/permissions_spec.rb
index f8bc2e4..ccf89c8 100644
--- a/spec/permissions_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/permissions_spec.rb
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ describe "Permissions" do
       it "saves the value when there are write permissions" do
         put "/jimmy/contacts/1", "John Doe"
 
-        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.status.must_equal 201
         data_bucket.get("jimmy:contacts:1").data.must_equal "John Doe"
       end
 
@@ -116,14 +116,14 @@ describe "Permissions" do
       it "saves the value when there are direct write permissions" do
         put "/jimmy/tasks/home/1", "take out the trash"
 
-        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.status.must_equal 201
         data_bucket.get("jimmy:tasks/home:1").data.must_equal "take out the trash"
       end
 
       it "saves the value when there are write permissions for a parent directory" do
         put "/jimmy/contacts/family/1", "Bobby Brother"
 
-        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.status.must_equal 201
         data_bucket.get("jimmy:contacts/family:1").data.must_equal "Bobby Brother"
       end
 
@@ -139,14 +139,14 @@ describe "Permissions" do
         it "saves the value" do
           put "/jimmy/public/contacts/foo", "Foo Bar"
 
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:public/contacts:foo").data.must_equal "Foo Bar"
         end
 
         it "saves the value to a sub-directory" do
           put "/jimmy/public/contacts/family/foo", "Foo Bar"
 
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:public/contacts/family:foo").data.must_equal "Foo Bar"
         end
       end
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ describe "Permissions" do
       it "allows PUT requests" do
         put "/jimmy/contacts/1", "John Doe"
 
-        last_response.status.must_equal 200
+        last_response.status.must_equal 201
         data_bucket.get("jimmy:contacts:1").data.must_equal "John Doe"
       end
 
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ describe "Permissions" do
         it "allows PUT requests" do
           put "/jimmy/1", "Gonna kick it root down"
 
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy::1").data.must_equal "Gonna kick it root down"
         end
 
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ describe "Permissions" do
         it "allows PUT requests" do
           put "/jimmy/public/1", "Hello World"
 
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:public:1").data.must_equal "Hello World"
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/riak_spec.rb b/spec/riak_spec.rb
index 3794370..c3283bb 100644
--- a/spec/riak_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/riak_spec.rb
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
         end
 
         it "saves the value" do
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           last_response.body.must_equal ""
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").data.must_equal "another text"
         end
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
         end
 
         it "saves the value (as JSON)" do
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_be_kind_of Hash
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_equal({"foo" => "bar", "unhosted" => 1})
         end
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
         end
 
         it "saves the value" do
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:magic").raw_data.must_equal "pure magic"
         end
 
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
         end
 
         it "saves the value (as JSON)" do
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_be_kind_of Hash
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_equal({"foo" => "bar", "unhosted" => 1})
         end
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
           it "succeeds when the document does not exist" do
             put "/jimmy/documents/archive/bar", "my little content"
 
-            last_response.status.must_equal 200
+            last_response.status.must_equal 201
           end
         end
       end
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
         end
 
         it "saves the value" do
-          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          last_response.status.must_equal 201
           data_bucket.get("jimmy:public/documents/notes:foo").data.must_equal "note to self"
         end
 
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
           end
 
           it "saves an empty JSON object" do
-            last_response.status.must_equal 200
+            last_response.status.must_equal 201
             data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_be_kind_of Hash
             data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_equal({})
           end