diff --git a/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb b/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
index a53ee2a..b35021d 100644
--- a/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
+++ b/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
@@ -411,10 +411,16 @@ module RemoteStorage
       timestamp = (Time.now.to_f * 1000).to_i
 
       parent_directories_for(directory).each do |dir|
-        # TODO check if we can actually do a put request to the root dir
-        res = do_put_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/", timestamp.to_s, "text/plain")
+        unless dir == ""
+          res = do_put_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/", timestamp.to_s, "text/plain")
+          etag = res.headers[:etag]
+        else
+          get_response = do_get_request("#{container_url_for(user)}/?format=json&path=")
+          etag = etag_for(get_response.body)
+        end
+
         key = "rs_meta:#{user}:#{dir}/"
-        metadata = {etag: res.headers[:etag], modified: timestamp}
+        metadata = {etag: etag, modified: timestamp}
         redis.hmset(key, *metadata)
         redis.sadd "rs_meta:#{user}:#{parent_directory_for(dir)}:items", "#{top_directory(dir)}/"
       end
@@ -422,8 +428,9 @@ module RemoteStorage
       true
     rescue
       parent_directories_for(directory).each do |dir|
-        # TODO check if we can actually do a delete request to the root dir
-        do_delete_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/") rescue false
+        unless dir == ""
+          do_delete_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/") rescue false
+        end
       end
 
       false
@@ -438,15 +445,21 @@ module RemoteStorage
     def delete_dir_objects(user, directory)
       parent_directories_for(directory).each do |dir|
         if dir_empty?(user, dir)
-          # TODO check if we can actually do a delete request to the root dir
-          do_delete_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/")
+          unless dir == ""
+            do_delete_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/")
+          end
           redis.del "rs_meta:#{user}:#{directory}/"
           redis.srem "rs_meta:#{user}:#{parent_directory_for(dir)}:items", "#{dir}/"
         else
           timestamp = (Time.now.to_f * 1000).to_i
-        # TODO check if we can actually do a put request to the root dir
-          res = do_put_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/", timestamp.to_s, "text/plain")
-          metadata = {etag: res.headers[:etag], modified: timestamp}
+          unless dir == ""
+            res = do_put_request("#{url_for_directory(user, dir)}/", timestamp.to_s, "text/plain")
+            etag = res.headers[:etag]
+          else
+            get_response = do_get_request("#{container_url_for(user)}/?format=json&path=")
+            etag = etag_for(get_response.body)
+          end
+          metadata = {etag: etag, modified: timestamp}
           redis.hmset("rs_meta:#{user}:#{dir}/", *metadata)
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/swift/app_spec.rb b/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
index dc51ee4..052b750 100644
--- a/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
@@ -40,13 +40,18 @@ describe "App" do
 
       it "creates the directory objects metadata in redis" do
         put_stub = OpenStruct.new(headers: {etag: "bla"})
+        get_stub = OpenStruct.new(body: "rootbody")
         RestClient.stub :put, put_stub do
-          put "/phil/food/aguacate", "si"
-          put "/phil/food/camaron", "yummi"
+          RestClient.stub :get, get_stub do
+            RemoteStorage::Swift.stub_any_instance :etag_for, "rootetag" do
+              put "/phil/food/aguacate", "si"
+              put "/phil/food/camaron", "yummi"
+            end
+          end
         end
 
         metadata = redis.hgetall "rs_meta:phil:/"
-        metadata["etag"].must_equal "bla"
+        metadata["etag"].must_equal "rootetag"
         metadata["modified"].length.must_equal 13
 
         metadata = redis.hgetall "rs_meta:phil:food/"
@@ -65,8 +70,13 @@ describe "App" do
       describe "name collision checks" do
         it "is successful when there is no name collision" do
           put_stub = OpenStruct.new(headers: {etag: "bla"})
+          get_stub = OpenStruct.new(body: "rootbody")
           RestClient.stub :put, put_stub do
-            put "/phil/food/aguacate", "si"
+            RestClient.stub :get, get_stub do
+              RemoteStorage::Swift.stub_any_instance :etag_for, "rootetag" do
+                put "/phil/food/aguacate", "si"
+              end
+            end
           end
 
           last_response.status.must_equal 200
@@ -157,9 +167,14 @@ describe "App" do
 
       it "deletes the metadata object in redis" do
         put_stub = OpenStruct.new(headers: {etag: "bla"})
+        get_stub = OpenStruct.new(body: "rootbody")
         RestClient.stub :put, put_stub do
           RestClient.stub :delete, "" do
-            delete "/phil/food/aguacate"
+            RestClient.stub :get, get_stub do
+              RemoteStorage::Swift.stub_any_instance :etag_for, "rootetag" do
+                delete "/phil/food/aguacate"
+              end
+            end
           end
         end
 
@@ -171,9 +186,14 @@ describe "App" do
         old_metadata = redis.hgetall "rs_meta:phil:food/"
 
         put_stub = OpenStruct.new(headers: {etag: "newetag"})
+        get_stub = OpenStruct.new(body: "rootbody")
         RestClient.stub :put, put_stub do
           RestClient.stub :delete, "" do
-            delete "/phil/food/aguacate"
+            RestClient.stub :get, get_stub do
+              RemoteStorage::Swift.stub_any_instance :etag_for, "rootetag" do
+                delete "/phil/food/aguacate"
+              end
+            end
           end
         end
 
@@ -191,10 +211,15 @@ describe "App" do
 
       it "deletes the parent directory objects metadata when deleting all items" do
         put_stub = OpenStruct.new(headers: {etag: "bla"})
+        get_stub = OpenStruct.new(body: "rootbody")
         RestClient.stub :put, put_stub do
           RestClient.stub :delete, "" do
-            delete "/phil/food/aguacate"
-            delete "/phil/food/camaron"
+            RestClient.stub :get, get_stub do
+              RemoteStorage::Swift.stub_any_instance :etag_for, "rootetag" do
+                delete "/phil/food/aguacate"
+                delete "/phil/food/camaron"
+              end
+            end
           end
         end