diff --git a/bin/confetty b/bin/confetty
index bb666d4e..6ef5f1f5 100755
--- a/bin/confetty
+++ b/bin/confetty
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import sys
 import termios
 import tty
 
+exitcode = 0
 consoleonly = False
 target = "/"
 path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
@@ -156,9 +157,11 @@ def send_request(operation, path, server):
         result = tlvdata.recv_tlvdata(server)
 
 def do_command(command, server):
+    global exitcode
     global target
     global currconsole
     global currchildren
+    exitcode = 0
     command = command.lower()
     argv = parse_command(command)
     if len(argv) == 0:
@@ -166,14 +169,16 @@ def do_command(command, server):
     if argv[0] == "exit":
         server.close()
         sys.exit(0)
-    if argv[0] == "cd":
+    elif argv[0] == "cd":
         otarget = target
         target = fullpath_target(argv[1], forcepath=True)
         for res in send_request('retrieve', target, server):
+            if 'errorcode' in res:
+                exitcode = res['errorcode']
             if 'error' in res:
-                print target + ': ' + res['error']
+                sys.stderr.write(target + ': ' + res['error'] + '\n')
                 target = otarget
-    if argv[0] in ('cat', 'show', 'ls', 'dir'):
+    elif argv[0] in ('cat', 'show', 'ls', 'dir'):
         if len(argv) > 1:
             targpath = fullpath_target(argv[1])
         else:
@@ -196,17 +201,21 @@ def do_command(command, server):
                             print "%s=********" % key
                         else:
                             print "%s=" % key
-    if argv[0] == 'start':
+    elif argv[0] == 'start':
         targpath = fullpath_target(argv[1])
         currconsole = targpath
         tlvdata.send_tlvdata(server, {'operation': 'start', 'path': targpath})
         status = tlvdata.recv_tlvdata(server)
         if 'error' in status:
-            print 'Error: ' + status['error']
+            if 'errorcode' in status:
+                exitcode = status['errorcode']
+            sys.stderr.write('Error: ' + status['error'] + '\n')
             return
         print '[console session started]'
         startconsole()
         return
+    else:
+        sys.stderr.write("%s: command not found...\n" % argv[0])
 
 
 def fullpath_target(path, forcepath=False):
diff --git a/confluent/config/configmanager.py b/confluent/config/configmanager.py
index 0af26b0e..2375b056 100644
--- a/confluent/config/configmanager.py
+++ b/confluent/config/configmanager.py
@@ -643,6 +643,7 @@ class ConfigManager(object):
         # TODO(jbjohnso): multi mgr support, here if we have peers,
         # pickle the arguments and fire them off in eventlet
         # flows to peers, all should have the same result
+        exprmgr = None
         for node in attribmap.iterkeys():
             if node not in self._cfgstore['nodes']:
                 self._cfgstore['nodes'][node] = {}
diff --git a/confluent/messages.py b/confluent/messages.py
index 827dd766..3a533587 100644
--- a/confluent/messages.py
+++ b/confluent/messages.py
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ def get_input_message(path, operation, inputdata, nodes=None):
     if path[0] == 'power' and path[1] == 'state' and operation != 'retrieve':
         return InputPowerMessage(path, nodes, inputdata)
     elif path[0] == 'attributes' and operation != 'retrieve':
-        return InputAttributes(path, nodes, inputdata)
+        return InputAttributes(path, inputdata, nodes)
     elif path == ['boot', 'device'] and operation != 'retrieve':
         return InputBootDevice(path, nodes, inputdata)
     elif inputdata:
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@ def get_input_message(path, operation, inputdata, nodes=None):
 
 class InputAttributes(ConfluentMessage):
 
-    def __init__(self, path, nodes, inputdata):
+    def __init__(self, path, inputdata, nodes=None):
+        print "DEBUG: making input attributes "
+        print repr(nodes)
+        print repr(inputdata)
         self.nodeattribs = {}
         nestedmode = False
         if not inputdata:
diff --git a/confluent/pluginapi.py b/confluent/pluginapi.py
index 92e2385b..c3e12dba 100644
--- a/confluent/pluginapi.py
+++ b/confluent/pluginapi.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def create_group(inputdata, configmanager):
         del inputdata['name']
         attribmap = {groupname: inputdata}
     except KeyError:
-        raise exc.InvalidArgumenTException()
+        raise exc.InvalidArgumentException()
     configmanager.set_group_attributes(attribmap)
 
 
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ def handle_path(path, operation, configmanager, inputdata=None):
             group = pathcomponents[1]
         except IndexError:
             if operation == "create":
-                create_group(inputdata, configmanager)
+                inputdata = msg.InputAttributes(pathcomponents, inputdata)
+                create_group(inputdata.attribs, configmanager)
             return iterate_collections(configmanager.get_groups())
         if iscollection:
             if operation == "delete":
@@ -231,7 +232,8 @@ def handle_path(path, operation, configmanager, inputdata=None):
             if operation == "delete":
                 raise exc.InvalidArgumentException()
             if operation == "create":
-                create_node(inputdata, configmanager)
+                inputdata = msg.InputAttributes(pathcomponents, inputdata)
+                create_node(inputdata.attribs, configmanager)
             return iterate_collections(configmanager.get_nodes())
         if iscollection:
             if operation == "delete":