diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
index e0f73eb25b..ffdb6e37dc 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
@@ -194,6 +194,21 @@ class BaseObjectControllerMixin(object):
         policy = policy or POLICIES.default
         return policy.quorum
 
+    # Add a few helper methods for EC tests.
+    def _make_ec_archive_bodies(self, test_body, policy=None):
+        policy = policy or self.policy
+        return encode_frag_archive_bodies(policy, test_body)
+
+    def _make_ec_object_stub(self, pattern='test', policy=None,
+                             timestamp=None):
+        policy = policy or self.policy
+        test_body = pattern * policy.ec_segment_size
+        test_body = test_body[:-random.randint(1, 1000)]
+        return make_ec_object_stub(test_body, policy, timestamp)
+
+    def _fake_ec_node_response(self, node_frags):
+        return fake_ec_node_response(node_frags, self.policy)
+
     def test_iter_nodes_local_first_noops_when_no_affinity(self):
         # this test needs a stable node order - most don't
         self.app.sort_nodes = lambda l, *args, **kwargs: l
@@ -2375,18 +2390,6 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
             resp = req.get_response(self.app)
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_int, 201)
 
-    def _make_ec_archive_bodies(self, test_body, policy=None):
-        policy = policy or self.policy
-        return encode_frag_archive_bodies(policy, test_body)
-
-    def _make_ec_object_stub(self, test_body=None, policy=None,
-                             timestamp=None):
-        policy = policy or self.policy
-        return make_ec_object_stub(test_body, policy, timestamp)
-
-    def _fake_ec_node_response(self, node_frags):
-        return fake_ec_node_response(node_frags, self.policy)
-
     def test_GET_with_frags_swapped_around(self):
         segment_size = self.policy.ec_segment_size
         test_data = ('test' * segment_size)[:-657]
@@ -2491,8 +2494,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
                          len(collected_responses[obj1['etag']]))
 
     def test_GET_with_single_missed_overwrite_does_not_need_handoff(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
 
         node_frags = [
             {'obj': obj2, 'frag': 0},
@@ -2541,8 +2544,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
                                      len(frags), etag))
 
     def test_GET_with_many_missed_overwrite_will_need_handoff(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
 
         node_frags = [
             {'obj': obj2, 'frag': 0},
@@ -2592,8 +2595,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
                                      len(frags), etag))
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_and_mixed_frags_will_dig_deep_but_succeed(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self.ts())
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self.ts())
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1', timestamp=self.ts())
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2', timestamp=self.ts())
 
         node_frags = [
             {'obj': obj1, 'frag': 0},
@@ -2655,8 +2658,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
                                      len(frags), etag))
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_and_mixed_frags_will_dig_deep_but_stop(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
 
         node_frags = [
             {'obj': obj1, 'frag': 0},
@@ -2843,8 +2846,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual({obj1['etag'], None}, collected_etags)
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_and_mixed_frags_may_503(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
         # we get a 503 when all the handoffs return 200
         node_frags = [[]] * self.replicas()  # primaries have no frags
         node_frags = node_frags + [  # handoffs all have frags
@@ -2883,10 +2886,10 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         # all nodes have a frag but there is no one set that reaches quorum,
         # which means there is no backend 404 response, but proxy should still
         # return 404 rather than 503
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj3 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj4 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
+        obj3 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj3')
+        obj4 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj4')
 
         node_frags = [
             {'obj': obj1, 'frag': 0},
@@ -3057,8 +3060,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(28, len(log))
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_durable_files_and_mixed_etags(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
 
         # non-quorate durables for another object won't stop us finding the
         # quorate object
@@ -3147,8 +3150,10 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         # At that point (or before) the proxy knows that a durable set of
         # frags for obj2 exists so will fetch them, requiring another 10
         # directed requests.
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
 
         node_frags = [
             [{'obj': obj1, 'frag': 0, 'durable': False}],  # obj2 missing
@@ -3197,9 +3202,12 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         # GETs to see all the obj3 frags plus 1 more to GET a durable frag.
         # The proxy may also do one more GET if the obj2 frag is found.
         # i.e. 10 + 1 durable for obj3, 2 for obj1 and 1 more if obj2 found
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
-        obj3 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj3 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj3',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
 
         node_frags = [
             [{'obj': obj1, 'frag': 0, 'durable': False},  # obj1 frag
@@ -3237,8 +3245,10 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         # scenario: non-durable frags of newer obj1 obscure all frags
         # of older obj2, so first 28 requests result in a non-durable set.
         # There are only 10 frags for obj2 and one is not durable.
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1',
+                                         timestamp=self._ts_iter.next())
 
         node_frags = [
             [{'obj': obj1, 'frag': 0, 'durable': False}],  # obj2 missing
@@ -3287,8 +3297,8 @@ class TestECObjController(BaseObjectControllerMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         # fragments for different content at the same timestamp then the
         # object controller should handle it gracefully
         ts = self.ts()  # force equal timestamps for two objects
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, test_body='obj1')
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, test_body='obj2')
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, pattern='obj2')
         self.assertNotEqual(obj1['etag'], obj2['etag'])  # sanity
 
         node_frags = [
@@ -3932,18 +3942,6 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
 
     controller_cls = obj.ECObjectController
 
-    def _make_ec_object_stub(self, test_body=None, policy=None,
-                             timestamp=None):
-        policy = policy or self.policy
-        return make_ec_object_stub(test_body, policy, timestamp)
-
-    def _make_ec_archive_bodies(self, test_body, policy=None):
-        policy = policy or self.policy
-        return encode_frag_archive_bodies(policy, test_body)
-
-    def _fake_ec_node_response(self, node_frags):
-        return fake_ec_node_response(node_frags, self.policy)
-
     def _test_GET_with_duplication_factor(self, node_frags, obj):
         # This is basic tests in the healthy backends status
         fake_response = self._fake_ec_node_response(node_frags)
@@ -4035,8 +4033,8 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         self._test_GET_with_duplication_factor(node_frags, obj)
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_and_mixed_frags_will_dig_deep_but_stop(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
 
         # both of obj1 and obj2 has only 9 frags which is not able to decode
         node_frags = [
@@ -4081,7 +4079,8 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         # default node_iter will exhaust to the last of handoffs
         self.assertEqual(len(log), self.replicas() * 2)
         # we have obj1, obj2, and 404 NotFound in collected_responses
-        self.assertEqual(len(collected_responses), 3)
+        self.assertEqual(sorted([obj1['etag'], obj2['etag'], None]),
+                         sorted(collected_responses.keys()))
 
         # ... regardless we should never need to fetch more than ec_ndata
         # frags for any given etag
@@ -4134,8 +4133,8 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         self.assertEqual(len(collected_indexes), self.policy.ec_ndata - 1)
 
     def test_GET_with_many_missed_overwrite_will_need_handoff(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
         # primaries
         node_frags = [
             {'obj': obj2, 'frag': 0},
@@ -4239,8 +4238,10 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         self.assertEqual(len(collected_indexes), self.policy.ec_ndata)
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_and_mixed_frags_will_dig_deep_but_succeed(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self.ts())
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=self.ts())
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1',
+                                         timestamp=self.ts())
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2',
+                                         timestamp=self.ts())
 
         # 28 nodes are here
         node_frags = [
@@ -4312,13 +4313,13 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         # which means there is no backend 404 response, but proxy should still
         # return 404 rather than 503
         stub_objects = [
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj1' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj2' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj3' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj4' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj5' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj6' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
-            self._make_ec_object_stub('obj7' * self.policy.ec_segment_size),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1'),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2'),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj3'),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj4'),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj5'),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj6'),
+            self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj7'),
         ]
         etags = collections.Counter(stub['etag'] for stub in stub_objects)
         self.assertEqual(len(etags), 7, etags)  # sanity
@@ -4395,10 +4396,10 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         self.assertEqual(self.replicas() * 2, len(log))
 
     def test_GET_with_missing_and_mixed_frags_may_503(self):
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj3 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
-        obj4 = self._make_ec_object_stub()
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj2')
+        obj3 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj3')
+        obj4 = self._make_ec_object_stub(pattern='obj4')
         # we get a 503 when all the handoffs return 200
         node_frags = [[]] * self.replicas()  # primaries have no frags
         # plus, 4 different objects and 7 indexes will b 28 node responses
@@ -4454,8 +4455,8 @@ class TestECDuplicationObjController(
         # the difference from parent class is only handoff stub length
 
         ts = self.ts()  # force equal timestamps for two objects
-        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, test_body='obj1')
-        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, test_body='obj2')
+        obj1 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, pattern='obj1')
+        obj2 = self._make_ec_object_stub(timestamp=ts, pattern='obj2')
         self.assertNotEqual(obj1['etag'], obj2['etag'])  # sanity
 
         node_frags = [