diff --git a/lib/error/requestValidator.js b/lib/error/validateRequest.js
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/error/requestValidator.js
rename to lib/error/validateRequest.js
diff --git a/lib/featureApi.js b/lib/featureApi.js
index 69bd86e70a..fe9bd715b8 100644
--- a/lib/featureApi.js
+++ b/lib/featureApi.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var featureDb           = require('./featureDb');
 var NameExistsError     = require('./error/NameExistsError');
 var NotFoundError       = require('./error/NotFoundError');
 var ValidationError     = require('./error/ValidationError');
-var requestValidator    = require('./error/requestValidator');
+var validateRequest    = require('./error/validateRequest');
 
 module.exports = function (app) {
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ module.exports = function (app) {
         req.checkBody('name', 'Name is required').notEmpty();
         req.checkBody('name', 'Name must match format ^[a-zA-Z\\.\\-]+$').matches(/^[a-zA-Z\\.\\-]+$/i);
 
-        requestValidator(req)
+        validateRequest(req)
             .then(validateUniqueName)
             .then(function() {
                 return eventStore.create({
diff --git a/lib/strategyApi.js b/lib/strategyApi.js
index facc307ebf..6a1e469d5e 100644
--- a/lib/strategyApi.js
+++ b/lib/strategyApi.js
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
-var eventStore = require('./eventStore');
-var eventType = require('./eventType');
-var strategyDb = require('./strategyDb');
+var Promise             = require("bluebird");
+var eventStore          = require('./eventStore');
+var eventType           = require('./eventType');
+var strategyDb          = require('./strategyDb');
+var logger              = require('./logger');
+var NameExistsError     = require('./error/NameExistsError');
+var ValidationError     = require('./error/ValidationError');
+var validateRequest    = require('./error/validateRequest');
 
 module.exports = function (app) {
 
@@ -32,34 +37,42 @@ module.exports = function (app) {
         req.checkBody('name', 'Name is required').notEmpty();
         req.checkBody('name', 'Name must match format ^[a-zA-Z\\.\\-]+$').matches(/^[a-zA-Z\\.\\-]+$/i);
 
-        var errors = req.validationErrors();
-
-        if (errors) {
-            res.status(400).json(errors);
-            return;
-        }
-
         var newStrategy = req.body;
 
-        var handleStrategyExists = function() {
-            var errors = [{msg: "A strategy named " + newStrategy.name + " already exists."}];
-            res.status(403).json(errors);
-        };
-
-        var handleCreateStrategy = function() {
-            eventStore.create({
-                type: eventType.strategyCreated,
-                createdBy: req.connection.remoteAddress,
-                data: newStrategy
+        validateRequest(req)
+            .then(validateStrategyName)
+            .then(function() {
+                return eventStore.create({
+                    type: eventType.strategyCreated,
+                    createdBy: req.connection.remoteAddress,
+                    data: newStrategy
+                });
             })
-                .then(function ()  { res.status(201).end(); })
-                .catch(function () { res.status(500).end(); });
-        };
-
-        strategyDb.getStrategy(newStrategy.name)
-            .then(handleStrategyExists)
-            .catch(handleCreateStrategy);
+            .then(function () {
+                res.status(201).end();
+            })
+            .catch(NameExistsError, function() {
+                res.status(403).json([{msg: "A strategy named '" + req.body.name + "' already exists."}]).end();
+            })
+            .catch(ValidationError, function() {
+                res.status(400).json(req.validationErrors());
+            })
+            .catch(function(err) {
+                logger.error("Could not create strategy", err);
+                res.status(500).end();
+            });
     });
 
+    function validateStrategyName(req) {
+        return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
+            strategyDb.getStrategy(req.body.name)
+                .then(function() {
+                    reject(new NameExistsError("Feature name already exist"));
+                }, function() {
+                    resolve(req);
+                });
+        });
+    }
+
 };