diff --git a/node-daemon/pvcd/zkhandler.py b/node-daemon/pvcd/zkhandler.py
index bed2b1ef..e58fc45d 100644
--- a/node-daemon/pvcd/zkhandler.py
+++ b/node-daemon/pvcd/zkhandler.py
@@ -83,15 +83,16 @@ def writedata(zk_conn, kv):
 
 # Key rename function
 def renamekey(zk_conn, kv):
-    # Start up a transaction
-    zk_transaction = zk_conn.transaction()
+    # This one is not transactional because, inexplicably, transactions don't
+    # support either the recursive delete or recursive create operations that
+    # we need. Why? No explanation in the docs that I can find.
 
     # Proceed one KV pair at a time
     for key in sorted(kv):
         old_name = key
         new_name = kv[key]
 
-        old_data = zk_conn.get(old_name)
+        old_data = zk_conn.get(old_name)[0]
 
         # Find the children of old_name recursively
         child_keys = list()
@@ -99,34 +100,26 @@ def renamekey(zk_conn, kv):
             children = zk_conn.get_children(key)
             if not children:
                 child_keys.append(key)
-                return
             else:
                 for ckey in children:
-                    get_children(key)
+                    get_children('{}/{}'.format(key, ckey))
         get_children(old_name)
 
         # Get the data out of each of the child keys
         child_data = dict()
         for ckey in child_keys:
-            child_data[ckey] = zk_conn.get(ckey)
+            child_data[ckey] = zk_conn.get(ckey)[0]
 
         # Create the new parent key
-        zk_transaction.create(new_name, old_data)
+        zk_conn.create(new_name, old_data, makepath=True)
 
         # For each child key, create the key and add the data
         for ckey in child_keys:
             new_ckey_name = ckey.replace(old_name, new_name)
-            zk_transaction.create(new_ckey_name, child_data[ckey])
+            zk_conn.create(new_ckey_name, child_data[ckey], makepath=True)
 
         # Remove recursively the old key
-        zk_transaction.delete(old_name, recursive=True)
-
-    # Commit the transaction
-    try:
-        zk_transaction.commit()
-        return True
-    except Exception:
-        return False
+        zk_conn.delete(old_name, recursive=True)
 
 # Write lock function
 def writelock(zk_conn, key):