diff --git a/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/KModuleServiceImpl.java b/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/KModuleServiceImpl.java
index 8f49af12d2..cb10e0fc11 100644
--- a/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/KModuleServiceImpl.java
+++ b/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/KModuleServiceImpl.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import org.uberfire.java.nio.base.options.CommentedOption;
 import org.uberfire.backend.server.util.Paths;
 import org.uberfire.backend.vfs.Path;
+import org.uberfire.java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException;
 import org.uberfire.rpc.SessionInfo;
 import org.uberfire.security.Identity;
 
@@ -74,7 +75,10 @@ public Path setUpKModuleStructure( final Path projectRoot ) {
             ioService.createDirectory( nioRoot.resolve( "src/test/resources" ) );
 
             final org.uberfire.java.nio.file.Path pathToKModuleXML = nioRoot.resolve( "src/main/resources/META-INF/kmodule.xml" );
-            ioService.createFile( pathToKModuleXML );
+            if ( ioService.exists( pathToKModuleXML ) ) {
+                throw new FileAlreadyExistsException( pathToKModuleXML.toString() );
+            }
+
             ioService.write( pathToKModuleXML,
                              moduleContentHandler.toString( new KModuleModel() ) );
 
diff --git a/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/POMServiceImpl.java b/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/POMServiceImpl.java
index 6815eb0063..f8dbb8ef16 100644
--- a/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/POMServiceImpl.java
+++ b/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/POMServiceImpl.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import org.uberfire.java.nio.base.options.CommentedOption;
 import org.uberfire.backend.server.util.Paths;
 import org.uberfire.backend.vfs.Path;
+import org.uberfire.java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException;
 import org.uberfire.rpc.SessionInfo;
 import org.uberfire.security.Identity;
 
@@ -68,7 +69,9 @@ public Path create( final Path projectRoot,
             final org.uberfire.java.nio.file.Path nioRoot = Paths.convert( projectRoot );
             pathToPOMXML = nioRoot.resolve( "pom.xml" );
 
-            ioService.createFile( pathToPOMXML );
+            if ( ioService.exists( pathToPOMXML ) ) {
+                throw new FileAlreadyExistsException( pathToPOMXML.toString() );
+            }
             ioService.write( pathToPOMXML,
                     pomContentHandler.toString( pomModel ) );
 
diff --git a/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/ProjectServiceImpl.java b/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/ProjectServiceImpl.java
index b39a9d8b3a..bf1948bcb5 100644
--- a/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/ProjectServiceImpl.java
+++ b/guvnor-project/guvnor-project-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/project/backend/server/ProjectServiceImpl.java
@@ -575,6 +575,8 @@ public Project newProject( final Repository repository,
             final Path fsRoot = repository.getRoot();
             final Path projectRootPath = Paths.convert( Paths.convert( fsRoot ).resolve( projectName ) );
 
+            ioService.startBatch( makeCommentedOption( "New project [" + projectName + "]" ) );
+
             //Set-up project structure and KModule.xml
             kModuleService.setUpKModuleStructure( projectRootPath );
 
@@ -585,7 +587,10 @@ public Project newProject( final Repository repository,
 
             //Create Project configuration
             final Path projectConfigPath = Paths.convert( Paths.convert( projectRootPath ).resolve( PROJECT_IMPORTS_PATH ) );
-            ioService.createFile( Paths.convert( projectConfigPath ) );
+
+            if ( ioService.exists( Paths.convert( projectConfigPath ) ) ) {
+                throw new FileAlreadyExistsException( projectConfigPath.toString() );
+            }
             ioService.write( Paths.convert( projectConfigPath ),
                              projectConfigurationContentHandler.toString( createProjectImports() ) );
 
@@ -606,6 +611,8 @@ public Project newProject( final Repository repository,
             final Package defaultWorkspacePackage = doNewPackage( defaultPackage,
                                                                   defaultWorkspacePath );
 
+            ioService.endBatch();
+
             //Raise an event for the new project's default workspace
             newPackageEvent.fire( new NewPackageEvent( defaultWorkspacePackage ) );
 
diff --git a/guvnor-services/guvnor-services-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/backend/metadata/MetadataServiceImpl.java b/guvnor-services/guvnor-services-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/backend/metadata/MetadataServiceImpl.java
index c0c76c6cb9..c863bd005d 100644
--- a/guvnor-services/guvnor-services-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/backend/metadata/MetadataServiceImpl.java
+++ b/guvnor-services/guvnor-services-backend/src/main/java/org/guvnor/common/services/backend/metadata/MetadataServiceImpl.java
@@ -363,8 +363,8 @@ public Map<String, Object> setUpAttributes( final Path path,
             if ( metadata != null ) {
                 attributes = configAttrs( attributes, metadata );
             }
-            return attributes;
 
+            return BasicFileAttributesUtil.cleanup( attributes );
         } catch ( Exception e ) {
             throw ExceptionUtilities.handleException( e );
         }