diff --git a/src/allmydata/introducer/__init__.py b/src/allmydata/introducer/__init__.py
index 255555ca5..3b12e2275 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/introducer/__init__.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/introducer/__init__.py
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 # This is for compatibilty with old .tac files, which reference
 # allmydata.introducer.IntroducerNode
 
+from allmydata.introducer.server import create_introducer
+# apparently need to support "old .tac files" that may have this name burned in
+# don't use this in new code
 from allmydata.introducer.server import _IntroducerNode as IntroducerNode
 
 # hush pyflakes
-_unused = [IntroducerNode]
+_unused = [create_introducer, IntroducerNode]
 del _unused
diff --git a/src/allmydata/introducer/server.py b/src/allmydata/introducer/server.py
index d019543c6..6b93a1841 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/introducer/server.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/introducer/server.py
@@ -65,17 +65,16 @@ def create_introducer(basedir=u"."):
     control_tub = create_control_tub()
 
 
-    return defer.succeed(
-        _IntroducerNode(
-            config,
-            main_tub,
-            control_tub,
-            i2p_provider,
-            tor_provider,
-            basedir,
-            tub_is_listening=is_listening,
-        )
+    node = _IntroducerNode(
+        config,
+        main_tub,
+        control_tub,
+        i2p_provider,
+        tor_provider,
+        basedir,
+        tub_is_listening=is_listening,
     )
+    return defer.succeed(node)
 
 
 class _IntroducerNode(node.Node):
diff --git a/src/allmydata/test/test_system.py b/src/allmydata/test/test_system.py
index f84d69e0f..f46f9e104 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/test/test_system.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/test/test_system.py
@@ -557,18 +557,14 @@ class SystemTestMixin(pollmixin.PollMixin, testutil.StallMixin):
                 f = open(os.path.join(iv_dir, "private", "node.pem"), "w")
                 f.write(SYSTEM_TEST_CERTS[0])
                 f.close()
-        return create_introducer(basedir=iv_dir)
-# =======
-#         iv = yield create_introducer(basedir=iv_dir)
-#         print("introducer {}".format(iv))
-#         self.introducer = self.add_service(iv)
-#         self._get_introducer_web()
-#         if use_stats_gatherer:
-#             yield self._set_up_stats_gatherer(None)
-#         yield self._set_up_nodes_2(None)
-#         if use_stats_gatherer:
-#             yield self._grab_stats(None)
-# >>>>>>> more working test
+        iv = yield create_introducer(basedir=iv_dir)
+        self.introducer = self.add_service(iv)
+        self._get_introducer_web()
+        if use_stats_gatherer:
+            yield self._set_up_stats_gatherer(None)
+        yield self._set_up_nodes_2(None)
+        if use_stats_gatherer:
+            yield self._grab_stats(None)
 
     def _get_introducer_web(self):
         with open(os.path.join(self.getdir("introducer"), "node.url"), "r") as f:
@@ -749,8 +745,10 @@ class SystemTestMixin(pollmixin.PollMixin, testutil.StallMixin):
         # behavior, see if this is really the problem, see if we can do
         # better than blindly waiting for a second.
         d.addCallback(self.stall, 1.0)
+
+        @defer.inlineCallbacks
         def _stopped(res):
-            new_c = client.create_client(self.getdir("client%d" % num))
+            new_c = yield client.create_client(self.getdir("client%d" % num))
             self.clients[num] = new_c
             new_c.set_default_mutable_keysize(TEST_RSA_KEY_SIZE)
             self.add_service(new_c)
@@ -763,6 +761,7 @@ class SystemTestMixin(pollmixin.PollMixin, testutil.StallMixin):
         d.addCallback(_maybe_get_webport)
         return d
 
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def add_extra_node(self, client_num, helper_furl=None,
                        add_to_sparent=False):
         # usually this node is *not* parented to our self.sparent, so we can
@@ -777,7 +776,7 @@ class SystemTestMixin(pollmixin.PollMixin, testutil.StallMixin):
             config += "helper.furl = %s\n" % helper_furl
         fileutil.write(os.path.join(basedir, 'tahoe.cfg'), config)
 
-        c = client.create_client(basedir)
+        c = yield client.create_client(basedir)
         self.clients.append(c)
         c.set_default_mutable_keysize(TEST_RSA_KEY_SIZE)
         self.numclients += 1
@@ -785,9 +784,8 @@ class SystemTestMixin(pollmixin.PollMixin, testutil.StallMixin):
             c.setServiceParent(self.sparent)
         else:
             c.startService()
-        d = self.wait_for_connections()
-        d.addCallback(lambda res: c)
-        return d
+        res = yield self.wait_for_connections()
+        defer.returnValue(c)
 
     def _check_connections(self):
         for i, c in enumerate(self.clients):
diff --git a/src/allmydata/test/web/test_introducer.py b/src/allmydata/test/web/test_introducer.py
index 2efe17fcd..40823ea76 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/test/web/test_introducer.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/test/web/test_introducer.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+from os.path import join
 from twisted.trial import unittest
 from foolscap.api import fireEventually, flushEventualQueue
 from twisted.internet import defer
-from allmydata.introducer import IntroducerNode
+from allmydata.introducer import create_introducer
+from allmydata.util import fileutil
 from allmydata import node
 from .common import FAVICON_MARKUP
 from ..common_web import do_http
@@ -28,9 +30,7 @@ class IntroducerWeb(unittest.TestCase):
         node.create_node_dir(basedir, "testing")
 
         from allmydata.node import config_from_string
-        self.node = IntroducerNode(
-            config_from_string(config, "introducer.port", basedir),
-        )
+        self.node = yield create_introducer(basedir)
         self.ws = self.node.getServiceNamed("webish")
 
         yield fireEventually(None)