diff --git a/moto/s3/exceptions.py b/moto/s3/exceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba7b09429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/moto/s3/exceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+class BucketAlreadyExists(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/moto/s3/models.py b/moto/s3/models.py
index e59558864..e6f6af9d9 100644
--- a/moto/s3/models.py
+++ b/moto/s3/models.py
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ import hashlib
 
 from moto.core import BaseBackend
 from moto.core.utils import iso_8601_datetime, rfc_1123_datetime
+from .exceptions import BucketAlreadyExists
 from .utils import clean_key_name
 
-UPLOAD_ID_BYTES=43
-UPLOAD_PART_MIN_SIZE=5242880
+UPLOAD_ID_BYTES = 43
+UPLOAD_PART_MIN_SIZE = 5242880
 
 
 class FakeKey(object):
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@ class S3Backend(BaseBackend):
         self.buckets = {}
 
     def create_bucket(self, bucket_name):
+        if bucket_name in self.buckets:
+            raise BucketAlreadyExists()
         new_bucket = FakeBucket(name=bucket_name)
         self.buckets[bucket_name] = new_bucket
         return new_bucket
diff --git a/moto/s3/responses.py b/moto/s3/responses.py
index 83b53cb99..127d61faa 100644
--- a/moto/s3/responses.py
+++ b/moto/s3/responses.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import re
 
 from jinja2 import Template
 
+from .exceptions import BucketAlreadyExists
 from .models import s3_backend
 from .utils import bucket_name_from_url
 
@@ -66,7 +67,10 @@ class ResponseObject(object):
             else:
                 return 404, headers, ""
         elif method == 'PUT':
-            new_bucket = self.backend.create_bucket(bucket_name)
+            try:
+                new_bucket = self.backend.create_bucket(bucket_name)
+            except BucketAlreadyExists:
+                return 409, headers, ""
             template = Template(S3_BUCKET_CREATE_RESPONSE)
             return template.render(bucket=new_bucket)
         elif method == 'DELETE':
@@ -148,7 +152,7 @@ class ResponseObject(object):
                     upload_id=upload_id,
                     count=len(parts),
                     parts=parts
-                    )
+                )
             key = self.backend.get_key(bucket_name, key_name)
             if key:
                 headers.update(key.metadata)
diff --git a/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py b/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
index 3d9e3f1fb..66866335a 100644
--- a/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
+++ b/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import urllib2
 from io import BytesIO
 
 import boto
-from boto.exception import S3ResponseError
+from boto.exception import S3CreateError, S3ResponseError
 from boto.s3.key import Key
 from freezegun import freeze_time
 import requests
@@ -171,6 +171,14 @@ def test_bucket_with_dash():
     conn.get_bucket.when.called_with('mybucket-test').should.throw(S3ResponseError)
 
 
+@mock_s3
+def test_create_existing_bucket():
+    "Trying to create a bucket that already exists should raise an Error"
+    conn = boto.connect_s3('the_key', 'the_secret')
+    conn.create_bucket("foobar")
+    conn.create_bucket.when.called_with('foobar').should.throw(S3CreateError)
+
+
 @mock_s3
 def test_bucket_deletion():
     conn = boto.connect_s3('the_key', 'the_secret')
diff --git a/tests/test_s3/test_server.py b/tests/test_s3/test_server.py
index ee1429819..18e123940 100644
--- a/tests/test_s3/test_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_s3/test_server.py
@@ -20,20 +20,20 @@ def test_s3_server_bucket_create():
     backend = server.create_backend_app("s3")
     test_client = backend.test_client()
 
-    res = test_client.put('/', 'http://foobar.localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.put('/', 'http://foobaz.localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
 
     res = test_client.get('/')
-    res.data.should.contain('<Name>foobar</Name>')
+    res.data.should.contain('<Name>foobaz</Name>')
 
-    res = test_client.get('/', 'http://foobar.localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.get('/', 'http://foobaz.localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
     res.data.should.contain("ListBucketResult")
 
-    res = test_client.put('/bar', 'http://foobar.localhost:5000/', data='test value')
+    res = test_client.put('/bar', 'http://foobaz.localhost:5000/', data='test value')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
 
-    res = test_client.get('/bar', 'http://foobar.localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.get('/bar', 'http://foobaz.localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
     res.data.should.equal("test value")
 
@@ -42,14 +42,14 @@ def test_s3_server_post_to_bucket():
     backend = server.create_backend_app("s3")
     test_client = backend.test_client()
 
-    res = test_client.put('/', 'http://foobar.localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.put('/', 'http://tester.localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
 
-    test_client.post('/', "https://foobar.localhost:5000/", data={
+    test_client.post('/', "https://tester.localhost:5000/", data={
         'key': 'the-key',
         'file': 'nothing'
     })
 
-    res = test_client.get('/the-key', 'http://foobar.localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.get('/the-key', 'http://tester.localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
     res.data.should.equal("nothing")
diff --git a/tests/test_s3bucket_path/test_bucket_path_server.py b/tests/test_s3bucket_path/test_bucket_path_server.py
index b8eea77e1..aa2369491 100644
--- a/tests/test_s3bucket_path/test_bucket_path_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_s3bucket_path/test_bucket_path_server.py
@@ -42,14 +42,14 @@ def test_s3_server_post_to_bucket():
     backend = server.create_backend_app("s3bucket_path")
     test_client = backend.test_client()
 
-    res = test_client.put('/foobar', 'http://localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.put('/foobar2', 'http://localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
 
-    test_client.post('/foobar', "https://localhost:5000/", data={
+    test_client.post('/foobar2', "https://localhost:5000/", data={
         'key': 'the-key',
         'file': 'nothing'
     })
 
-    res = test_client.get('/foobar/the-key', 'http://localhost:5000/')
+    res = test_client.get('/foobar2/the-key', 'http://localhost:5000/')
     res.status_code.should.equal(200)
     res.data.should.equal("nothing")