diff --git a/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Election.hs b/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Election.hs
--- a/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Election.hs
+++ b/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Election.hs
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
   ( election
   ) where
 
+import           Control.Exception      (catch)
 import           Control.Monad
 import qualified Z.Data.Builder         as B
 import           Z.Data.CBytes          (CBytes)
 import qualified Z.IO.Logger            as Log
 
 import           ZooKeeper
+import           ZooKeeper.Exception    (ZNODEEXISTS)
 import           ZooKeeper.Recipe.Utils (SequenceNumWithGUID (..),
                                          createSeqEphemeralZNode,
                                          mkSequenceNumWithGUID)
@@ -35,10 +37,11 @@
   let electionSeqPath = electionPath <> "/" <> guid <> "_"
 
   -- Check persistent paths
-  electionExists <- zooExists zk electionPath
-  case electionExists of
-    Just _  -> return ()
-    Nothing -> void $ zooCreate zk electionPath Nothing zooOpenAclUnsafe ZooPersistent
+  do electionExists <- zooExists zk electionPath
+     case electionExists of
+       Just _  -> return ()
+       Nothing -> void $ zooCreate zk electionPath Nothing zooOpenAclUnsafe ZooPersistent
+     `catch` (\(_ :: ZNODEEXISTS) -> return ())
 
   -- Create Ephemeral and Sequece znode, and get the seq number i
   (StringCompletion this) <- createSeqEphemeralZNode zk electionPath guid
diff --git a/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Lock.hs b/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Lock.hs
--- a/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Lock.hs
+++ b/src/ZooKeeper/Recipe/Lock.hs
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
   , unlock
   ) where
 
-import           Control.Exception
+import           Control.Exception      (catch, try)
 import           Control.Monad
 import           Z.Data.CBytes          (CBytes)
 
 import           ZooKeeper
-import           ZooKeeper.Exception
+import           ZooKeeper.Exception    (ZNODEEXISTS, ZooException)
 import           ZooKeeper.Recipe.Utils (SequenceNumWithGUID (..),
                                          createSeqEphemeralZNode,
                                          mkSequenceNumWithGUID)
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@
      -- the same lock
 lock zk lockPath guid = do
   -- Check persistent paths
-  electionExists <- zooExists zk lockPath
-  case electionExists of
-    Just _  -> return ()
-    Nothing -> void (try $ zooCreate zk lockPath Nothing zooOpenAclUnsafe ZooPersistent :: IO (Either ZooException StringCompletion))
+  do electionExists <- zooExists zk lockPath
+     case electionExists of
+       Just _  -> return ()
+       Nothing -> void (try $ zooCreate zk lockPath Nothing zooOpenAclUnsafe ZooPersistent :: IO (Either ZooException StringCompletion))
+     `catch` (\(_ :: ZNODEEXISTS) -> return ())
 
   -- Create Ephemeral and Sequece znode, and get the seq number i
   (StringCompletion this) <- createSeqEphemeralZNode zk lockPath guid
diff --git a/zoovisitor.cabal b/zoovisitor.cabal
--- a/zoovisitor.cabal
+++ b/zoovisitor.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:      2.2
 name:               zoovisitor
-version:            0.1.5.0
+version:            0.1.6.0
 synopsis:
   A haskell binding to Apache Zookeeper C library(mt) using Haskell Z project.