diff --git a/conf/type/__process/explorer/runs b/conf/type/__process/explorer/runs
index 2bfa8f84..3ac9ce2f 100755
--- a/conf/type/__process/explorer/runs
+++ b/conf/type/__process/explorer/runs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 if [ -f "$__object/parameter/name" ]; then
    name="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
 else
-   name="/$__object_id"
+   name="$__object_id"
 fi
 
-pgrep -x -f "$name" || true
+pgrep -x "$name" || true
diff --git a/lib/cdist/config_install.py b/lib/cdist/config_install.py
index 055a3b89..2d2ab949 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/config_install.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/config_install.py
@@ -121,10 +121,10 @@ class ConfigInstall(object):
             required_object = cdist_object.object_from_name(requirement)
 
             # The user may have created dependencies without satisfying them
-            if not required_object.exists():
-                raise cdist.Error(cdist_object.name + " requires non-existing " + requirement.name)
-            else
-                self.log.debug("Required object %s exists", requirement.name)
+            if not required_object.exists:
+                raise cdist.Error(cdist_object.name + " requires non-existing " + required_object.name)
+            else:
+                self.log.debug("Required object %s exists", required_object.name)
 
             self.object_run(required_object)
 
diff --git a/lib/cdist/core/__init__.py b/lib/cdist/core/__init__.py
index ac5bbf2f..c61c659b 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/core/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/core/__init__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from cdist.core.type import Type
 from cdist.core.type import NoSuchTypeError
 from cdist.core.object import Object
 from cdist.core.object import IllegalObjectIdError
+from cdist.core.object import OBJECT_MARKER
 from cdist.core.explorer import Explorer
 from cdist.core.manifest import Manifest
 from cdist.core.code import Code
diff --git a/lib/cdist/core/object.py b/lib/cdist/core/object.py
index db818f11..9abb11eb 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/core/object.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/core/object.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from cdist.util import fsproperty
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-DOT_CDIST = '.cdist'
+OBJECT_MARKER = '.cdist'
 
 
 class IllegalObjectIdError(cdist.Error):
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class Object(object):
     def list_object_names(cls, object_base_path):
         """Return a list of object names"""
         for path, dirs, files in os.walk(object_base_path):
-            if DOT_CDIST in dirs:
+            if OBJECT_MARKER in dirs:
                 yield os.path.relpath(path, object_base_path)
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -100,13 +100,13 @@ class Object(object):
         if object_id:
             if object_id.startswith('/'):
                 raise IllegalObjectIdError(object_id, 'object_id may not start with /')
-            if '.cdist' in object_id:
-                raise IllegalObjectIdError(object_id, 'object_id may not contain \'.cdist\'')
+            if OBJECT_MARKER in object_id.split(os.sep):
+                raise IllegalObjectIdError(object_id, 'object_id may not contain \'%s\'' % OBJECT_MARKER)
         self.type = cdist_type # instance of Type
         self.base_path = base_path
         self.object_id = object_id
         self.name = self.join_name(self.type.name, self.object_id)
-        self.path = os.path.join(self.type.path, self.object_id, DOT_CDIST)
+        self.path = os.path.join(self.type.path, self.object_id, OBJECT_MARKER)
         self.absolute_path = os.path.join(self.base_path, self.path)
         self.code_local_path = os.path.join(self.path, "code-local")
         self.code_remote_path = os.path.join(self.path, "code-remote")
diff --git a/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py b/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py
index 6681c916..f199ffb5 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py
@@ -58,12 +58,18 @@ class ObjectIdTestCase(test.CdistTestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(core.IllegalObjectIdError):
             core.Object(cdist_type, object_base_path, illegal_object_id)
 
-    def test_object_id_contains_dotcdist(self):
+    def test_object_id_contains_object_marker(self):
         cdist_type = core.Type(type_base_path, '__third')
-        illegal_object_id = 'object_id/may/not/contain/.cdist/anywhere'
+        illegal_object_id = 'object_id/may/not/contain/%s/anywhere' % core.OBJECT_MARKER
         with self.assertRaises(core.IllegalObjectIdError):
             core.Object(cdist_type, object_base_path, illegal_object_id)
 
+    def test_object_id_contains_object_marker_string(self):
+        cdist_type = core.Type(type_base_path, '__third')
+        illegal_object_id = 'object_id/may/contain_%s_in_filename' % core.OBJECT_MARKER
+        core.Object(cdist_type, object_base_path, illegal_object_id)
+        # if we get here, the test passed
+
 
 class ObjectTestCase(test.CdistTestCase):