diff --git a/gql.go b/gql.go
index 7d00d26..a2ee777 100644
--- a/gql.go
+++ b/gql.go
@@ -33,21 +33,6 @@ import (
 const GQLThreadType = ThreadType("GQL")
 const GQLNodeType = NodeType("GQL")
 
-// Initializes a new GQL node without an ACLPolicyExt(which needs to be added)
-func NewGQLNode(ctx *Context, gql_ext *GQLExt) (*Node, error) {
-  node := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), GQLNodeType)
-  node.Extensions[GroupExtType] = NewGroupExt(nil)
-  var err error
-  node.Extensions[ThreadExtType], err = NewThreadExt(ctx, GQLThreadType, nil, nil, "init", nil)
-  if err != nil {
-    return nil, err
-  }
-  node.Extensions[LockableExtType] = NewLockableExt(nil, nil, nil, nil)
-  node.Extensions[GQLExtType] = gql_ext
-
-  return node, nil
-}
-
 type AuthReqJSON struct {
   Time time.Time `json:"time"`
   Pubkey []byte `json:"pubkey"`
diff --git a/gql_test.go b/gql_test.go
index d9b862b..831c8c6 100644
--- a/gql_test.go
+++ b/gql_test.go
@@ -16,19 +16,12 @@ func TestGQL(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestGQLDB(t * testing.T) {
-  ctx := logTestContext(t, []string{"test", "signal", "policy"})
+  ctx := logTestContext(t, []string{"test", "signal", "policy", "db"})
 
   TestUserNodeType := NodeType("TEST_USER")
-  err := ctx.RegisterNodeType(TestUserNodeType, []ExtType{ACLExtType})
+  err := ctx.RegisterNodeType(TestUserNodeType, []ExtType{})
   fatalErr(t, err)
-
   u1 := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), TestUserNodeType)
-  u1_policy := NewPerNodePolicy(NodeActions{
-    u1.ID: Actions{"users.write", "children.write", "parent.write", "dependencies.write", "requirements.write"},
-  })
-  u1.Extensions[ACLExtType] = NewACLExt(map[PolicyType]Policy{
-    PerNodePolicyType: &u1_policy,
-  })
 
   ctx.Log.Logf("test", "U1_ID: %s", u1.ID)
 
@@ -39,35 +32,38 @@ func TestGQLDB(t * testing.T) {
   err = ctx.RegisterNodeType(TestThreadNodeType, []ExtType{ACLExtType, ThreadExtType, LockableExtType})
   fatalErr(t, err)
 
-  t1 := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), TestThreadNodeType)
   t1_policy_1 := NewParentOfPolicy(Actions{"signal.abort", "state.write"})
   t1_policy_2 := NewPerNodePolicy(NodeActions{
     u1.ID: Actions{"parent.write"},
   })
-  t1.Extensions[ACLExtType] = NewACLExt(map[PolicyType]Policy{
-    ParentOfPolicyType: &t1_policy_1,
-    PerNodePolicyType: &t1_policy_2,
-  })
-  t1.Extensions[ThreadExtType], err = NewThreadExt(ctx, BaseThreadType, nil, nil, "init", nil)
+  t1_thread, err := NewThreadExt(ctx, BaseThreadType, nil,nil, "init", nil)
   fatalErr(t, err)
-  t1.Extensions[LockableExtType] = NewLockableExt(nil, nil, nil, nil)
-
+  t1 := NewNode(ctx,
+                RandID(),
+                TestThreadNodeType,
+                NewACLExt(&t1_policy_1, &t1_policy_2),
+                t1_thread,
+                NewLockableExt(nil, nil, nil, nil))
   ctx.Log.Logf("test", "T1_ID: %s", t1.ID)
 
   key, err := ecdsa.GenerateKey(elliptic.P256(), rand.Reader)
   fatalErr(t, err)
 
-  gql, err := NewGQLNode(ctx, NewGQLExt(":0", ecdh.P256(), key, nil, nil))
-  fatalErr(t, err)
-  gql_policy_1 := NewChildOfPolicy(Actions{"signal.status"})
-  gql_policy_2 := NewPerNodePolicy(NodeActions{
+  gql_p1 := NewChildOfPolicy(Actions{"signal.status"})
+  gql_p2 := NewPerNodePolicy(NodeActions{
     u1.ID: Actions{"parent.write", "children.write", "dependencies.write"},
   })
-  gql.Extensions[ACLExtType] = NewACLExt(map[PolicyType]Policy{
-    ChildOfPolicyType: &gql_policy_1,
-    PerNodePolicyType: &gql_policy_2,
-  })
 
+  gql_thread, err := NewThreadExt(ctx, GQLThreadType, nil, nil, "init", nil)
+  fatalErr(t, err)
+
+  gql_ext := NewGQLExt(":0", ecdh.P256(), key, nil, nil)
+  gql := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), GQLNodeType,
+                 gql_thread,
+                 gql_ext,
+                 NewACLExt(&gql_p1, &gql_p2),
+                 NewGroupExt(nil),
+                 NewLockableExt(nil, nil, nil, nil))
   ctx.Log.Logf("test", "GQL_ID: %s", gql.ID)
 
   info := ParentInfo{true, "start", "restore"}
diff --git a/graph_test.go b/graph_test.go
index fec1f17..c0ce083 100644
--- a/graph_test.go
+++ b/graph_test.go
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ func (t * GraphTester) CheckForNone(listener chan Signal, str string) {
 const SimpleListenerNodeType = NodeType("SIMPLE_LISTENER")
 
 func NewSimpleListener(ctx *Context, buffer int) (*Node, *ListenerExt) {
-  listener := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), SimpleListenerNodeType)
   policy := NewAllNodesPolicy([]string{"signal.status", "requirements.write", "requirements.read", "dependencies.write", "dependencies.read", "owner.read", "owner.write"})
   listener_extension := NewListenerExt(buffer)
-  listener.Extensions[ListenerExtType] = listener_extension
-  listener.Extensions[ACLExtType] = NewACLExt(map[PolicyType]Policy{
-    AllNodesPolicyType: &policy,
-  })
-  listener.Extensions[LockableExtType] = NewLockableExt(nil, nil, nil, nil)
+  listener := NewNode(ctx,
+                      RandID(),
+                      SimpleListenerNodeType,
+                      listener_extension,
+                      NewACLExt(&policy),
+                      NewLockableExt(nil, nil, nil, nil))
 
   return listener, listener_extension
 }
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index b8f9927..97503b8 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -141,19 +141,40 @@ func (node *Node) Serialize() ([]byte, error) {
   return node_db.Serialize(), nil
 }
 
-func NewNode(ctx *Context, id NodeID, node_type NodeType) *Node {
+func NewNode(ctx *Context, id NodeID, node_type NodeType, extensions ...Extension) *Node {
   _, exists := ctx.Nodes[id]
   if exists == true {
     panic("Attempted to create an existing node")
   }
 
+  def, exists := ctx.Types[node_type.Hash()]
+  if exists == false {
+    panic("Node type %s not registered in Context")
+  }
+
+  ext_map := map[ExtType]Extension{}
+  for _, ext := range(extensions) {
+    _, exists := ext_map[ext.Type()]
+    if exists == true {
+      panic("Cannot add the same extension to a node twice")
+    }
+    ext_map[ext.Type()] = ext
+  }
+
+  for _, required_ext := range(def.Extensions) {
+    _, exists := ext_map[required_ext]
+    if exists == false {
+      panic(fmt.Sprintf("%s requires %s", node_type, required_ext))
+    }
+  }
+
   node := &Node{
     ID: id,
     Type: node_type,
-    Extensions: map[ExtType]Extension{},
+    Extensions: ext_map,
   }
-
   ctx.Nodes[id] = node
+
   return node
 }
 
@@ -379,8 +400,12 @@ func LoadNode(ctx * Context, id NodeID) (*Node, error) {
     return nil, fmt.Errorf("Tried to load node %s of type 0x%x, which is not a known node type", id, node_db.Header.TypeHash)
   }
 
-  // Create the blank node with the ID, and add it to the context
-  node = NewNode(ctx, id, node_type.Type)
+  node = &Node{
+    ID: id,
+    Type: node_type.Type,
+    Extensions: map[ExtType]Extension{},
+  }
+  ctx.Nodes[id] = node
 
   found_extensions := []ExtType{}
   // Parse each of the extensions from the db
diff --git a/node_test.go b/node_test.go
index 588e047..6baab96 100644
--- a/node_test.go
+++ b/node_test.go
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ func TestNodeDB(t *testing.T) {
   err := ctx.RegisterNodeType(node_type, []ExtType{GroupExtType})
   fatalErr(t, err)
 
-  node := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), node_type)
-  node.Extensions[GroupExtType] = NewGroupExt(nil)
+  node := NewNode(ctx, RandID(), node_type, NewGroupExt(nil))
 
   context := NewWriteContext(ctx)
   err = UpdateStates(context, node, NewACLInfo(node, []string{"test"}), func(context *StateContext) error {
diff --git a/policy.go b/policy.go
index 6db7de1..2b13c8a 100644
--- a/policy.go
+++ b/policy.go
@@ -311,19 +311,19 @@ func (ext *ACLExt) Process(context *StateContext, node *Node, signal Signal) err
   return nil
 }
 
-func NewACLExt(policies map[PolicyType]Policy) *ACLExt {
-  if policies == nil {
-    policies = map[PolicyType]Policy{}
-  }
-
-  for policy_type, policy := range(policies) {
-    if policy_type != policy.Type() {
-      panic("POLICY_TYPE_MISMATCH")
+func NewACLExt(policies ...Policy) *ACLExt {
+  policy_map := map[PolicyType]Policy{}
+  for _, policy := range(policies) {
+    _, exists := policy_map[policy.Type()]
+    if exists == true {
+      panic("Cannot add same policy type twice")
     }
+
+    policy_map[policy.Type()] = policy
   }
 
   return &ACLExt{
-    Policies: policies,
+    Policies: policy_map,
   }
 }
 
@@ -336,7 +336,8 @@ func LoadACLExt(ctx *Context, data []byte) (Extension, error) {
     return nil, err
   }
 
-  policies := map[PolicyType]Policy{}
+  policies := make([]Policy, len(j.Policies))
+  i := 0
   acl_ctx := ctx.ExtByType(ACLExtType).Data.(*ACLExtContext)
   for name, ser := range(j.Policies) {
     policy_def, exists := acl_ctx.Types[PolicyType(name)]
@@ -348,13 +349,14 @@ func LoadACLExt(ctx *Context, data []byte) (Extension, error) {
       return nil, err
     }
 
-    policies[PolicyType(name)] = policy
+    policies[i] = policy
+    i++
   }
 
-  return NewACLExt(policies), nil
+  return NewACLExt(policies...), nil
 }
 
-const ACLExtType = ExtType("ACL_POLICIES")
+const ACLExtType = ExtType("ACL")
 func (ext *ACLExt) Type() ExtType {
   return ACLExtType
 }