Injecting client data through your own server

[Arrakis Tor]

I was reading some of the archive on routing through your own machine
and I was interested to implement it. Encrypting the data before it
leaves your own machine sounds advantageous. However I am encountering
a problem. When i config my entrynode to by my own server, i see
errors in the log of "add_nickname_list_to_smartlist(): Nichname list
includes 'arrakis' which is known but down." So it appears that Tor
refuses to let me use my own server. When I set it for strict policy
the error logs go crazy and tor pukes.

Is the way I am doing it working, and only occaisonally reporting an error? 

Is there a better solution to be able to make it strict?