diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 4ae2a9b6..086b133f 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ type edgeConfig struct {
 type GraphConfig struct {
 	Graph     string `yaml:"graph"`
 	Resources struct {
-		Noop []NoopRes `yaml:"noop"`
-		Pkg  []PkgRes  `yaml:"pkg"`
-		File []FileRes `yaml:"file"`
-		Svc  []SvcRes  `yaml:"svc"`
-		Exec []ExecRes `yaml:"exec"`
+		Noop []*NoopRes `yaml:"noop"`
+		Pkg  []*PkgRes  `yaml:"pkg"`
+		File []*FileRes `yaml:"file"`
+		Svc  []*SvcRes  `yaml:"svc"`
+		Exec []*ExecRes `yaml:"exec"`
 	} `yaml:"resources"`
 	Collector []collectorResConfig `yaml:"collect"`
 	Edges     []edgeConfig         `yaml:"edges"`
@@ -114,11 +114,10 @@ func UpdateGraphFromConfig(config *GraphConfig, hostname string, g *Graph, etcdO
 
 	var keep []*Vertex // list of vertex which are the same in new graph
 
-	for _, t := range config.Resources.Noop {
-		obj := NewNoopRes(t.Name)
-		obj.Meta = t.Meta
+	for _, obj := range config.Resources.Noop {
 		v := g.GetVertexMatch(obj)
 		if v == nil { // no match found
+			obj.Init()
 			v = NewVertex(obj)
 			g.AddVertex(v) // call standalone in case not part of an edge
 		}
@@ -126,11 +125,10 @@ func UpdateGraphFromConfig(config *GraphConfig, hostname string, g *Graph, etcdO
 		keep = append(keep, v) // append
 	}
 
-	for _, t := range config.Resources.Pkg {
-		obj := NewPkgRes(t.Name, t.State, false, false, false)
-		obj.Meta = t.Meta
+	for _, obj := range config.Resources.Pkg {
 		v := g.GetVertexMatch(obj)
 		if v == nil { // no match found
+			obj.Init()
 			v = NewVertex(obj)
 			g.AddVertex(v) // call standalone in case not part of an edge
 		}
@@ -138,24 +136,23 @@ func UpdateGraphFromConfig(config *GraphConfig, hostname string, g *Graph, etcdO
 		keep = append(keep, v) // append
 	}
 
-	for _, t := range config.Resources.File {
+	for _, obj := range config.Resources.File {
 		// XXX: should we export based on a @@ prefix, or a metaparam
 		// like exported => true || exported => (host pattern)||(other pattern?)
-		if strings.HasPrefix(t.Name, "@@") { // exported resource
+		if strings.HasPrefix(obj.Name, "@@") { // exported resource
 			// add to etcd storage...
-			t.Name = t.Name[2:] //slice off @@
-			if !etcdO.EtcdPut(hostname, t.Name, "file", t) {
-				log.Printf("Problem exporting file resource %v.", t.Name)
+			obj.Name = obj.Name[2:] //slice off @@
+			if !etcdO.EtcdPut(hostname, obj.Name, "file", obj) {
+				log.Printf("Problem exporting file resource %v.", obj.Name)
 				continue
 			}
 		} else {
-			obj := NewFileRes(t.Name, t.Path, t.Dirname, t.Basename, t.Content, t.State)
 			// XXX: we don't have a way of knowing if any of the
 			// metaparams are undefined, and as a result to set the
 			// defaults that we want! I hate the go yaml parser!!!
-			obj.Meta = t.Meta
 			v := g.GetVertexMatch(obj)
 			if v == nil { // no match found
+				obj.Init()
 				v = NewVertex(obj)
 				g.AddVertex(v) // call standalone in case not part of an edge
 			}
@@ -164,11 +161,10 @@ func UpdateGraphFromConfig(config *GraphConfig, hostname string, g *Graph, etcdO
 		}
 	}
 
-	for _, t := range config.Resources.Svc {
-		obj := NewSvcRes(t.Name, t.State, t.Startup)
-		obj.Meta = t.Meta
+	for _, obj := range config.Resources.Svc {
 		v := g.GetVertexMatch(obj)
 		if v == nil { // no match found
+			obj.Init()
 			v = NewVertex(obj)
 			g.AddVertex(v) // call standalone in case not part of an edge
 		}
@@ -176,11 +172,10 @@ func UpdateGraphFromConfig(config *GraphConfig, hostname string, g *Graph, etcdO
 		keep = append(keep, v) // append
 	}
 
-	for _, t := range config.Resources.Exec {
-		obj := NewExecRes(t.Name, t.Cmd, t.Shell, t.Timeout, t.WatchCmd, t.WatchShell, t.IfCmd, t.IfShell, t.PollInt, t.State)
-		obj.Meta = t.Meta
+	for _, obj := range config.Resources.Exec {
 		v := g.GetVertexMatch(obj)
 		if v == nil { // no match found
+			obj.Init()
 			v = NewVertex(obj)
 			g.AddVertex(v) // call standalone in case not part of an edge
 		}
diff --git a/exec.go b/exec.go
index 9a355410..494590a0 100644
--- a/exec.go
+++ b/exec.go
@@ -40,12 +40,9 @@ type ExecRes struct {
 }
 
 func NewExecRes(name, cmd, shell string, timeout int, watchcmd, watchshell, ifcmd, ifshell string, pollint int, state string) *ExecRes {
-	// FIXME if path = nil, path = name ...
-	return &ExecRes{
+	obj := &ExecRes{
 		BaseRes: BaseRes{
-			Name:   name,
-			events: make(chan Event),
-			vertex: nil,
+			Name: name,
 		},
 		Cmd:        cmd,
 		Shell:      shell,
@@ -57,10 +54,13 @@ func NewExecRes(name, cmd, shell string, timeout int, watchcmd, watchshell, ifcm
 		PollInt:    pollint,
 		State:      state,
 	}
+	obj.Init()
+	return obj
 }
 
-func (obj *ExecRes) Kind() string {
-	return "Exec"
+func (obj *ExecRes) Init() {
+	obj.BaseRes.kind = "Exec"
+	obj.BaseRes.Init() // call base init, b/c we're overriding
 }
 
 // validate if the params passed in are valid data
diff --git a/file.go b/file.go
index d111e99f..c8c6148a 100644
--- a/file.go
+++ b/file.go
@@ -43,11 +43,9 @@ type FileRes struct {
 
 func NewFileRes(name, path, dirname, basename, content, state string) *FileRes {
 	// FIXME if path = nil, path = name ...
-	return &FileRes{
+	obj := &FileRes{
 		BaseRes: BaseRes{
-			Name:   name,
-			events: make(chan Event),
-			vertex: nil,
+			Name: name,
 		},
 		Path:      path,
 		Dirname:   dirname,
@@ -56,10 +54,13 @@ func NewFileRes(name, path, dirname, basename, content, state string) *FileRes {
 		State:     state,
 		sha256sum: "",
 	}
+	obj.Init()
+	return obj
 }
 
-func (obj *FileRes) Kind() string {
-	return "File"
+func (obj *FileRes) Init() {
+	obj.BaseRes.kind = "File"
+	obj.BaseRes.Init() // call base init, b/c we're overriding
 }
 
 func (obj *FileRes) GetPath() string {
diff --git a/pkg.go b/pkg.go
index a1706fa4..06641b78 100644
--- a/pkg.go
+++ b/pkg.go
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ type PkgRes struct {
 	AllowUnsupported bool   `yaml:"allowunsupported"` // allow unsupported packages to be found?
 }
 
+// helper function for creating new pkg resources that calls Init()
 func NewPkgRes(name, state string, allowuntrusted, allownonfree, allowunsupported bool) *PkgRes {
-	return &PkgRes{
+	obj := &PkgRes{
 		BaseRes: BaseRes{
 			Name:   name,
 			events: make(chan Event),
@@ -45,6 +46,13 @@ func NewPkgRes(name, state string, allowuntrusted, allownonfree, allowunsupporte
 		AllowNonFree:     allownonfree,
 		AllowUnsupported: allowunsupported,
 	}
+	obj.Init()
+	return obj
+}
+
+func (obj *PkgRes) Init() {
+	obj.BaseRes.kind = "Pkg"
+	obj.BaseRes.Init() // call base init, b/c we're overriding
 }
 
 func (obj *PkgRes) Kind() string {
diff --git a/resources.go b/resources.go
index 77384246..8a265474 100644
--- a/resources.go
+++ b/resources.go
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ type Res interface {
 type BaseRes struct {
 	Name           string     `yaml:"name"`
 	Meta           MetaParams `yaml:"meta"` // struct of all the metaparams
-	timestamp      int64      // last updated timestamp ?
+	kind           string
+	timestamp      int64 // last updated timestamp ?
 	events         chan Event
 	vertex         *Vertex
 	state          resState
@@ -114,14 +115,14 @@ type NoopRes struct {
 
 func NewNoopRes(name string) *NoopRes {
 	// FIXME: we could get rid of this New constructor and use raw object creation with a required Init()
-	return &NoopRes{
+	obj := &NoopRes{
 		BaseRes: BaseRes{
-			Name:   name,
-			events: make(chan Event), // unbuffered chan size to avoid stale events
-			vertex: nil,
+			Name: name,
 		},
 		Comment: "",
 	}
+	obj.Init()
+	return obj
 }
 
 // wraps the IFF method when used with a list of UUID's
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ func (obj *BaseUUID) Reversed() bool {
 
 // initialize structures like channels if created without New constructor
 func (obj *BaseRes) Init() {
-	obj.events = make(chan Event)
+	obj.events = make(chan Event) // unbuffered chan size to avoid stale events
 }
 
 // this method gets used by all the resources, if we have one of (obj NoopRes) it would get overridden in that case!
@@ -171,8 +172,9 @@ func (obj *BaseRes) GetName() string {
 	return obj.Name
 }
 
+// return the kind of resource this is
 func (obj *BaseRes) Kind() string {
-	return "Base"
+	return obj.kind
 }
 
 func (obj *BaseRes) GetMeta() MetaParams {
@@ -410,8 +412,9 @@ func Process(obj Res) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (obj *NoopRes) Kind() string {
-	return "Noop"
+func (obj *NoopRes) Init() {
+	obj.BaseRes.kind = "Noop"
+	obj.BaseRes.Init() // call base init, b/c we're overriding
 }
 
 // validate if the params passed in are valid data
diff --git a/svc.go b/svc.go
index adb3ea7b..19bd2965 100644
--- a/svc.go
+++ b/svc.go
@@ -35,19 +35,20 @@ type SvcRes struct {
 }
 
 func NewSvcRes(name, state, startup string) *SvcRes {
-	return &SvcRes{
+	obj := &SvcRes{
 		BaseRes: BaseRes{
-			Name:   name,
-			events: make(chan Event),
-			vertex: nil,
+			Name: name,
 		},
 		State:   state,
 		Startup: startup,
 	}
+	obj.Init()
+	return obj
 }
 
-func (obj *SvcRes) Kind() string {
-	return "Svc"
+func (obj *SvcRes) Init() {
+	obj.BaseRes.kind = "Svc"
+	obj.BaseRes.Init() // call base init, b/c we're overriding
 }
 
 func (obj *SvcRes) Validate() bool {