diff --git a/engine/resources/file.go b/engine/resources/file.go
index 97782f9e..b80dd7e6 100644
--- a/engine/resources/file.go
+++ b/engine/resources/file.go
@@ -569,6 +569,52 @@ func (obj *FileRes) syncCheckApply(apply bool, src, dst string) (bool, error) {
 	return checkOK, nil
 }
 
+// state performs a CheckApply of the file state to create an empty file.
+func (obj *FileRes) stateCheckApply(apply bool) (bool, error) {
+	if obj.State == "" { // state is not specified
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	_, err := os.Stat(obj.path)
+
+	if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return false, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "could not stat file")
+	}
+
+	if obj.State == "absent" && os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	if obj.State == "exists" && err == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	// state is not okay, no work done, exit, but without error
+	if !apply {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	if obj.State == "absent" {
+		return false, nil // defer the work to contentCheckApply
+	}
+
+	if obj.Content == nil && !obj.isDir {
+		// Create an empty file to ensure one exists. Don't O_TRUNC it,
+		// in case one is magically created right after our exists test.
+		// The chmod used is what is used by the os.Create function.
+		// TODO: is using O_EXCL okay?
+		f, err := os.OpenFile(obj.path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL, 0666)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "problem creating empty file")
+		}
+		if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+			return false, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "problem closing empty file")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil // defer the Content != nil and isDir work to later...
+}
+
 // contentCheckApply performs a CheckApply for the file existence and content.
 func (obj *FileRes) contentCheckApply(apply bool) (checkOK bool, _ error) {
 	obj.init.Logf("contentCheckApply(%t)", apply)
@@ -755,6 +801,12 @@ func (obj *FileRes) CheckApply(apply bool) (checkOK bool, _ error) {
 
 	checkOK = true
 
+	// always run stateCheckApply before contentCheckApply, they go together
+	if c, err := obj.stateCheckApply(apply); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	} else if !c {
+		checkOK = false
+	}
 	if c, err := obj.contentCheckApply(apply); err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	} else if !c {
diff --git a/engine/resources/resources_test.go b/engine/resources/resources_test.go
index c3c8d849..53f8dabf 100644
--- a/engine/resources/resources_test.go
+++ b/engine/resources/resources_test.go
@@ -268,6 +268,54 @@ func TestResources1(t *testing.T) {
 			cleanup: func() error { return os.Remove(f) },
 		})
 	}
+	{
+		r := makeRes("file", "r1")
+		res := r.(*FileRes) // if this panics, the test will panic
+		p := "/tmp/emptyfile"
+		res.Path = p
+		res.State = "exists"
+
+		timeline := []Step{
+			NewStartupStep(1000 * 60),      // startup
+			NewChangedStep(1000*60, false), // did we do something?
+			fileExpect(p, ""),              // check initial state
+			NewClearChangedStep(1000 * 15), // did we do something?
+		}
+
+		testCases = append(testCases, test{
+			name:     "touch file",
+			res:      res,
+			fail:     false,
+			timeline: timeline,
+			expect:   func() error { return nil },
+			startup:  func() error { return nil },
+			cleanup:  func() error { return os.Remove(p) },
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		r := makeRes("file", "r1")
+		res := r.(*FileRes) // if this panics, the test will panic
+		p := "/tmp/existingfile"
+		res.Path = p
+		res.State = "exists"
+		content := "some existing text\n"
+
+		timeline := []Step{
+			NewStartupStep(1000 * 60),     // startup
+			NewChangedStep(1000*60, true), // did we do something?
+			fileExpect(p, content),        // check initial state
+		}
+
+		testCases = append(testCases, test{
+			name:     "existing file",
+			res:      res,
+			fail:     false,
+			timeline: timeline,
+			expect:   func() error { return nil },
+			startup:  func() error { return ioutil.WriteFile(p, []byte(content), 0666) },
+			cleanup:  func() error { return os.Remove(p) },
+		})
+	}
 
 	names := []string{}
 	for index, tc := range testCases { // run all the tests
diff --git a/examples/lang/exec0.mcl b/examples/lang/exec0.mcl
index a184c93a..3c3d0023 100644
--- a/examples/lang/exec0.mcl
+++ b/examples/lang/exec0.mcl
@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@ exec "exec1" {
 	args => ["-c", "print(\"i'm in python!\")",],
 }
 
+file "/tmp/whatever" {
+	state => "exists",
+}
+
 exec "exec2" {
 	cmd => "echo hello world > /tmp/whatever",
 	shell => "/bin/bash",
 	ifcmd => "! diff <(cat /tmp/whatever) <(echo hello world)",
 	ifshell => "/bin/bash",
-	watchcmd => "touch /tmp/whatever && /usr/bin/inotifywait -e modify -m /tmp/whatever",
-	watchshell => "/bin/bash",
+	watchcmd => "/usr/bin/inotifywait -e modify -m /tmp/whatever",
+
+	Depend => File["/tmp/whatever"], # so that inotifywait can startup
 }