diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/deploy/abspath_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/deploy/abspath_func.go
index 56ad2fed..490961c4 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/deploy/abspath_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/deploy/abspath_func.go
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ type AbsPathFunc struct {
 	data *interfaces.FuncData
 	last types.Value // last value received to use for diff
 
-	path   string // the active path
-	result string // last calculated output
+	path   string  // the active path
+	result *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -130,10 +130,10 @@ func (obj *AbsPathFunc) Stream() error {
 			}
 			result += obj.path
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (obj *AbsPathFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfile_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfile_func.go
index 870538d3..70dca5e8 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfile_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfile_func.go
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ type ReadFileFunc struct {
 	data *interfaces.FuncData
 	last types.Value // last value received to use for diff
 
-	filename string // the active filename
-	result   string // last calculated output
+	filename string  // the active filename
+	result   *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ func (obj *ReadFileFunc) Stream() error {
 
 			result := string(content) // convert to string
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func (obj *ReadFileFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfileabs_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfileabs_func.go
index cd6aa658..2ac736c3 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfileabs_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/deploy/readfileabs_func.go
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ type ReadFileAbsFunc struct {
 	data *interfaces.FuncData
 	last types.Value // last value received to use for diff
 
-	filename string // the active filename
-	result   string // last calculated output
+	filename string  // the active filename
+	result   *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ func (obj *ReadFileAbsFunc) Stream() error {
 
 			result := string(content) // convert to string
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func (obj *ReadFileAbsFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/example/vumeter_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/example/vumeter_func.go
index 91ebd224..d103c553 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/example/vumeter_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/example/vumeter_func.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type VUMeterFunc struct {
 	multiplier int64
 	peak       float64
 
-	result string // last calculated output
+	result *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ func (obj *VUMeterFunc) Stream() error {
 				return errwrap.Wrapf(err, "could not generate visual")
 			}
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func (obj *VUMeterFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/fmt/printf_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/fmt/printf_func.go
index fa95777c..97bc09b8 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/fmt/printf_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/fmt/printf_func.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ type PrintfFunc struct {
 	init *interfaces.Init
 	last types.Value // last value received to use for diff
 
-	result string // last calculated output
+	result *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -224,10 +224,10 @@ func (obj *PrintfFunc) Stream() error {
 				return err // no errwrap needed b/c helper func
 			}
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func (obj *PrintfFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go
index 7ab57761..e08048de 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type ReadFileFunc struct {
 	events     chan error // internal events
 	wg         *sync.WaitGroup
 
-	result string // last calculated output
+	result *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ func (obj *ReadFileFunc) Stream() error {
 			}
 			result := string(content) // convert to string
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ func (obj *ReadFileFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/sys/cpucount_fact.go b/lang/funcs/core/sys/cpucount_fact.go
index eb05f837..ee4943f2 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/sys/cpucount_fact.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/sys/cpucount_fact.go
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ func (obj CPUCountFact) Stream() error {
 	closeChan := make(chan struct{})     // channel to unblock selects in goroutine
 	defer close(closeChan)
 
+	var once bool // did we send at least once?
+
 	// wait for kernel to poke us about new device changes on the system
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
@@ -121,6 +123,8 @@ func (obj CPUCountFact) Stream() error {
 			if err != nil {
 				obj.init.Logf("Could not get initial CPU count. Setting to zero.")
 			}
+			// TODO: would we rather error instead of sending zero?
+
 		case event, ok := <-eventChan:
 			if !ok {
 				continue
@@ -142,7 +146,7 @@ func (obj CPUCountFact) Stream() error {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		if newCount == cpuCount {
+		if once && newCount == cpuCount {
 			continue
 		}
 		cpuCount = newCount
@@ -151,6 +155,7 @@ func (obj CPUCountFact) Stream() error {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.IntValue{
 			V: cpuCount,
 		}:
+			once = true
 			// send
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go
index 8b0905d7..465ac4ad 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type TemplateFunc struct {
 	init *interfaces.Init
 	last types.Value // last value received to use for diff
 
-	result string // last calculated output
+	result *string // last calculated output
 
 	closeChan chan struct{}
 }
@@ -353,10 +353,10 @@ func (obj *TemplateFunc) Stream() error {
 				return err // no errwrap needed b/c helper func
 			}
 
-			if obj.result == result {
+			if obj.result != nil && *obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
-			obj.result = result // store new result
+			obj.result = &result // store new result
 
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ func (obj *TemplateFunc) Stream() error {
 
 		select {
 		case obj.init.Output <- &types.StrValue{
-			V: obj.result,
+			V: *obj.result,
 		}:
 		case <-obj.closeChan:
 			return nil
diff --git a/lang/funcs/simple/simple.go b/lang/funcs/simple/simple.go
index b61c2b7c..7d3e23cb 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/simple/simple.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/simple/simple.go
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ func (obj *WrappedFunc) Stream() error {
 				return errwrap.Wrapf(err, "simple function errored")
 			}
 
+			// TODO: do we want obj.result to be a pointer instead?
 			if obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}
diff --git a/lang/funcs/simplepoly/simplepoly.go b/lang/funcs/simplepoly/simplepoly.go
index 53f3fe93..017166b4 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/simplepoly/simplepoly.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/simplepoly/simplepoly.go
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ func (obj *WrappedFunc) Stream() error {
 				obj.init.Logf("Function returned with: %+v", values)
 			}
 
+			// TODO: do we want obj.result to be a pointer instead?
 			if obj.result == result {
 				continue // result didn't change
 			}