diff --git a/engine/resources/cron.go b/engine/resources/cron.go
index f1b37746..f38ecd2b 100644
--- a/engine/resources/cron.go
+++ b/engine/resources/cron.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ type CronRes struct {
 	traits.Base
 	traits.Edgeable
 	traits.Recvable
+	traits.Refreshable // needed because we embed a svc res
 
 	init *engine.Init
 
diff --git a/engine/resources/nspawn.go b/engine/resources/nspawn.go
index 3171c9f6..cbd473ad 100644
--- a/engine/resources/nspawn.go
+++ b/engine/resources/nspawn.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ func init() {
 type NspawnRes struct {
 	traits.Base // add the base methods without re-implementation
 	//traits.Groupable // TODO: this would be quite useful for this resource
+	traits.Refreshable // needed because we embed a svc res
 
 	init *engine.Init
 
diff --git a/engine/resources/svc.go b/engine/resources/svc.go
index 5c0d888b..8719eb73 100644
--- a/engine/resources/svc.go
+++ b/engine/resources/svc.go
@@ -280,7 +280,17 @@ func (obj *SvcRes) CheckApply(apply bool) (checkOK bool, err error) {
 
 	var running = (activestate.Value == dbus.MakeVariant("active"))
 	var stateOK = ((obj.State == "") || (obj.State == "running" && running) || (obj.State == "stopped" && !running))
-	var startupOK = true             // XXX: DETECT AND SET
+	var startupOK = true // XXX: DETECT AND SET
+
+	// NOTE: if this svc resource is embedded as a composite resource inside
+	// of another resource using a technique such as `makeComposite()`, then
+	// the Init of the embedded resource is traditionally passed through and
+	// identical to the parent's Init. As a result, the data matches what is
+	// expected from the parent. (So this luckily turns out to be actually a
+	// thing that does help, although it is important to add the Refreshable
+	// trait to the parent resource, or we'll panic when we call this line.)
+	// It might not be recommended to use the Watch method without a thought
+	// to what actually happens when we would run Send(), and other methods.
 	var refresh = obj.init.Refresh() // do we have a pending reload to apply?
 
 	if stateOK && startupOK && !refresh {