diff --git a/engine/cmp.go b/engine/cmp.go
index 31e2b6a6..72724634 100644
--- a/engine/cmp.go
+++ b/engine/cmp.go
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 // ResCmp compares two resources by checking multiple aspects. This is the main
-// entry point for running all the compare steps on two resource.
+// entry point for running all the compare steps on two resources. This code is
+// very similar to AdaptCmp.
 func ResCmp(r1, r2 Res) error {
 	if r1.Kind() != r2.Kind() {
 		return fmt.Errorf("kind differs")
@@ -37,6 +38,30 @@ func ResCmp(r1, r2 Res) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// TODO: do we need to compare other traits/metaparams?
+
+	m1 := r1.MetaParams()
+	m2 := r2.MetaParams()
+	if (m1 == nil) != (m2 == nil) { // xor
+		return fmt.Errorf("meta params differ")
+	}
+	if m1 != nil && m2 != nil {
+		if err := m1.Cmp(m2); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	r1x, ok1 := r1.(RefreshableRes)
+	r2x, ok2 := r2.(RefreshableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("refreshable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		if r1x.Refresh() != r2x.Refresh() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("refresh differs")
+		}
+	}
+
 	// compare meta params for resources with auto edges
 	r1e, ok1 := r1.(EdgeableRes)
 	r2e, ok2 := r2.(EdgeableRes)
@@ -87,6 +112,174 @@ func ResCmp(r1, r2 Res) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	r1r, ok1 := r1.(RecvableRes)
+	r2r, ok2 := r2.(RecvableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("recvable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		v1 := r1r.Recv()
+		v2 := r2r.Recv()
+
+		if (v1 == nil) != (v2 == nil) { // xor
+			return fmt.Errorf("recv params differ")
+		}
+		if v1 != nil && v2 != nil {
+			// TODO: until we hit this code path, don't allow
+			// comparing anything that has this set to non-zero
+			if len(v1) != 0 || len(v2) != 0 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("recv params exist")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	r1s, ok1 := r1.(SendableRes)
+	r2s, ok2 := r2.(SendableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sendable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		s1 := r1s.Sent()
+		s2 := r2s.Sent()
+
+		if (s1 == nil) != (s2 == nil) { // xor
+			return fmt.Errorf("send params differ")
+		}
+		if s1 != nil && s2 != nil {
+			// TODO: until we hit this code path, don't allow
+			// adapting anything that has this set to non-nil
+			return fmt.Errorf("send params exist")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// AdaptCmp compares two resources by checking multiple aspects. This is the
+// main entry point for running all the compatible compare steps on two
+// resources. This code is very similar to ResCmp.
+func AdaptCmp(r1, r2 CompatibleRes) error {
+	if r1.Kind() != r2.Kind() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("kind differs")
+	}
+	if r1.Name() != r2.Name() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("name differs")
+	}
+
+	// run `Adapts` instead of `Cmp`
+	if err := r1.Adapts(r2); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// TODO: do we need to compare other traits/metaparams?
+
+	m1 := r1.MetaParams()
+	m2 := r2.MetaParams()
+	if (m1 == nil) != (m2 == nil) { // xor
+		return fmt.Errorf("meta params differ")
+	}
+	if m1 != nil && m2 != nil {
+		if err := m1.Cmp(m2); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// we don't need to compare refresh, since those can always be merged...
+
+	// compare meta params for resources with auto edges
+	r1e, ok1 := r1.(EdgeableRes)
+	r2e, ok2 := r2.(EdgeableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("edgeable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		if r1e.AutoEdgeMeta().Cmp(r2e.AutoEdgeMeta()) != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("autoedge differs")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// compare meta params for resources with auto grouping
+	r1g, ok1 := r1.(GroupableRes)
+	r2g, ok2 := r2.(GroupableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("groupable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		if r1g.AutoGroupMeta().Cmp(r2g.AutoGroupMeta()) != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("autogroup differs")
+		}
+
+		// if resources are grouped, are the groups the same?
+		if i, j := r1g.GetGroup(), r2g.GetGroup(); len(i) != len(j) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("autogroup groups differ")
+		} else if len(i) > 0 { // trick the golinter
+
+			// Sort works with Res, so convert the lists to that
+			iRes := []Res{}
+			for _, r := range i {
+				res := r.(Res)
+				iRes = append(iRes, res)
+			}
+			jRes := []Res{}
+			for _, r := range j {
+				res := r.(Res)
+				jRes = append(jRes, res)
+			}
+
+			ix, jx := Sort(iRes), Sort(jRes) // now sort :)
+			for k := range ix {
+				// compare sub resources
+				// TODO: should we use AdaptCmp here?
+				// TODO: how would they run `Merge` ? (we don't)
+				// this code path will probably not run, because
+				// it is called in the lang before autogrouping!
+				if err := ResCmp(ix[k], jx[k]); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	r1r, ok1 := r1.(RecvableRes)
+	r2r, ok2 := r2.(RecvableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("recvable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		v1 := r1r.Recv()
+		v2 := r2r.Recv()
+
+		if (v1 == nil) != (v2 == nil) { // xor
+			return fmt.Errorf("recv params differ")
+		}
+		if v1 != nil && v2 != nil {
+			// TODO: until we hit this code path, don't allow
+			// adapting anything that has this set to non-zero
+			if len(v1) != 0 || len(v2) != 0 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("recv params exist")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	r1s, ok1 := r1.(SendableRes)
+	r2s, ok2 := r2.(SendableRes)
+	if ok1 != ok2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sendable differs") // they must be different (optional)
+	}
+	if ok1 && ok2 {
+		s1 := r1s.Sent()
+		s2 := r2s.Sent()
+
+		if (s1 == nil) != (s2 == nil) { // xor
+			return fmt.Errorf("send params differ")
+		}
+		if s1 != nil && s2 != nil {
+			// TODO: until we hit this code path, don't allow
+			// adapting anything that has this set to non-nil
+			return fmt.Errorf("send params exist")
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/engine/copy.go b/engine/copy.go
index 330707a6..2eea98f5 100644
--- a/engine/copy.go
+++ b/engine/copy.go
@@ -108,3 +108,53 @@ func ResCopy(r CopyableRes) (CopyableRes, error) {
 
 	return res, nil
 }
+
+// ResMerge merges a set of resources that are compatible with each other. This
+// is the main entry point for the merging. They must each successfully be able
+// to run AdaptCmp without error.
+func ResMerge(r ...CompatibleRes) (CompatibleRes, error) {
+	if len(r) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("zero resources given")
+	}
+	if len(r) == 1 {
+		return r[0], nil
+	}
+	if len(r) > 2 {
+		r0 := r[0]
+		r1, err := ResMerge(r[1:]...)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return ResMerge(r0, r1)
+	}
+	// now we have r[0] and r[1] to merge here...
+	r0 := r[0]
+	r1 := r[1]
+	if err := AdaptCmp(r0, r1); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	res, err := r0.Merge(r1) // resource method of this interface
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// meta should have come over in the copy
+
+	if x, ok := res.(RefreshableRes); ok {
+		x0, ok0 := r0.(RefreshableRes)
+		x1, ok1 := r1.(RefreshableRes)
+		if !ok0 || !ok1 {
+			// programming error
+			panic("refresh interfaces are illogical")
+		}
+
+		x.SetRefresh(x0.Refresh() || x1.Refresh()) // true if either is!
+	}
+
+	// the other traits and metaparams can't be merged easily... so we don't
+	// merge them, and if they were present and differed, and weren't copied
+	// in the ResCopy method, then we should have errored above in AdaptCmp!
+
+	return res, nil
+}
diff --git a/engine/resources.go b/engine/resources.go
index 8e0966c1..c66fb262 100644
--- a/engine/resources.go
+++ b/engine/resources.go
@@ -197,7 +197,9 @@ type Res interface {
 	CheckApply(apply bool) (checkOK bool, err error)
 
 	// Cmp compares itself to another resource and returns an error if they
-	// are not equivalent.
+	// are not equivalent. This is more strict than the Equiv method of the
+	// CompatibleRes interface which allows for equivalent differences if
+	// the have a compatible result in CheckApply.
 	Cmp(Res) error
 }
 
@@ -266,6 +268,30 @@ type CopyableRes interface {
 	Copy() CopyableRes
 }
 
+// CompatibleRes is an interface that a resource can implement to express if a
+// similar variant of itself is functionally equivalent. For example, two `pkg`
+// resources that install `cowsay` could be equivalent if one requests a state
+// of `installed` and the other requests `newest`, since they'll finish with a
+// compatible result. This doesn't need to be behind a metaparam flag or trait,
+// because it is never beneficial to turn it off, unless there is a bug to fix.
+type CompatibleRes interface {
+	//Res // causes "duplicate method" error
+	CopyableRes // we'll need to use the Copy method in the Merge function!
+
+	// Adapts compares itself to another resource and returns an error if
+	// they are not compatibly equivalent. This is less strict than the
+	// default `Cmp` method which should be used for most cases. Don't call
+	// this directly, use engine.AdaptCmp instead.
+	Adapts(CompatibleRes) error
+
+	// Merge returns the combined resource to use when two are equivalent.
+	// This might get called multiple times for N different resources that
+	// need to get merged, and so it should produce a consistent result no
+	// matter which order it is called in. Don't call this directly, use
+	// engine.ResMerge instead.
+	Merge(CompatibleRes) (CompatibleRes, error)
+}
+
 // CollectableRes is an interface for resources that support collection. It is
 // currently temporary until a proper API for all resources is invented.
 type CollectableRes interface {