diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index de0a6f4a..b402c83d 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ func UpdateGraphFromConfig(config *graphConfig, hostname string, g *Graph, etcdO
 	for _, v := range g.GetVertices() {
 		if !HasVertex(v, keep) {
 			// wait for exit before starting new graph!
-			v.Type.SendEvent(eventExit, true)
+			v.Type.SendEvent(eventExit, true, false)
 			g.DeleteVertex(v)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/event.go b/event.go
index 87fb81c6..60d70dcf 100644
--- a/event.go
+++ b/event.go
@@ -25,14 +25,15 @@ const (
 	eventStart
 	eventPause
 	eventPoke
-	eventChanged
+	eventBackPoke
 )
 
 type Event struct {
 	Name eventName
 	Resp chan bool // channel to send an ack response on, nil to skip
 	//Wg   *sync.WaitGroup // receiver barrier to Wait() for everyone else on
-	Msg string // some words for fun
+	Msg      string // some words for fun
+	Activity bool   // did something interesting happen?
 }
 
 // send a single acknowledgement on the channel if one was requested
@@ -47,3 +48,8 @@ func (event *Event) NACK() {
 		event.Resp <- false // send NACK
 	}
 }
+
+// get the activity value
+func (event *Event) GetActivity() bool {
+	return event.Activity
+}
diff --git a/pgraph.go b/pgraph.go
index 228316d3..40c52531 100644
--- a/pgraph.go
+++ b/pgraph.go
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ func (g *Graph) Start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) { // start or continue
 		}
 
 		// ensure state is started before continuing on to next vertex
-		v.Type.SendEvent(eventStart, true)
+		v.Type.SendEvent(eventStart, true, false)
 
 	}
 }
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ func (g *Graph) Start(wg *sync.WaitGroup) { // start or continue
 func (g *Graph) Pause() {
 	t, _ := g.TopologicalSort()
 	for _, v := range t { // squeeze out the events...
-		v.Type.SendEvent(eventPause, true)
+		v.Type.SendEvent(eventPause, true, false)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ func (g *Graph) Exit() {
 		// when we hit the 'default' in the select statement!
 		// XXX: we can do this to quiesce, but it's not necessary now
 
-		v.Type.SendEvent(eventExit, true)
+		v.Type.SendEvent(eventExit, true, false)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/service.go b/service.go
index a45a1d60..0eff14a7 100644
--- a/service.go
+++ b/service.go
@@ -82,9 +82,10 @@ func (obj *ServiceType) Watch() {
 
 	var service = fmt.Sprintf("%v.service", obj.Name) // systemd name
 	var send = false                                  // send event?
-	var invalid = false                               // does the service exist or not?
-	var previous bool                                 // previous invalid value
-	set := conn.NewSubscriptionSet()                  // no error should be returned
+	var dirty = false
+	var invalid = false              // does the service exist or not?
+	var previous bool                // previous invalid value
+	set := conn.NewSubscriptionSet() // no error should be returned
 	subChannel, subErrors := set.Subscribe()
 	var activeSet = false
 
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ func (obj *ServiceType) Watch() {
 
 		if previous != invalid { // if invalid changed, send signal
 			send = true
+			dirty = true
 		}
 
 		if invalid {
@@ -133,6 +135,9 @@ func (obj *ServiceType) Watch() {
 				if ok := obj.ReadEvent(&event); !ok {
 					return // exit
 				}
+				if event.GetActivity() {
+					dirty = true
+				}
 				send = true
 			case _ = <-TimeAfterOrBlock(obj.ctimeout):
 				obj.SetConvergedState(typeConvergedTimeout)
@@ -166,6 +171,7 @@ func (obj *ServiceType) Watch() {
 					log.Printf("Service[%v]->Stopped", service)
 				}
 				send = true
+				dirty = true
 
 			case err := <-subErrors:
 				obj.SetConvergedState(typeConvergedNil) // XXX ?
@@ -178,12 +184,19 @@ func (obj *ServiceType) Watch() {
 				if ok := obj.ReadEvent(&event); !ok {
 					return // exit
 				}
+				if event.GetActivity() {
+					dirty = true
+				}
 				send = true
 			}
 		}
 
 		if send {
 			send = false
+			if dirty {
+				dirty = false
+				obj.isStateOK = false // something made state dirty
+			}
 			Process(obj) // XXX: rename this function
 		}
 
@@ -191,6 +204,9 @@ func (obj *ServiceType) Watch() {
 }
 
 func (obj *ServiceType) StateOK() bool {
+	if obj.isStateOK { // cache the state
+		return true
+	}
 
 	if !util.IsRunningSystemd() {
 		log.Fatal("Systemd is not running.")
diff --git a/types.go b/types.go
index 1e8cb4db..25174f09 100644
--- a/types.go
+++ b/types.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type Type interface {
 	SetVertex(*Vertex)
 	SetConvegedCallback(ctimeout int, converged chan bool)
 	Compare(Type) bool
-	SendEvent(eventName, bool)
+	SendEvent(eventName, bool, bool)
 	IsWatching() bool
 	SetWatching(bool)
 	GetConvergedState() typeConvergedState
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ type Type interface {
 	GetTimestamp() int64
 	UpdateTimestamp() int64
 	OKTimestamp() bool
-	Poke()
+	Poke(bool)
 	BackPoke()
 }
 
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func (obj *BaseType) OKTimestamp() bool {
 
 // notify nodes after me in the dependency graph that they need refreshing...
 // NOTE: this assumes that this can never fail or need to be rescheduled
-func (obj *BaseType) Poke() {
+func (obj *BaseType) Poke(activity bool) {
 	v := obj.GetVertex()
 	g := v.GetGraph()
 	// these are all the vertices pointing AWAY FROM v, eg: v -> ???
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ func (obj *BaseType) Poke() {
 			if DEBUG {
 				log.Printf("%v[%v]: Poke: %v[%v]", v.GetType(), v.GetName(), n.GetType(), n.GetName())
 			}
-			n.SendEvent(eventPoke, false) // XXX: should this be sync or not? XXX: try it as async for now, but switch to sync and see if we deadlock -- maybe it's possible, i don't know for sure yet
+			n.SendEvent(eventPoke, false, activity) // XXX: can this be switched to sync?
 		} else {
 			if DEBUG {
 				log.Printf("%v[%v]: Poke: %v[%v]: Skipped!", v.GetType(), v.GetName(), n.GetType(), n.GetName())
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func (obj *BaseType) BackPoke() {
 			if DEBUG {
 				log.Printf("%v[%v]: BackPoke: %v[%v]", v.GetType(), v.GetName(), n.GetType(), n.GetName())
 			}
-			n.SendEvent(eventPoke, false) // XXX: should this be sync or not? XXX: try it as async for now, but switch to sync and see if we deadlock -- maybe it's possible, i don't know for sure yet
+			n.SendEvent(eventBackPoke, false, false) // XXX: can this be switched to sync?
 		} else {
 			if DEBUG {
 				log.Printf("%v[%v]: BackPoke: %v[%v]: Skipped!", v.GetType(), v.GetName(), n.GetType(), n.GetName())
@@ -234,14 +234,14 @@ func (obj *BaseType) BackPoke() {
 }
 
 // push an event into the message queue for a particular type vertex
-func (obj *BaseType) SendEvent(event eventName, sync bool) {
+func (obj *BaseType) SendEvent(event eventName, sync bool, activity bool) {
 	if !sync {
-		obj.events <- Event{event, nil, ""}
+		obj.events <- Event{event, nil, "", activity}
 		return
 	}
 
 	resp := make(chan bool)
-	obj.events <- Event{event, resp, ""}
+	obj.events <- Event{event, resp, "", activity}
 	for {
 		value := <-resp
 		// wait until true value
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ func (obj *BaseType) ReadEvent(event *Event) bool {
 	case eventPoke:
 		return true
 
+	case eventBackPoke:
+		return true
+
 	case eventExit:
 		return false
 
@@ -299,6 +302,7 @@ func Process(obj Type) {
 	}
 	obj.SetState(typeEvent)
 	var ok bool = true
+	var apply bool = false // did we run an apply?
 	// is it okay to run dependency wise right now?
 	// if not, that's okay because when the dependency runs, it will poke
 	// us back and we will run if needed then!
@@ -315,6 +319,8 @@ func Process(obj Type) {
 			obj.SetState(typeApplying)
 			if !obj.Apply() { // check for error
 				ok = false
+			} else {
+				apply = true
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -323,7 +329,7 @@ func Process(obj Type) {
 			// nodes might fail due to having a too old timestamp!
 			obj.UpdateTimestamp()    // this was touched...
 			obj.SetState(typePoking) // can't cancel parent poke
-			obj.Poke()
+			obj.Poke(apply)
 		}
 		// poke at our pre-req's instead since they need to refresh/run...
 	} else {