diff --git a/dagger/client.go b/dagger/client.go
index 191086bf..3f808bc8 100644
--- a/dagger/client.go
+++ b/dagger/client.go
@@ -162,10 +162,7 @@ func (c *Client) outputfn(ctx context.Context, r io.Reader) (*compiler.Value, er
 	lg := log.Ctx(ctx)
 
 	// FIXME: merge this into env output.
-	out, err := compiler.EmptyStruct()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	out := compiler.EmptyStruct()
 
 	tr := tar.NewReader(r)
 	for {
diff --git a/dagger/compiler/compiler.go b/dagger/compiler/compiler.go
index cfa39434..a3f6194a 100644
--- a/dagger/compiler/compiler.go
+++ b/dagger/compiler/compiler.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ func Compile(name string, src interface{}) (*Value, error) {
 	return DefaultCompiler.Compile(name, src)
 }
 
-func EmptyStruct() (*Value, error) {
+func EmptyStruct() *Value {
 	return DefaultCompiler.EmptyStruct()
 }
 
@@ -63,8 +63,12 @@ func (c *Compiler) Cue() *cue.Runtime {
 }
 
 // Compile an empty struct
-func (c *Compiler) EmptyStruct() (*Value, error) {
-	return c.Compile("", "")
+func (c *Compiler) EmptyStruct() *Value {
+	empty, err := c.Compile("", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return empty
 }
 
 func (c *Compiler) Compile(name string, src interface{}) (*Value, error) {
diff --git a/dagger/compiler/compiler_test.go b/dagger/compiler/compiler_test.go
index b60fcec9..37c298ee 100644
--- a/dagger/compiler/compiler_test.go
+++ b/dagger/compiler/compiler_test.go
@@ -38,14 +38,6 @@ func TestDefNotExist(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestSimple(t *testing.T) {
-	c := &Compiler{}
-	_, err := c.EmptyStruct()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	c := &Compiler{}
 	v, err := c.Compile("", `foo: hello: "world"`)
diff --git a/dagger/compiler/value.go b/dagger/compiler/value.go
index 28984554..f5c8ee85 100644
--- a/dagger/compiler/value.go
+++ b/dagger/compiler/value.go
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ func (v *Value) Len() cue.Value {
 	return v.val.Len()
 }
 
+// Proxy function to the underlying cue.Value
+func (v *Value) Kind() cue.Kind {
+	return v.val.Kind()
+}
+
 // Proxy function to the underlying cue.Value
 func (v *Value) Fields() (*cue.Iterator, error) {
 	return v.val.Fields()
diff --git a/dagger/env.go b/dagger/env.go
index ecb89082..a7a12fab 100644
--- a/dagger/env.go
+++ b/dagger/env.go
@@ -51,15 +51,14 @@ func (env *Env) SetUpdater(v *compiler.Value) error {
 }
 
 func NewEnv() (*Env, error) {
-	empty, err := compiler.EmptyStruct()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	empty := compiler.EmptyStruct()
 	env := &Env{
 		base:   empty,
 		input:  empty,
 		output: empty,
-		state:  empty,
+	}
+	if err := env.mergeState(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	if err := env.SetUpdater(nil); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -77,17 +76,10 @@ func (env *Env) Input() *compiler.Value {
 
 func (env *Env) SetInput(i *compiler.Value) error {
 	if i == nil {
-		var err error
-		i, err = compiler.EmptyStruct()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		i = compiler.EmptyStruct()
 	}
-	return env.set(
-		env.base,
-		i,
-		env.output,
-	)
+	env.input = i
+	return env.mergeState()
 }
 
 // Update the base configuration
@@ -104,12 +96,9 @@ func (env *Env) Update(ctx context.Context, s Solver) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("base config: %w", err)
 	}
+	env.base = base
 	// Commit
-	return env.set(
-		base,
-		env.input,
-		env.output,
-	)
+	return env.mergeState()
 }
 
 func (env *Env) Base() *compiler.Value {
@@ -147,52 +136,48 @@ func (env *Env) LocalDirs() map[string]string {
 		)
 	}
 	// 1. Scan the environment state
-	env.State().Walk(
-		func(v *compiler.Value) bool {
-			compute := v.Get("#dagger.compute")
-			if !compute.Exists() {
-				// No compute script
-				return true
-			}
-			localdirs(compute)
-			return false // no nested executables
-		},
-		nil,
-	)
+	// FIXME: use a common `flow` instance to avoid rescanning the tree.
+	inst := env.state.CueInst()
+	flow := cueflow.New(&cueflow.Config{}, inst, newDummyTaskFunc(inst))
+	for _, t := range flow.Tasks() {
+		v := compiler.Wrap(t.Value(), inst)
+		localdirs(v.Get("#dagger.compute"))
+	}
 	// 2. Scan the environment updater
 	localdirs(env.Updater())
 	return dirs
 }
 
 // FIXME: this is just a 3-way merge. Add var args to compiler.Value.Merge.
-func (env *Env) set(base, input, output *compiler.Value) (err error) {
+func (env *Env) mergeState() error {
 	// FIXME: make this cleaner in *compiler.Value by keeping intermediary instances
 	// FIXME: state.CueInst() must return an instance with the same
 	//  contents as state.v, for the purposes of cueflow.
 	//  That is not currently how *compiler.Value works, so we prepare the cue
 	//  instance manually.
 	//   --> refactor the compiler.Value API to do this for us.
-	stateInst := env.state.CueInst()
+	var (
+		state     = compiler.EmptyStruct()
+		stateInst = state.CueInst()
+		err       error
+	)
 
-	stateInst, err = stateInst.Fill(base.Cue())
+	stateInst, err = stateInst.Fill(env.base.Cue())
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("merge base & input: %w", err)
 	}
-	stateInst, err = stateInst.Fill(input.Cue())
+	stateInst, err = stateInst.Fill(env.input.Cue())
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("merge base & input: %w", err)
 	}
-	stateInst, err = stateInst.Fill(output.Cue())
+	stateInst, err = stateInst.Fill(env.output.Cue())
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("merge output with base & input: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	state := compiler.Wrap(stateInst.Value(), stateInst)
+	state = compiler.Wrap(stateInst.Value(), stateInst)
 
 	// commit
-	env.base = base
-	env.input = input
-	env.output = output
 	env.state = state
 	return nil
 }
@@ -217,15 +202,7 @@ func (env *Env) Export(fs FS) (FS, error) {
 	// 	fs = env.output.SaveJSON(fs, "output.cue")
 	// }
 	// For now, export a single `state.cue` containing the combined output.
-	var err error
-	state := env.state
-	if env.output != nil {
-		state, err = state.Merge(env.output)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fs, err
-		}
-	}
-	fs = fs.WriteValueJSON("state.cue", state)
+	fs = fs.WriteValueJSON("state.cue", env.state)
 	return fs, nil
 }
 
@@ -240,11 +217,8 @@ func (env *Env) Compute(ctx context.Context, s Solver) error {
 		Str("value", compiler.Wrap(flowInst.Value(), flowInst).JSON().String()).
 		Msg("walking")
 
-	// Initialize empty output
-	output, err := compiler.EmptyStruct()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	// Reset the output
+	env.output = compiler.EmptyStruct()
 
 	// Cueflow config
 	flowCfg := &cueflow.Config{
@@ -266,7 +240,7 @@ func (env *Env) Compute(ctx context.Context, s Solver) error {
 			lg.Debug().Msg("cueflow task: filling result")
 			// Merge task value into output
 			var err error
-			output, err = output.MergePath(t.Value(), t.Path())
+			env.output, err = env.output.MergePath(t.Value(), t.Path())
 			if err != nil {
 				lg.
 					Error().
@@ -277,21 +251,38 @@ func (env *Env) Compute(ctx context.Context, s Solver) error {
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
-	// Cueflow match func
-	flowMatchFn := func(flowVal cue.Value) (cueflow.Runner, error) {
-		v := compiler.Wrap(flowVal, flowInst)
-		compute := v.Get("#dagger.compute")
-		if !compute.Exists() {
+	// Orchestrate execution with cueflow
+	flow := cueflow.New(flowCfg, flowInst, newPipelineTaskFunc(ctx, flowInst, s))
+	if err := flow.Run(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return env.mergeState()
+}
+
+func newDummyTaskFunc(inst *cue.Instance) cueflow.TaskFunc {
+	return func(flowVal cue.Value) (cueflow.Runner, error) {
+		v := compiler.Wrap(flowVal, inst)
+		if !isComponent(v) {
 			// No compute script
 			return nil, nil
 		}
-		if _, err := compute.List(); err != nil {
-			// invalid compute script
-			return nil, err
+		return cueflow.RunnerFunc(func(t *cueflow.Task) error {
+			return nil
+		}), nil
+	}
+}
+
+func newPipelineTaskFunc(ctx context.Context, inst *cue.Instance, s Solver) cueflow.TaskFunc {
+	return func(flowVal cue.Value) (cueflow.Runner, error) {
+		v := compiler.Wrap(flowVal, inst)
+		if !isComponent(v) {
+			// No compute script
+			return nil, nil
 		}
 		// Cueflow run func:
 		return cueflow.RunnerFunc(func(t *cueflow.Task) error {
-			lg := lg.
+			lg := log.
+				Ctx(ctx).
 				With().
 				Str("path", t.Path().String()).
 				Logger()
@@ -303,19 +294,9 @@ func (env *Env) Compute(ctx context.Context, s Solver) error {
 					Str("dependency", dep.Path().String()).
 					Msg("dependency detected")
 			}
-			v := compiler.Wrap(t.Value(), flowInst)
+			v := compiler.Wrap(t.Value(), inst)
 			p := NewPipeline(s, NewFillable(t))
 			return p.Do(ctx, v)
 		}), nil
 	}
-	// Orchestrate execution with cueflow
-	flow := cueflow.New(flowCfg, flowInst, flowMatchFn)
-	if err := flow.Run(ctx); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return env.set(
-		env.base,
-		env.input,
-		output,
-	)
 }
diff --git a/dagger/pipeline.go b/dagger/pipeline.go
index 8e5c4e73..a55d614b 100644
--- a/dagger/pipeline.go
+++ b/dagger/pipeline.go
@@ -31,28 +31,32 @@ func (p *Pipeline) FS() FS {
 	return p.fs
 }
 
+func isComponent(v *compiler.Value) bool {
+	return v.Get("#dagger.compute").Exists()
+}
+
 func ops(code ...*compiler.Value) ([]*compiler.Value, error) {
 	ops := []*compiler.Value{}
 	// 1. Decode 'code' into a single flat array of operations.
 	for _, x := range code {
 		// 1. attachment array
-		if xops, err := x.Get("#dagger.compute").List(); err == nil {
+		if isComponent(x) {
+			xops, err := x.Get("#dagger.compute").List()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 			// 'from' has an executable attached
 			ops = append(ops, xops...)
-			continue
-		}
-		// 2. individual op
-		if _, err := x.Get("do").String(); err == nil {
+			// 2. individual op
+		} else if _, err := x.Get("do").String(); err == nil {
 			ops = append(ops, x)
-			continue
-		}
-		// 3. op array
-		if xops, err := x.List(); err == nil {
+			// 3. op array
+		} else if xops, err := x.List(); err == nil {
 			ops = append(ops, xops...)
-			continue
+		} else {
+			// 4. error
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("not executable: %s", x.SourceUnsafe())
 		}
-		// 4. error
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not executable: %s", x.SourceUnsafe())
 	}
 	return ops, nil
 }