diff --git a/conf/manifest/init b/conf/manifest/init
index be9d10c5..f6d973f8 100755
--- a/conf/manifest/init
+++ b/conf/manifest/init
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@ case "$__target_host" in
       __package_pacman wireshark-cli --state installed
       __package_pacman zsh --state installed
    ;;
+   cdist-gentoo)
+      __package tree --state installed
+   ;;
 
+   # Real machines
    ikq*)
       __package_apt zsh --state installed
    ;;
 
-   icarus)
-      __package tree --ensure installed
-   ;;
 
 esac
diff --git a/conf/type/__package/hints b/conf/type/__package/hints
deleted file mode 100644
index 86282e3b..00000000
--- a/conf/type/__package/hints
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-install/pacman:
-pacman --noconfirm --noprogressbar -S
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ensure: What state the package should be in: present | absent | latest | versionstring (1.0.3)
-name: The package name as used by the packaging system
-
diff --git a/conf/type/__package/manifest b/conf/type/__package/manifest
index 5ac1ae7b..89b3f179 100755
--- a/conf/type/__package/manifest
+++ b/conf/type/__package/manifest
@@ -23,21 +23,28 @@
 # system.
 #
 
-. cdist-config
-
-object_id="$1"; shift
-
-if [ -f type ]; then
-   type="$(cat type)"
+type="$__object/parameter/type"
+if [ -f "$type" ]; then
+   type="$(cat "$type")"
 else
-   # Default to value taken from explorer
-   type="$(cat $__cdist_out_explorers/pkg_system)"
+   # By default determine package manager based on operating system
+   os="$(cat "out/explorer/os")"
+   case "$os" in
+         archlinux) type="pacman" ;;
+         debian|ubuntu) type="apt" ;;
+         gentoo) type="emerge" ;;
+         *)
+            echo "Don't know how to manage packages on: $os" >&2
+            exit 1
+         ;;
+   esac
 fi
 
-set -- "$@" "$object_id"
+set -- "$@" "$__object_id"
+cd "$__object/parameter"
 for property in $(ls .); do
    if [ "$property" != "type" ]; then
-      set -- "$@" "--$property" "$(cat $property)"
+      set -- "$@" "--$property" "$(cat "$property")"
    fi
 done
 
diff --git a/conf/type/__package/parameter/optional b/conf/type/__package/parameter/optional
index d3598a51..712ea892 100644
--- a/conf/type/__package/parameter/optional
+++ b/conf/type/__package/parameter/optional
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 name
+version
 type
diff --git a/conf/type/__package/parameter/required b/conf/type/__package/parameter/required
index 5f0c1c12..ff72b5c7 100644
--- a/conf/type/__package/parameter/required
+++ b/conf/type/__package/parameter/required
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ensure
+state
diff --git a/conf/type/__package_apt/gencode b/conf/type/__package_apt/gencode
index 8523e01e..cfb7a9d6 100755
--- a/conf/type/__package_apt/gencode
+++ b/conf/type/__package_apt/gencode
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #
 
 if [ -f "$__object/parameter/name" ]; then
-   name="$__object/parameter/name"
+   name="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
 else
    name="$__object_id"
 fi
diff --git a/conf/type/__package_emerge/gencode b/conf/type/__package_emerge/gencode
index e4313c5c..ee95b823 100755
--- a/conf/type/__package_emerge/gencode
+++ b/conf/type/__package_emerge/gencode
@@ -21,18 +21,24 @@
 # Manage packages on gentoo.
 #
 
-. cdist-config
-
-object_id="$1"; shift
-
-if [ -f name ]; then
-   name="$(cat name)"
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/name" ]; then
+   name="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
 else
-   name="$object_id"
+   name="$__object_id"
 fi
 
+state="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state")"
 
-# FIXME: super simple proof of concept
-echo "emerge -q \"$name\""
+case "$state" in
+   installed)
+      # FIXME: only install if not already installed
+      echo "emerge -q \"$name\""
+   ;;
+   deinstalled)
+      # FIXME: only uninstall if currently installed
+      # FIXME: rename deinstalled to uninstalled
+      echo "emerge -q -C \"$name\""
+   ;;
+esac
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/conf/type/__package_emerge/hints b/conf/type/__package_emerge/hints
deleted file mode 100644
index 86282e3b..00000000
--- a/conf/type/__package_emerge/hints
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-install/pacman:
-pacman --noconfirm --noprogressbar -S
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ensure: What state the package should be in: present | absent | latest | versionstring (1.0.3)
-name: The package name as used by the packaging system
-
diff --git a/conf/explorer/pkg_system b/conf/type/__package_emerge/manifest
similarity index 60%
rename from conf/explorer/pkg_system
rename to conf/type/__package_emerge/manifest
index fad2a9f0..178fa510 100755
--- a/conf/explorer/pkg_system
+++ b/conf/type/__package_emerge/manifest
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
-# 2010 Nico Schottelius (nico-cdist at schottelius.org)
+# 2011 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
 #
 # This file is part of cdist.
 #
@@ -18,15 +18,19 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 #
+# __package is an abstract type which dispatches to the lower level
+# __package_$name types which do the actual interaction with the packaging 
+# system.
+#
 
-os="$("$__explorer/os")"
+# TODO: depend on package gentoolkit for qpkg
+
+# TODO:
+# if /var/cache/eix is older then /usr/portage/metadata/timestamp
+#   then run /usr/bin/eix-update
+#
+# check if package is installed:
+#
+# get currently installed version:
+#
 
-case "$os" in
-      archlinux) echo pacman ;;
-      debian|ubuntu) echo apt ;;
-      gentoo) echo emerge ;;
-      *)
-         echo "Unknown OS: $os" >&2
-         exit 1
-      ;;
-esac
diff --git a/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/optional b/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/optional
index f121bdbf..a52167d3 100644
--- a/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/optional
+++ b/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/optional
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 name
+version
diff --git a/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/required b/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/required
index 5f0c1c12..ff72b5c7 100644
--- a/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/required
+++ b/conf/type/__package_emerge/parameter/required
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ensure
+state