diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/functions.sh b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/functions.sh
index 9f510958..17c64bbc 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/functions.sh
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/functions.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,6 @@
 # -*- mode: sh; indent-tabs-mode: t -*-
 
-append_values() {
-	while read -r _value
-	do
-		set -- "$@" --value "${_value}"
-	done
-	unset _value
-	"$@" </dev/null
-}
+NL=$(printf '\n '); NL=${NL% }
 
 grep_line() {
 	{ shift; printf '%s\n' "$@"; } | grep -qxF "$1"
@@ -37,6 +30,28 @@ print_errors() {
 		}' >&2
 }
 
+quote() {
+	for _arg
+	do
+		shift
+		if test -n "$(printf %s "${_arg}" | tr -d -c '\t\n \042-\047\050-\052\073-\077\133\\`|~' | tr -c '' '.')"
+		then
+			# needs quoting
+			set -- "$@" "$(printf "'%s'" "$(printf %s "${_arg}" | sed -e "s/'/'\\\\''/g")")"
+		else
+			set -- "$@" "${_arg}"
+		fi
+	done
+	unset _arg
+	printf '%s' "$*"
+}
+
+uci_cmd() {
+	# Usage: uci_cmd [UCI ARGUMENTS]...
+	mkdir -p "${__object:?}/files"
+	printf '%s\n' "$(quote "$@")" >>"${__object:?}/files/uci_batch.txt"
+}
+
 uci_validate_name() {
 	# like util.c uci_validate_name()
 	test -n "$*" && test -z "$(printf %s "$*" | tr -d '[:alnum:]_' | tr -c '' .)"
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/uci_apply.sh b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/uci_apply.sh
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..4209151f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/files/uci_apply.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../__uci/files/uci_apply.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/gencode-remote
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..05bca0a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/gencode-remote
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+#
+# 2020 Dennis Camera (dennis.camera@ssrq-sds-fds.ch)
+#
+# This file is part of cdist.
+#
+# cdist is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# cdist is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+
+# shellcheck source=files/functions.sh
+. "${__type:?}/files/functions.sh"
+
+
+section=$(cat "${__object:?}/explorer/match")
+
+state_is=$(test -s "${__object:?}/explorer/type" && echo present || echo absent)
+state_should=$(cat "${__object:?}/parameter/state")
+
+case $state_should
+in
+	(present)
+		test -f "${__object:?}/parameter/type" || {
+			echo 'Parameter --type is required.' >&2
+			exit 1
+		}
+
+		type_is=$(cat "${__object:?}/explorer/type")
+		type_should=$(cat "${__object:?}/parameter/type")
+
+		if test -n "${type_is}"
+		then
+			sect_type=${type_is}
+		else
+			sect_type=${type_should##*.}
+		fi
+
+		if test -z "${section}"
+		then
+			# No section exists and --match was used.
+			# So we generate a new section identifier from $__object_id.
+			case ${__object_id:?}
+			in
+				(*.*) section=${__object_id:?} ;;
+				(*) section="${type_should%%.*}.${__object_id:?}" ;;
+			esac
+		fi
+
+		# Collect option names
+		if test -f "${__object:?}/parameter/list"
+		then
+			listnames_should=$(
+				sed -e 's/=.*$//' "${__object:?}/parameter/list" | sort -u)
+		fi
+
+		if test -f "${__object:?}/parameter/option"
+		then
+			optnames_should=$(
+				sed -e 's/=.*$//' "${__object:?}/parameter/option" | sort -u)
+		fi
+
+		# Make sure the section itself is present
+		if test "${state_is}" = absent
+		then
+			printf 'set %s\n' "${section}" >>"${__messages_out:?}"
+			# shellcheck disable=SC2140
+			uci_cmd set "${section}"="${sect_type}"
+		fi
+
+		# Delete options/lists not in "should"
+		sed -e 's/=.*$//;s/^.*\.//' "${__object:?}/explorer/options" \
+		| while read -r _optname
+		  do
+			  grep_line "${_optname}" "${listnames_should}" "${optnames_should}" || {
+				  printf 'delete %s\n' "${section}.${_optname}" >>"${__messages_out:?}"
+				  uci_cmd delete "${section}.${_optname}"
+			  } </dev/null
+		  done
+
+		# Set "should" options
+		prefix_lines option "${optnames_should}" list "${listnames_should}" \
+		| while read -r _type _optname
+		  do
+			  test -n "${_type}${_optname}" || continue  # ignore empty lines
+
+			  case $_type
+			  in
+				  (list)
+					  printf 'set_list %s\n' "${section}.${_optname}" >>"${__messages_out:?}"
+
+					  if grep -q -e "^${_optname}=" "${__object:?}/explorer/options"
+					  then
+						  uci_cmd delete "${section}.${_optname}"
+					  fi
+
+					  grep "^${_optname}=" "${__object:?}/parameter/list" \
+					  | sed -e 's/^.*=//' \
+					  | unquote_lines \
+					  | while read -r _value
+					    do
+						    # shellcheck disable=SC2140
+						    uci_cmd add_list "${section}.${_optname}"="${_value}"
+					    done
+					  ;;
+				  (option)
+					  printf 'set %s\n' "${section}.${_optname}" >>"${__messages_out:?}"
+
+					  # shellcheck disable=SC2140
+					  uci_cmd set "${section}.${_optname}"="$(
+						  grep "^${_optname}=" "${__object:?}/parameter/option" \
+						  | sed -e 's/^.*=//' \
+						  | unquote_lines \
+						  | head -n 1)"
+					  ;;
+			  esac
+		  done
+		;;
+	(absent)
+		if test "${state_is}" = absent
+		then
+			# if explorer found no section there is nothing to delete
+			exit 0
+		fi
+
+		printf 'delete %s\n' "${section}" >>"${__messages_out:?}"
+		uci_cmd delete "${section}"
+		;;
+esac
+
+if test -s "${__object:?}/files/uci_batch.txt"
+then
+	cat "${__type:?}/files/uci_apply.sh"
+	printf "uci_apply <<'EOF'\n"
+	cat "${__object:?}/files/uci_batch.txt"
+	printf '\nEOF\n'
+fi
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/manifest b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/manifest
index 41e30a07..7e23e443 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/manifest
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/manifest
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@ in
 		;;
 esac
 
-section=$(cat "${__object:?}/explorer/match")
-
 state_should=$(cat "${__object:?}/parameter/state")
 
 case $state_should
@@ -57,85 +55,31 @@ in
 		type_is=$(cat "${__object:?}/explorer/type")
 		type_should=$(cat "${__object:?}/parameter/type")
 
-		if test -n "${type_is}"
+		if test -n "${type_is}" && test "${type_is}" != "${type_should##*.}"
 		then
-			if test "${type_is}" != "${type_should##*.}"
-			then
-				# Check if section type matches (section exists and --type provided)
-				printf 'Section type "%s" does not match --type "%s".\n' \
-					"${type_is}" "${type_should}" >&2
-				exit 1
-			fi
-			sect_type=${type_is}
-		else
-			sect_type=${type_should##*.}
-		fi
-
-		if test -z "${section}"
-		then
-			# No section exists and --match was used.
-			# So we generate a new section identifier from $__object_id.
-			case ${__object_id:?}
-			in
-				(*.*) section=${__object_id:?} ;;
-				(*) section="${type_should%%.*}.${__object_id:?}" ;;
-			esac
+			# Check if section type matches (section exists and --type provided)
+			printf 'Section type "%s" does not match --type "%s".\n' \
+				"${type_is}" "${type_should}" >&2
+			exit 1
 		fi
 
 		# Check options for syntax errors
 		validate_options "${__object:?}/parameter/list" "${__object:?}/parameter/object" \
 		| print_errors 'Found erroneous options in arguments:'
 
-		# Collect option names
-		if test -f "${__object:?}/parameter/list"
+		# Check for duplicate option names
+		if test -s "${__object:?}/parameter/option"
 		then
-			listnames_should=$(
-				sed -e 's/=.*$//' "${__object:?}/parameter/list" | sort -u)
-		fi
-
-		if test -f "${__object:?}/parameter/option"
-		then
-			optnames_should=$(sed -e 's/=.*$//' "${__object:?}/parameter/option" | sort)
-
-			echo "${optnames_should}" \
+			sed -e 's/=.*$//' "${__object:?}/parameter/option" \
+			| sort \
 			| uniq -d \
 			| print_errors \
 				  'Found duplicate --options:' \
 				  "$(printf '\nUse --list for lists, instead.')"
 		fi
-
-		# Make sure the section itself is present
-		__uci "${section}" --state present --value "${sect_type}"
-		export require=__uci/"${section}"
-
-		# Delete options/lists not in "should"
-		sed -e 's/=.*$//;s/^.*\.//' "${__object:?}/explorer/options" \
-		| while read -r optname
-		  do
-			  grep_line "${optname}" "${listnames_should}" "${optnames_should}" || {
-				  __uci "${section}.${optname}" --state absent
-			  } </dev/null
-		  done
-
-		# Set "should" options
-		prefix_lines option "${optnames_should}" list "${listnames_should}" \
-		| while read -r _type _optname
-		  do
-			  test -n "${_type}${_optname}" || continue  # ignore empty lines
-
-			  grep "^${_optname}=" <"${__object:?}/parameter/${_type}" \
-			  | sed -e 's/^.*=//' \
-			  | unquote_lines \
-			  | append_values \
-				    __uci "${section}.${_optname}" --state present \
-					    --type "${_type}"
-		  done
 		;;
 	(absent)
-		# if explorer found no section there is nothing to delete
-		test -n "${section}" || exit 0
-
-		__uci "${section}" --state absent
+		:
 		;;
 	(*)
 		printf 'Invalid --state: %s\n' "${state_should}" >&2
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/nonparallel b/cdist/conf/type/__uci_section/nonparallel
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b