diff --git a/drawing/compile.lua b/drawing/compile.lua
index b2e09c8..5585299 100644
--- a/drawing/compile.lua
+++ b/drawing/compile.lua
@@ -11,17 +11,20 @@ local reduce_modules_y = function(common, modlist, init_x, width, acc, new)
    if type(new) == "number" then
       acc.next_y = acc.next_y + new
    else
-      -- gross...
       local m = modlist[new](common, width, geom.make_point(init_x, acc.next_y))
-      local secs = {}
-      for i = 1, #m do
-         secs[i] = m[i]
-      end
-      local r = common.compile_module(m.header, m.point, m.width, m.top, table.unpack(secs))
-      if m.update_wrapper ~= nil then
-         r = pure.map_at("update", m.update_wrapper, r)
-      end
-      table.insert(acc.fgroups, {update = r.update, static = r.static, dynamic = r.dynamic})
+      local r = common.compile_module(
+         m.header,
+         m.point,
+         m.width,
+         m.top,
+         table.unpack(pure.table_array(m))
+      )
+      local update = pure.maybe(
+         r.update,
+         function(f) return function() f() r.update() end end,
+         m.set_state
+      )
+      table.insert(acc.fgroups, {update = update, static = r.static, dynamic = r.dynamic})
       acc.next_x = math.max(acc.next_x, r.next_x)
       acc.next_y = r.next_y
    end
diff --git a/drawing/filesystem.lua b/drawing/filesystem.lua
index e97bad2..4cb173a 100644
--- a/drawing/filesystem.lua
+++ b/drawing/filesystem.lua
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ return function(config, main_state, common, width, point)
       header = 'FILE SYSTEMS',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = nil,
+      set_state = nil,
       top = {{mk_smart, config.show_smart, SEPARATOR_SPACING}},
       common.mk_section(SEPARATOR_SPACING, {mk_bars, true, 0})
    }
diff --git a/drawing/graphics.lua b/drawing/graphics.lua
index ddb423a..6a7cf9f 100644
--- a/drawing/graphics.lua
+++ b/drawing/graphics.lua
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ return function(update_freq, config, common, width, point)
       header = 'NVIDIA GRAPHICS',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = function(f) return function(_) update_state() f() end end,
+      set_state = update_state,
       top = {{mk_status, true, SEPARATOR_SPACING}},
       common.mk_section(
          SEPARATOR_SPACING,
diff --git a/drawing/memory.lua b/drawing/memory.lua
index 8099814..a751467 100644
--- a/drawing/memory.lua
+++ b/drawing/memory.lua
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ return function(update_freq, config, common, width, point)
       header = 'MEMORY',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = function(f) return function(_) read_state() f() end end,
+      set_state = read_state,
       top = {
          {mk_stats, config.show_stats, PLOT_SECTION_BREAK},
          {mk_plot, config.show_plot, TABLE_SECTION_BREAK},
diff --git a/drawing/network.lua b/drawing/network.lua
index 3712ccf..91cd687 100644
--- a/drawing/network.lua
+++ b/drawing/network.lua
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ return function(update_freq, common, width, point)
       header = 'NETWORK',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = function(f) return function(_) read_interfaces() f() end end,
+      set_state = read_interfaces,
       top = {
          {mk_rx, true, PLOT_SEC_BREAK},
          {mk_tx, true, 0},
diff --git a/drawing/pacman.lua b/drawing/pacman.lua
index 8d84440..8c6d8ff 100644
--- a/drawing/pacman.lua
+++ b/drawing/pacman.lua
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ return function(main_state, common, width, point)
       header = 'PACMAN',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = nil,
+      set_state = nil,
       top = {{mk_stats, true, 0}}
    }
 end
diff --git a/drawing/power.lua b/drawing/power.lua
index 6c62b1b..8906e80 100644
--- a/drawing/power.lua
+++ b/drawing/power.lua
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ return function(update_freq, config, common, width, point)
       header = 'POWER',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = nil,
+      set_state = nil,
       top = pure.concat(
          pure.map(mk_rate_blockspec, config.rapl_specs),
          -- TODO what happens if this is nil?
diff --git a/drawing/processor.lua b/drawing/processor.lua
index f37467f..95dc495 100644
--- a/drawing/processor.lua
+++ b/drawing/processor.lua
@@ -208,12 +208,7 @@ return function(update_freq, config, main_state, common, width, point)
       header = 'PROCESSOR',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = function(f)
-         return function()
-            update_state()
-            f()
-         end
-      end,
+      set_state = update_state,
       top = {
          {mk_cores, config.show_cores, TEXT_SPACING},
          {mk_hwp_freq, config.show_stats, SEPARATOR_SPACING},
diff --git a/drawing/readwrite.lua b/drawing/readwrite.lua
index fcbe0a1..f2f1777 100644
--- a/drawing/readwrite.lua
+++ b/drawing/readwrite.lua
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ local sys = require 'sys'
 return function(update_freq, config, common, width, point)
    local PLOT_SEC_BREAK = 20
    local PLOT_HEIGHT = 56
-   -- TODO currently this will find any block device
-   local DEVICE_PATHS = sys.get_disk_paths(config.devices)
 
-   local state = {read = 0, write = 0}
-   state.read, state.write = sys.get_total_disk_io(DEVICE_PATHS)
+   local mod_state = {read = 0, write = 0}
+   local device_paths = sys.get_disk_paths(config.devices)
+
+   local update_state = function()
+      mod_state.read, mod_state.write = sys.get_total_disk_io(device_paths)
+   end
 
    local format_value_function = function(bps)
       local unit, value = format.convert_data_val(bps)
@@ -31,13 +33,13 @@ return function(update_freq, config, common, width, point)
          label,
          2,
          update_freq,
-         state[key]
+         mod_state[key]
       )
       return common.mk_acc(
          -- TODO construct this more sanely without referring to hardcoded vars
          width,
          PLOT_HEIGHT + PLOT_SEC_BREAK,
-         function() common.update_rate_timeseries(obj, state[key]) end,
+         function() common.update_rate_timeseries(obj, mod_state[key]) end,
          pure.partial(common.tagged_scaled_timeseries_draw_static, obj),
          pure.partial(common.tagged_scaled_timeseries_draw_dynamic, obj)
       )
@@ -53,12 +55,7 @@ return function(update_freq, config, common, width, point)
       header = 'INPUT / OUTPUT',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = function(f)
-         return function(_)
-            state.read, state.write = sys.get_total_disk_io(DEVICE_PATHS)
-            f()
-         end
-      end,
+      set_state = update_state,
       top = {
          {mk_reads, true, PLOT_SEC_BREAK},
          {mk_writes, true, 0},
diff --git a/drawing/system.lua b/drawing/system.lua
index 506cb91..39238ae 100644
--- a/drawing/system.lua
+++ b/drawing/system.lua
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ return function(main_state, common, width, point)
       header = 'SYSTEM',
       point = point,
       width = width,
-      update_wrapper = nil,
+      set_state = nil,
       top = {{mk_stats, true, 0}}
    }
 end