diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 7e05b63..34b4402 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -61,8 +61,9 @@ func (cfg *base) Children() []lib.Config {
 	return cfg.children
 }
 
-func (cfg *base) Add(child lib.Config) {
-	cfg.children = append(cfg.children, child)
+func (cfg *base) Add(c ...lib.Config) lib.Config {
+	cfg.children = append(cfg.children, c...)
+	return cfg
 }
 
 // implementation-specific methods and functions
@@ -77,10 +78,10 @@ func (cfg *base) WithMessageHandler(hdlr lib.MessageHandler) *base {
 	return cfg
 }
 
-func (cfg *base) AddAction(pattern string, spec lib.ActionSpec) {
-	act := ActionConfig(pattern, nil)
-	act.specs = append(act.specs, spec)
+func (cfg *base) AddAction(pattern string, specs ...lib.ActionSpec) lib.Config {
+	act := ActionConfig(pattern, specs)
 	cfg.actions = append(cfg.actions, act)
+	return cfg
 }
 
 func Base(name string, starter lib.StartProc) *base {
diff --git a/examples/demo/etc/etc.go b/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
index c0d5764..b1fb27d 100644
--- a/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
+++ b/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 func Config() lib.Config {
 	ovr := Overrides().Use
 	b := config.Base
-	cfg := app.Cfg{
+	app_c := app.Cfg{
 		BaseCfg: b("dummy", app.Start),
 		Home:    ovr(".", HOME),
 		AppType: "standard",
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ func Config() lib.Config {
 			Logfile: ovr("log/scopes.log", LOGFILE),
 		},
 	}
-	cfg.Add(config.Cfg{
+	app_c.Add(config.Cfg{
 		BaseCfg:      b("config", config.Start),
 		ConfigFormat: "etc",
 	})
-	return &cfg
+	return &app_c
 }
 
 // collect here the names of fields that may be overridden via
diff --git a/examples/demo/main.go b/examples/demo/main.go
index 3283ef5..76cecf9 100644
--- a/examples/demo/main.go
+++ b/examples/demo/main.go
@@ -1,18 +1,11 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"demo/etc"
 
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes"
-	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/app"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	cfg := etc.Config()
-	fmt.Println(cfg.Name())
-	appCfg := cfg.(*app.Cfg)
-	fmt.Println(appCfg.Home)
-	scopes.RunApp(cfg)
+	scopes.RunApp(etc.Config())
 }
diff --git a/lib/action/action.go b/lib/action/action.go
index a33206c..3ae4170 100644
--- a/lib/action/action.go
+++ b/lib/action/action.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/lib/message"
 )
 
+type BaseSpec = baseSpec
+
 type baseSpec struct {
 	handler   lib.ActionHandler
 	receivers []string
diff --git a/lib/lib.go b/lib/lib.go
index da78097..a041ce5 100644
--- a/lib/lib.go
+++ b/lib/lib.go
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ type Config interface {
 	Step() StepProc
 	MessageHandler() MessageHandler
 	Actions() []ActionConfig
-	AddAction(string, ActionSpec)
+	AddAction(string, ...ActionSpec) Config
 	Children() []Config
-	Add(Config)
+	Add(...Config) Config
 }
 
 type Services map[string]Context
diff --git a/tests/etc/etc.go b/tests/etc/etc.go
index e0d9b43..ae3adf2 100644
--- a/tests/etc/etc.go
+++ b/tests/etc/etc.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func Config() lib.Config {
 	ovr := Overrides().Use
 	b := config.Base
 
-	cfg := app.Cfg{
+	app_c := app.Cfg{
 		BaseCfg: b("testing", testing.Start),
 		Home:    ovr(".", HOME),
 		AppType: "standard",
@@ -22,21 +22,21 @@ func Config() lib.Config {
 			Logfile: ovr("log/scopes.log", LOGFILE),
 		},
 	}
-	cfg.AddAction("demo",
+	app_c.AddAction("demo",
 		action.Base(action.Forward,
 			[]string{"test-receiver"}))
 
-	cfg_config := config.Cfg{
+	config_c := config.Cfg{
 		BaseCfg:      b("config", config.Start),
 		ConfigFormat: "etc",
 	}
-	cfg.Add(cfg_config)
+	app_c.Add(config_c)
 
-	cfg_test_rcvr := b("test-receiver", core.Start)
-	cfg_test_rcvr.AddAction("demo", action.Base(AH_Receiver, nil))
-	cfg.Add(cfg_test_rcvr)
+	test_rcvr := b("test-receiver", core.Start)
+	test_rcvr.AddAction("demo", action.Base(AH_Receiver, nil))
+	app_c.Add(test_rcvr)
 
-	return &cfg
+	return &app_c
 }
 
 // register action handlers from ..._test.go here.