diff --git a/src/mount/core.cljc b/src/mount/core.cljc
index d983c5f..2de018e 100644
--- a/src/mount/core.cljc
+++ b/src/mount/core.cljc
@@ -188,14 +188,14 @@
           (with-ns ns name))
         v)))
 
-(defn- state-to-sym [state]
-  (->> state (drop 2) (apply str) symbol)) ;; magic 2 is removing "#'" in state name
+(defn- unvar-state [s]
+  (->> s (drop 2) (apply str)))  ;; magic 2 is removing "#'" in state name
 
 #?(:clj
     (defn- was-removed?
       "checks if a state was removed from a namespace"
       [state]
-      (-> state state-to-sym resolve not)))
+      (-> state unvar-state symbol resolve not)))
 
 #?(:clj
     (defn cleanup-deleted [state]
@@ -297,3 +297,11 @@
 (defn resume [& states]
   (let [states (or (seq states) (all-without-subs))]
     {:resumed (bring states sigcont <)}))
+
+(defn system []           ;; if/when lift vars, will be in a "system-mode" later
+  (let [sys @meta-state]
+    (into {}
+          (for [[k {:keys [inst var]}] sys]
+            [(unvar-state k) (if (= :cljc @mode)
+                               @inst
+                               @var)]))))
diff --git a/src/mount/system.clj b/src/mount/system.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e03756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mount/system.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+(ns mount.system)
+
+(defprotocol Lifecycle
+  (start [this] "starts a system")
+  (stop [this] "stops a system")
+  ;; (start-with [this states])
+  ;; (start-without [this states])
+  ;; (stop-except [this states])
+  )
+
+(defrecord MountSystem [components])
+
+(defn- select-fun [states f]
+  (into []
+    (for [[name state] states]
+      (when-let [fun (f state)]
+        [name fun]))))
+
+(defn- bring-system [funs]
+  (into {}
+    (for [[name fun] funs]
+      [name (fun)])))
+
+(defn- unvar-state [s]
+  (->> s (drop 2) (apply str)))  ;; magic 2 is removing "#'" in state name
+
+(defn unvar-names [states]
+  (into {} (for [[k v] states]
+             [(unvar-state k) v])))
+
+(defn- not-started [states]
+  (into {}
+    (for [state (keys states)]
+      [state :not-started])))
+
+(defn new-system [meta-state]
+  (let [states (-> (sort-by (comp :order val) < 
+                            meta-state)
+                   unvar-names)
+        up (select-fun states :start)
+        down (reverse (select-fun states :stop))]
+    (extend-type MountSystem
+      Lifecycle
+      (start [_] (bring-system up))   ;; these two will have two lift inter var deps
+      (stop [_] (bring-system down))) ;; 
+    (->MountSystem (not-started states))))