diff --git a/src/actions.test.js b/src/actions.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b321e98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/actions.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import updux from '.';
+import u from 'updeep';
+
+test( 'actions defined in effects and mutations, multi-level', () => {
+
+    const { actions } = updux({
+        effects: {
+            foo: api => next => action => { },
+        },
+        mutations: { bar: () => () => null },
+        subduxes: {
+            mysub: updux({
+                effects: { baz: api => next => action => { }, },
+                mutations: { quux: () => () => null },
+            })
+        },
+    });
+
+    const types = Object.keys(actions);
+    types.sort();
+
+    expect( types).toEqual([ 'bar', 'baz', 'foo', 'quux', ]);
+
+});
diff --git a/src/buildMiddleware.js b/src/buildMiddleware.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f40988a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/buildMiddleware.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import fp from 'lodash/fp';
+
+const MiddlewareFor = (type,mw) => api => next => action => {
+    if (type !== '*' && action.type !== type) return next(action);
+
+    return mw(api)(next)(action);
+};
+
+export default function buildMiddleware(
+  {effects = {}, subduxes = {}},
+  {actions},
+) {
+  return api => {
+    for (let type in actions) {
+      api.dispatch[type] = (...args) => api.dispatch(actions[type](...args));
+    }
+
+    return original_next => {
+      return [
+        ...fp.toPairs(effects).map(([type, effect]) =>
+            MiddlewareFor(type,effect)
+        ),
+        ...fp.map('middleware', subduxes),
+      ]
+        .filter(x => x)
+        .reduceRight((next, mw) => mw(api)(next), original_next);
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index e265474..ccd34b8 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import u from 'updeep';
 
 import { createStore, applyMiddleware } from 'redux';
 
+import buildMiddleware from './buildMiddleware';
+
 function actionFor(type) {
   return (payload = null, meta = null) => {
     return fp.pickBy(v => v !== null)({type, payload, meta});
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ function buildInitial({initial = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
   return initial;
 }
 
-function buildActions({mutations = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
+function buildActions({mutations = {}, effects = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
   let actions = fp.mergeAll(fp.map(fp.getOr({}, 'actions'), subduxes)) || {};
 
   Object.keys(mutations).forEach(type => {
@@ -31,6 +33,12 @@ function buildActions({mutations = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
     }
   });
 
+  Object.keys(effects).forEach(type => {
+    if (!actions[type]) {
+      actions[type] = actionFor(type);
+    }
+  });
+
   return actions;
 }
 
@@ -44,13 +52,13 @@ function buildMutations({mutations = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
   // without, as the root '*' is not the same as any sub-'*'
 
     const actions = fp.uniq( Object.keys(mutations).concat(
-        ...Object.values( subduxes ).map( ({mutations}) => Object.keys(mutations) )
+        ...Object.values( subduxes ).map( ({mutations = {}}) => Object.keys(mutations) )
     ) );
 
     let mergedMutations = {};
 
     let [ globby, nonGlobby ] = fp.partition(
-        ([_,{mutations}]) => mutations['*'],
+        ([_,{mutations={}}]) => mutations['*'],
         Object.entries(subduxes)
     );
 
@@ -66,7 +74,7 @@ function buildMutations({mutations = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
         mergedMutations[action] = [ globbyMutation ]
     });
 
-    nonGlobby.forEach( ([slice, {mutations,reducer}]) => {
+    nonGlobby.forEach( ([slice, {mutations={},reducer={}}]) => {
         Object.entries(mutations).forEach(([type,mutation]) => {
             const localized = (payload=null,action={}) => u.updateIn( slice, mutation(payload,action) );
 
@@ -82,27 +90,6 @@ function buildMutations({mutations = {}, subduxes = {}}) {
 
 }
 
-function buildMiddleware({effects={},subduxes={}},{actions}) {
-    return api => {
-
-        for ( let type in actions ) {
-            api.dispatch[type] = (...args) => api.dispatch( actions[type](...args) );
-        }
-
-        return original_next => {
-    return [
-        ...fp.toPairs(effects).map(([type,effect])=> {
-        return api => next => action => {
-            if( action.type !== type ) return next(action);
-
-            return effect(api)(next)(action);
-        };
-    }),
-        ...fp.map( 'middleware', subduxes )
-    ].filter(x=>x).reduceRight( (next,mw) => mw(api)(next), original_next )
-    }}
-}
-
 function updux(config) {
   const dux = {};
 
diff --git a/src/middleware.test.js b/src/middleware.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8be79b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/middleware.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import updux from '.';
+import u from 'updeep';
+
+test( 'simple effect', () => {
+
+    const tracer = jest.fn();
+
+    const store = updux({
+        effects: {
+            foo: api => next => action => {
+                tracer();
+                next(action);
+            },
+        },
+    }).createStore();
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    store.dispatch({ type: 'bar' });
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    store.dispatch.foo();
+
+    expect(tracer).toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+});
+
+test( 'effect and sub-effect', () => {
+
+    const tracer = jest.fn();
+
+    const tracerEffect = signature => api => next => action => {
+        tracer(signature);
+        next(action);
+    };
+
+    const store = updux({
+        effects: {
+            foo: tracerEffect('root'),
+        },
+        subduxes: {
+            zzz: updux({effects: {
+                foo: tracerEffect('child'),
+            }})
+        },
+    }).createStore();
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    store.dispatch({ type: 'bar' });
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    store.dispatch.foo();
+
+    expect(tracer).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1,'root');
+    expect(tracer).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2,'child');
+
+
+
+});
+
+test( '"*" effect', () => {
+
+    const tracer = jest.fn();
+
+    const store = updux({
+        effects: {
+            '*': api => next => action => {
+                tracer();
+                next(action);
+            },
+        },
+    }).createStore();
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    store.dispatch({ type: 'bar' });
+
+    expect(tracer).toHaveBeenCalled();
+});
+
+test( 'async effect', async () => {
+
+    function timeout(ms) {
+        return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+    }
+
+    const tracer = jest.fn();
+
+    const store = updux({
+        effects: {
+            foo: api => next => async action => {
+                next(action);
+                await timeout(1000);
+                tracer();
+            },
+        },
+    }).createStore();
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    store.dispatch.foo();
+
+    expect(tracer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    await timeout(1000);
+
+    expect(tracer).toHaveBeenCalled();
+});