diff --git a/examples/constrained-counters/Counter.js b/examples/constrained-counters/Counter.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73065f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/constrained-counters/Counter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { Record } from 'immutable';
+import { Union, Maybe } from 'results';
+import { component, Update } from '../../spindle';
+
+
+const Model = Record({
+  value: 0,
+  min: -Infinity,
+  max: Infinity,
+});
+
+
+const Msg = Union({
+  Increment: null,
+  Decrement: null,
+});
+
+
+// this is just a helper, it's not a special funciton
+const constrain = model => {
+  const { value, min, max } = model.toObject();
+  return model.set('value', Math.max(min, Math.min(max, value)));
+}
+
+
+const handleProps = ({ min = -Infinity, max = Infinity }, model) =>
+  Update({ model: constrain(model.merge({ min, max })) });
+
+
+const update = (msg, model) => Msg.match(msg, {
+  Increment: () => {
+    const newModel = constrain(model.update('value', v => v + 1));
+    return Update({
+      model: newModel,
+      emit: newModel.get('value'),
+    });
+  },
+
+  Decrement: () => {
+    const newModel = constrain(model.update('value', v => v - 1));
+    return Update({
+      model: newModel,
+      emit: newModel.get('value'),
+    });
+  },
+});
+
+
+const view = (model, BoundMsg) => (
+  <p>
+    <button
+      disabled={model.get('value') <= model.get('min')}
+      onClick={BoundMsg.Decrement}>
+      -
+    </button>
+    {model.get('value')}
+    <button
+      disabled={model.get('value') >= model.get('max')}
+      onClick={BoundMsg.Increment}>
+      +
+    </button>
+  </p>
+);
+
+
+export default component('Counter',
+  { Model, Msg, handleProps, update, view });
diff --git a/examples/constrained-counters/Parent.js b/examples/constrained-counters/Parent.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5efdd96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/constrained-counters/Parent.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { Record } from 'immutable';
+import { Union } from 'results';
+import { component, Update } from '../../spindle';
+import Counter from './Counter';
+
+
+const Model = Record({
+  min: 0,
+  max: 0,
+});
+
+
+const Msg = Union({
+  SetMin: null,
+  SetMax: null,
+});
+
+
+const update = (msg, model) => Msg.match(msg, {
+  SetMin: v =>
+    Update({ model: model.set('min', v) }),
+
+  SetMax: v =>
+    Update({ model: model.set('max', v) }),
+});
+
+
+const view = (model, BoundMsg) => (
+  <div>
+    <p>min</p>
+    <Counter
+      onEmit={BoundMsg.SetMin}
+      max={model.get('max')} />
+
+    <p>val</p>
+    <Counter
+      min={model.get('min')}
+      max={model.get('max')} />
+
+    <p>max</p>
+    <Counter
+      onEmit={BoundMsg.SetMax}
+      min={model.get('min')} />
+  </div>
+);
+
+
+export default component('Parent',
+  { Model, Msg, update, view });
diff --git a/examples/constrained-counters/app.js b/examples/constrained-counters/app.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3475db0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/constrained-counters/app.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
+import Parent from './Parent';
+
+
+ReactDOM.render(<Parent />, document.getElementById('app'));
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9ae7789..3c2ca21 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
     "watch-counter": "watchify examples/counter/app.js -d -t babelify --outfile bundle.js",
     "watch-pair": "watchify examples/pair-of-counters/app.js -d -t babelify --outfile bundle.js",
     "watch-n": "watchify examples/n-counters/app.js -d -t babelify --outfile bundle.js",
-    "watch-sum": "watchify examples/sum-counters/app.js -d -t babelify --outfile bundle.js"
+    "watch-sum": "watchify examples/sum-counters/app.js -d -t babelify --outfile bundle.js",
+    "watch-constrained": "watchify examples/constrained-counters/app.js -d -t babelify --outfile bundle.js"
   },
   "author": "uniphil",
   "license": "GPL",
diff --git a/spindle.js b/spindle.js
index 058aee5..8892075 100644
--- a/spindle.js
+++ b/spindle.js
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@ const bindMsg = (Msg, update, c) =>
     .reduce((a, b) => Object.assign(a, b), {});
 
 
+const propsEq = (a, b) => {
+  for (const k in a) {
+    if (a[k] !== b[k] && k !== 'onEmit' && k !== 'children') return false;
+  }
+  const aCount = Object.keys(a).length - !!a.onEmit - !!a.children;
+  const bCount = Object.keys(b).length - !!b.onEmit - !!b.children;
+  return aCount === bCount;
+};
+
+
 export const Cmd = Immutable.Record({
   run: null,
   abort: null,
@@ -89,6 +99,7 @@ const createSpindle = () => {
 export function component(name, {
   Model = Immutable.Record({}),
   Msg = Union({}),
+  handleProps = (_, model) => Update({ model }),
   update,
   view,
   subscriptions = () => [],
@@ -111,13 +122,19 @@ export function component(name, {
         this._isSpindleRoot = false;
       }
       this.getSpindle().register(this);
-      this.run(Update({ model: Model() }));
+      this.run(handleProps(this.props, Model()));
     }
 
     getChildContext() {
       return { spindle: this.context.spindle || this._spindle };
     }
 
+    componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
+      if (!propsEq(this.props, nextProps)) {
+        this.run(handleProps(nextProps, this.state.model));
+      }
+    }
+
     shouldComponentUpdate(_, nextState) {
       return !Immutable.is(nextState.model, this.state.model);
     }
@@ -139,7 +156,7 @@ export function component(name, {
       const { model, cmds, emit } = update.toObject();
       model && this.setState({ model });
       cmds && this.getSpindle().pushCmds(this, cmds);
-      emit && this.props.onEmit && this.props.onEmit(emit);
+      typeof emit !== 'undefined' && this.props.onEmit && this.props.onEmit(emit);
     }
 
     render() {