diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/RunProcessAction.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/RunProcessAction.java
index d2b82ee2..8624b926 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/RunProcessAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/RunProcessAction.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class RunProcessAction
    public static final String BASEPULL_THIS_RUNTIME_KEY = "basepullThisRuntimeKey";
    public static final String BASEPULL_LAST_RUNTIME_KEY = "basepullLastRuntimeKey";
    public static final String BASEPULL_TIMESTAMP_FIELD  = "basepullTimestampField";
-   public static final String BASEPULL_CONFIGURATION = "basepullConfiguration";
+   public static final String BASEPULL_CONFIGURATION    = "basepullConfiguration";
 
    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
    // indicator that the timestamp field should be updated - e.g., the execute step is finished. //
@@ -335,6 +335,13 @@ public class RunProcessAction
          ///////////////////////////////////////////////////
          runProcessInput.seedFromProcessState(optionalProcessState.get());
 
+         ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         // if we're restoring an old state, we can discard a previously stored updatedFrontendStepList - //
+         // it is only needed on the transitional edge from a backend-step to a frontend step, but not    //
+         // in the other directly                                                                         //
+         ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         optionalProcessState.get().setUpdatedFrontendStepList(null);
+
          ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
          // if there were values from the caller, put those (back) in the request //
          ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -357,7 +364,7 @@ public class RunProcessAction
    /*******************************************************************************
     ** Run a single backend step.
     *******************************************************************************/
-   private RunBackendStepOutput runBackendStep(RunProcessInput runProcessInput, QProcessMetaData process, RunProcessOutput runProcessOutput, UUIDAndTypeStateKey stateKey, QBackendStepMetaData backendStep, QProcessMetaData qProcessMetaData, ProcessState processState) throws Exception
+   protected RunBackendStepOutput runBackendStep(RunProcessInput runProcessInput, QProcessMetaData process, RunProcessOutput runProcessOutput, UUIDAndTypeStateKey stateKey, QBackendStepMetaData backendStep, QProcessMetaData qProcessMetaData, ProcessState processState) throws Exception
    {
       RunBackendStepInput runBackendStepInput = new RunBackendStepInput(processState);
       runBackendStepInput.setProcessName(process.getName());
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/ProcessState.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/ProcessState.java
index ccc95108..c418bd07 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/ProcessState.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/ProcessState.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.data.QRecord;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.processes.QFrontendStepMetaData;
 
 
 /*******************************************************************************
@@ -41,6 +42,11 @@ public class ProcessState implements Serializable
    private List<String>              stepList     = new ArrayList<>();
    private Optional<String>          nextStepName = Optional.empty();
 
+   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+   // maybe, remove this altogether - just let the frontend compute & send if needed... but how does it know last version...? //
+   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+   private List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList = null;
+
 
 
    /*******************************************************************************
@@ -139,4 +145,36 @@ public class ProcessState implements Serializable
    {
       this.stepList = stepList;
    }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Getter for updatedFrontendStepList
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public List<QFrontendStepMetaData> getUpdatedFrontendStepList()
+   {
+      return (this.updatedFrontendStepList);
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Setter for updatedFrontendStepList
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public void setUpdatedFrontendStepList(List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList)
+   {
+      this.updatedFrontendStepList = updatedFrontendStepList;
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Fluent setter for updatedFrontendStepList
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public ProcessState withUpdatedFrontendStepList(List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList)
+   {
+      this.updatedFrontendStepList = updatedFrontendStepList;
+      return (this);
+   }
+
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepOutput.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepOutput.java
index 4cb6aa3b..4754fcaa 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepOutput.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepOutput.java
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ public class RunBackendStepOutput extends AbstractActionOutput implements Serial
    private ProcessState processState;
    private Exception    exception; // todo - make optional
 
-   private String                      overrideLastStepName;
-   private List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList = null;
+   private String overrideLastStepName; // todo - does this need to go into state too??
 
    private List<AuditInput> auditInputList = new ArrayList<>();
 
@@ -416,7 +415,7 @@ public class RunBackendStepOutput extends AbstractActionOutput implements Serial
     *******************************************************************************/
    public List<QFrontendStepMetaData> getUpdatedFrontendStepList()
    {
-      return (this.updatedFrontendStepList);
+      return (this.processState.getUpdatedFrontendStepList());
    }
 
 
@@ -426,18 +425,7 @@ public class RunBackendStepOutput extends AbstractActionOutput implements Serial
     *******************************************************************************/
    public void setUpdatedFrontendStepList(List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList)
    {
-      this.updatedFrontendStepList = updatedFrontendStepList;
-   }
-
-
-
-   /*******************************************************************************
-    ** Fluent setter for updatedFrontendStepList
-    *******************************************************************************/
-   public RunBackendStepOutput withUpdatedFrontendStepList(List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList)
-   {
-      this.updatedFrontendStepList = updatedFrontendStepList;
-      return (this);
+      this.processState.setUpdatedFrontendStepList(updatedFrontendStepList);
    }
 
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunProcessOutput.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunProcessOutput.java
index 7e05a660..30a5642a 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunProcessOutput.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunProcessOutput.java
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ public class RunProcessOutput extends AbstractActionOutput implements Serializab
    private String              processUUID;
    private Optional<Exception> exception = Optional.empty();
 
-   private List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList = null;
-
 
 
    /*******************************************************************************
@@ -334,32 +332,21 @@ public class RunProcessOutput extends AbstractActionOutput implements Serializab
 
 
    /*******************************************************************************
-    ** Getter for updatedFrontendStepList
-    *******************************************************************************/
-   public List<QFrontendStepMetaData> getUpdatedFrontendStepList()
-   {
-      return (this.updatedFrontendStepList);
-   }
-
-
-
-   /*******************************************************************************
-    ** Setter for updatedFrontendStepList
+    **
     *******************************************************************************/
    public void setUpdatedFrontendStepList(List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList)
    {
-      this.updatedFrontendStepList = updatedFrontendStepList;
+      this.processState.setUpdatedFrontendStepList(updatedFrontendStepList);
    }
 
 
 
    /*******************************************************************************
-    ** Fluent setter for updatedFrontendStepList
+    **
     *******************************************************************************/
-   public RunProcessOutput withUpdatedFrontendStepList(List<QFrontendStepMetaData> updatedFrontendStepList)
+   public List<QFrontendStepMetaData> getUpdatedFrontendStepList()
    {
-      this.updatedFrontendStepList = updatedFrontendStepList;
-      return (this);
+      return this.processState.getUpdatedFrontendStepList();
    }
 
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLPreviewStep.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLPreviewStep.java
index 46383ca8..ab9cd0a9 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLPreviewStep.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLPreviewStep.java
@@ -144,6 +144,12 @@ public class StreamedETLPreviewStep extends BaseStreamedETLStep implements Backe
       BackendStepPostRunOutput postRunOutput = new BackendStepPostRunOutput(runBackendStepOutput);
       BackendStepPostRunInput  postRunInput  = new BackendStepPostRunInput(runBackendStepInput);
       transformStep.postRun(postRunInput, postRunOutput);
+
+      // todo figure out what kind of test we can get on this
+      if(postRunOutput.getUpdatedFrontendStepList() != null)
+      {
+         runBackendStepOutput.setUpdatedFrontendStepList(postRunOutput.getUpdatedFrontendStepList());
+      }
    }
 
 
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLValidateStep.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLValidateStep.java
index 1b30c4e1..dd300d03 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLValidateStep.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/StreamedETLValidateStep.java
@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ public class StreamedETLValidateStep extends BaseStreamedETLStep implements Back
       BackendStepPostRunOutput postRunOutput = new BackendStepPostRunOutput(runBackendStepOutput);
       BackendStepPostRunInput  postRunInput  = new BackendStepPostRunInput(runBackendStepInput);
       transformStep.postRun(postRunInput, postRunOutput);
+
+      if(postRunOutput.getUpdatedFrontendStepList() != null)
+      {
+         runBackendStepOutput.setUpdatedFrontendStepList(postRunOutput.getUpdatedFrontendStepList());
+      }
    }