diff --git a/Implab/Components/RunnableComponent.cs b/Implab/Components/RunnableComponent.cs
--- a/Implab/Components/RunnableComponent.cs
+++ b/Implab/Components/RunnableComponent.cs
@@ -3,51 +3,63 @@ using Implab.Parsing;
 
 namespace Implab.Components {
     public class RunnableComponent : Disposable, IRunnable, IInitializable {
-        class Automaton : DFAutomaton<ExecutionState> {
-            static readonly EDFADefinition<ExecutionState> _dfa;
+        
+
+        class Automaton {
+            enum Operations {
+                Initialize,
+                Start,
+                Stop,
+                Fail,
+                Success,
+                Dispose
+            }
+
+            static readonly EDFADefinition<ExecutionState> _def = new EDFADefinition<ExecutionState>(EnumAlphabet<ExecutionState>.FullAlphabet);
+            static readonly DFAStateDescriptior[] _states;
 
             static Automaton() {
+                var created = _def.AddState(); // initial state
+                var initializing = _def.AddState();
+                var ready = _def.AddState();
+                var starting = _def.AddState();
+                var running = _def.AddState();
+                var stopping = _def.AddState();
+                var error = _def.AddState();
+                var disposing = _def.AddState();
+                var disposed = _def.AddState(new int[] { 0 });
 
-                var token = Token
-                    .New(ExecutionState.Uninitialized).Optional() // we can skip uninitialized state
-                    .Cat(
-                        Token.New(ExecutionState.Ready) // uninitialized -> initial
-                        .Cat(
-                            Token.New(ExecutionState.Starting) // initial -> starting
-                            .Cat(
-                                Token.New(ExecutionState.Running) // running -> {stopping -> stopped | failed }
-                                .Cat(
-                                    Token.New(ExecutionState.Stopping) // running -> stopping
-                                    .Cat(
-                                        Token.New(ExecutionState.Stopped) // stopping -> stopped
-                                        .Or(Token.New(ExecutionState.Failed)) // stopping -> failed
-                                    )
-                                    .Or(Token.New(ExecutionState.Failed)) // running -> failed
-                                )
-                                .Or(Token.New(ExecutionState.Failed)) // starting -> failed
-                            ).EClosure()
-                        )
-                        .Or(Token.New(ExecutionState.Failed)) // uninitialized->failed
-                        .Cat(Token.New(ExecutionState.Disposed).Tag(0)) // ... -> disposed
-                    );
-                
-                var builder = new DFABuilder();
-                token.Accept(builder);
+                _def.DefineTransition(created,initializing,(int)Operations.Initialize);
+
+                _def.DefineTransition(initializing,ready,(int)Operations.Success);
+                _def.DefineTransition(initializing,error,(int)Operations.Fail);
+
+                _def.DefineTransition(ready, starting, (int)Operations.Start);
+                _def.DefineTransition(ready, disposing, (int)Operations.Dispose); 
+
 
-                var _dfa = new EDFADefinition<ExecutionState>(EnumAlphabet<ExecutionState>.FullAlphabet);
-                builder.BuildDFA(_dfa); // don't optimize dfa to avoid remapping of the alphabet
+                _def.DefineTransition(starting, running, (int)Operations.Success);
+                _def.DefineTransition(starting, error, (int)Operations.Fail);
+
+                _def.DefineTransition(running, stopping, (int)Operations.Stop);
+                _def.DefineTransition(running, error, (int)Operations.Fail);
 
+                _def.DefineTransition(stopping, ready, (int)Operations.Success);
+                _def.DefineTransition(stopping, error, (int)Operations.Fail);
+
+                _def.DefineTransition(disposing, disposed, (int)Operations.Success);
+
+                _states = _def.States;
             }
 
-            public Automaton() : base(_dfa.States, INITIAL_STATE, ExecutionState.Reserved) {
+            int m_state;
+
+            public Automaton() {
+                m_state = DFADefinitionBase.INITIAL_STATE;
             }
 
-            public void MoveTo(ExecutionState state) {
+            void Move(Operations op) {
                 
-                if (!CanMove((int)state))
-                    throw new InvalidOperationException(String.Format("Illegal state transition from {0} to {1}", Current, state));
-                Move((int)state);
-                m_context.info = state;
             }
 
             public ExecutionState Current {
diff --git a/Implab/Parsing/EDFADefinition.cs b/Implab/Parsing/EDFADefinition.cs
--- a/Implab/Parsing/EDFADefinition.cs
+++ b/Implab/Parsing/EDFADefinition.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ namespace Implab.Parsing {
             get { return m_alphabet.Count; }
         }
 
+        public void DefineTransition(int s1, int s2, T input) {
+            DefineTransition(s1, s2, m_alphabet.Translate(input));
+        }
+
         public EDFADefinition<T> Optimize() {
             var optimized = new EDFADefinition<T>(new EnumAlphabet<T>());
             Optimize(optimized, m_alphabet, optimized.Alphabet);