diff --git a/packages/classic/src/core/elements/read.js b/packages/classic/src/core/elements/read.js
index 2b50893..ed4f0b1 100644
--- a/packages/classic/src/core/elements/read.js
+++ b/packages/classic/src/core/elements/read.js
@@ -7,12 +7,8 @@ import { read as readAction } from '../../read/actions'
 export default class Read extends React.Component {
   static propTypes = {
     dispatch: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
-    kind: PropTypes.oneOfType([
-      PropTypes.string,
-      PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.string),
-    ]).isRequired,
     uri: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-    revalidate: PropTypes.bool,
+    opts: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
   }
 
   constructor(props) {
@@ -20,8 +16,8 @@ export default class Read extends React.Component {
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
-    const { dispatch, uri, revalidate } = this.props
-    dispatch(readAction(uri, { revalidate }))
+    const { dispatch, uri, opts } = this.props
+    dispatch(readAction(uri, opts))
   }
 
   render() {
diff --git a/packages/classic/src/core/index.js b/packages/classic/src/core/index.js
index c430116..e1e5cf3 100644
--- a/packages/classic/src/core/index.js
+++ b/packages/classic/src/core/index.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import Read from './elements/read'
 import Loading from './elements/loading'
 import Error from './elements/error'
 
+import * as propNames from '../propNames'
 /**
  * This is the 'default' subsystem where all 'global' registrations go to
  */
@@ -45,14 +46,13 @@ core.defaultSubsystems = defaultSubsystems
 core.read.register(core.read.default, core.read.http.httpRead)
 
 core.ui.register(['__read'], ({ element, dispatch }) => {
-  return (
-    <Read
-      kind={element.get('kind').toJS()}
-      uri={element.get('uri')}
-      dispatch={dispatch}
-      revalidate={element.get('revalidate')}
-    />
-  )
+  const opts = element
+    .delete('kind')
+    .delete('uri')
+    .delete(propNames.children)
+    .toJS()
+
+  return <Read uri={element.get('uri')} opts={opts} dispatch={dispatch} />
 })
 core.ui.register(['__loading'], ({ element, dispatch }) => {
   return (
diff --git a/packages/classic/src/read/__tests__/read.js b/packages/classic/src/read/__tests__/read.js
index 2bcc30d..24e69e6 100644
--- a/packages/classic/src/read/__tests__/read.js
+++ b/packages/classic/src/read/__tests__/read.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import * as data from '../../data'
 import * as readActions from '../actions'
 import * as propNames from '../../propNames'
 
-describe('Read Subsytem', () => {
+describe('Read Subsystem', () => {
   const app = Subsystem.create(() => ({
     name: 'app',
   }))
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ describe('Read Subsytem', () => {
     content = kernel.query(['content'])
     expect(data.isExactlyOfKind('scene', content)).toBeTruthy()
     expect(content.get('title')).toEqual('Scene Title')
+    expect(content.getIn([propNames.metadata, 'request']).toJS()).toEqual(
+      readAction
+    )
   })
 
   it('handles failures', async () => {
@@ -126,7 +129,10 @@ describe('Read function', () => {
     kernel.dispatch(
       action.atCursor(
         content,
-        readActions.read(content.get('uri'), { revalidate: true })
+        readActions.read(content.get('uri'), {
+          revalidate: true,
+          alpha: 'beta',
+        })
       )
     )
 
@@ -136,6 +142,7 @@ describe('Read function', () => {
       'https://netcetera.com/test.json',
       {
         revalidate: true,
+        alpha: 'beta',
       },
       expect.any(Object)
     )
@@ -214,7 +221,7 @@ describe('Refreshing', () => {
     kernel.dispatch(
       action.atCursor(
         content,
-        readActions.readRefresh('https://netcetera.com/x.json')
+        readActions.readRefresh('https://netcetera.com/x.json', { foo: 'bar' })
       )
     )
 
@@ -224,7 +231,10 @@ describe('Refreshing', () => {
     expect(content.get('title')).toEqual('Scene Title X')
 
     expect(refresher.mock.calls[0][0]).toEqual('https://netcetera.com/x.json')
-    expect(refresher.mock.calls[0][1]).toMatchObject({ revalidate: true })
+    expect(refresher.mock.calls[0][1]).toMatchObject({
+      revalidate: true,
+      foo: 'bar',
+    })
 
     kernel.dispatch(
       action.atCursor(
@@ -292,6 +302,13 @@ describe('Performing reads manually', async () => {
   expect(result.value.getIn([propNames.metadata, 'uri'])).toEqual(
     'https://netcetera.com/test.json'
   )
+  expect(
+    result.value.getIn([propNames.metadata, 'request']).toJS()
+  ).toMatchObject({
+    revalidate: true,
+    a: 1,
+    uri: 'https://netcetera.com/test.json',
+  })
 })
 
 function sleep(ms) {
diff --git a/packages/classic/src/read/actions.js b/packages/classic/src/read/actions.js
index 096b69d..02b3471 100644
--- a/packages/classic/src/read/actions.js
+++ b/packages/classic/src/read/actions.js
@@ -10,7 +10,19 @@ export const types = {
   fail: '@@skele/actions.read.fail',
 }
 
-export function read(uri, opts) {
+/**
+ * Creates a read action.
+ *
+ * @param { String } uri the URI to be read, or an ob
+ * @param {*} opts read options that will be passed onto the reader.
+ *    Currently, only `revalidate` is supported
+ *   (which instructs the reader to perform revalidation of the content).
+ *   If used in conjuction with the standard httpRead, one controls
+ *   the http options eventually passed to `fetch` via this argument.
+ *   Any extra properties are allowed. These may affect specific readers.
+ *
+ */
+export function read(uri, opts = {}) {
   const defaults = {
     revalidate: false,
   }
@@ -23,9 +35,21 @@ export function read(uri, opts) {
   }
 }
 
-export function readRefresh(uri = undefined) {
+export function readRefresh(uri = undefined, opts = undefined) {
+  const defaults = {
+    revalidate: true,
+  }
+
+  let options = {}
+  if (opts != null) {
+    options = {
+      ...defaults,
+      ...opts,
+    }
+  }
   return {
     type: types.readRefresh,
+    ...options,
     uri,
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/classic/src/read/impl.js b/packages/classic/src/read/impl.js
index 0a1cf63..c77739a 100644
--- a/packages/classic/src/read/impl.js
+++ b/packages/classic/src/read/impl.js
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ export function fail(element, action) {
   )
 }
 
-export async function performRead(context, readParams) {
+export async function performRead(context, action) {
   const {
     registry,
     enrichment,
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ export async function performRead(context, readParams) {
 
   const kernel = context
 
-  const { uri, opts } = readParams
+  const { uri, ...opts } = R.omit(['type', propNames.actionMeta], action)
+
   const reader = registry.get(uri) || registry.get(fallback)
 
   if (reader != null) {
@@ -126,7 +127,9 @@ export async function performRead(context, readParams) {
     }
     if (isOK(readResponse)) {
       const readValue = fromJS(readResponse.value).merge({
-        [propNames.metadata]: fromJS(readResponse.meta || defaultMeta(uri)),
+        [propNames.metadata]: fromJS(
+          readResponse.meta || defaultMeta(uri)
+        ).merge({ request: R.omit([propNames.actionMeta], action) }),
       })
 
       enhanceContext = {
@@ -181,7 +184,7 @@ export async function performRead(context, readParams) {
         url: uri,
         uri,
         status: 999,
-        message: `There's no reader defined for ${pattern}. Did you forget to register a fallback reader?`,
+        message: `There's no reader defined for ${uri}. Did you forget to register a fallback reader?`,
       },
     }
   }
@@ -205,10 +208,7 @@ export async function read(context, action) {
     const readResponse = await time(
       `TIME-performRead-(${action.uri})`,
       performRead
-    )(context, {
-      uri: action.uri,
-      opts: R.pick(['revalidate'], action),
-    })
+    )(context, action)
 
     if (isOK(readResponse)) {
       dispatch({
@@ -245,14 +245,22 @@ export async function read(context, action) {
 export async function readRefresh(context, action) {
   const { dispatch } = context
   const element = context.query()
-  const uri = action.uri || element.getIn([propNames.metadata, 'uri'])
   const readId = uuid()
 
+  let readAction
+  if (action.uri != null) {
+    readAction = action
+  } else {
+    readAction = element.getIn([propNames.metadata, 'request']).toJS()
+  }
+
   invariant(
-    uri != null,
-    'The element you are refreshing must have been loaded via a read'
+    readAction != null,
+    'The element you are refreshing must have been loaded via a read, or you must provide an uri yourself.'
   )
 
+  readAction.revalidate = flow(action, R.prop('revalidate'), R.defaultTo(true))
+
   context.dispatch({
     ...action,
     readId,
@@ -260,10 +268,7 @@ export async function readRefresh(context, action) {
   })
 
   try {
-    const response = await performRead(context, {
-      uri: uri,
-      opts: { ...{ revalidate: true }, ...R.pick(['revalidate'], action) },
-    })
+    const response = await performRead(context, readAction)
 
     if (isOK(response)) {
       dispatch({
@@ -274,7 +279,7 @@ export async function readRefresh(context, action) {
         readValue: response.value,
       })
     } else {
-      info(`Unsuccessful refreshing (read) ${uri} `, response)
+      info(`Unsuccessful refreshing (read) ${readAction.uri} `, response)
 
       dispatch({
         ...action,
@@ -284,7 +289,7 @@ export async function readRefresh(context, action) {
       })
     }
   } catch (e) {
-    error(`Error while refreshing (read) ${uri} `, e)
+    error(`Error while refreshing (read) ${readAction.uri} `, e)
 
     dispatch({
       ...action,
diff --git a/packages/classic/src/read/index.js b/packages/classic/src/read/index.js
index 8d9b328..5d99369 100644
--- a/packages/classic/src/read/index.js
+++ b/packages/classic/src/read/index.js
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ const read = SubSystem.create((system, instantiatedSubsystems) => {
      *
      * @returns Promise<ReadResponse> the read response
      */
-    perform: (uri, opts = {}) => impl.performRead(system, { uri, opts }),
+    perform: (uri, opts = {}) => impl.performRead(system, { ...opts, uri }),
   }
 })