diff --git a/beholder.lua b/beholder.lua
index 062466c..e364716 100644
--- a/beholder.lua
+++ b/beholder.lua
@@ -9,22 +9,51 @@
 
 local beholder = {}
 
+local function copy(t)
+  local c={}
+  for i=1,#t do c[i]=t[i] end
+  return c
+end
 
-local function findNode(self, event)
-  return self._nodes[event]
+local function extractEventAndActionFromParams(...)
+  local params = {...}
+  local action = table.remove(params, #params)
+  return params, action
 end
 
 local function findNodeById(self, id)
   return self._nodesById[id]
 end
 
-local function createNode(self, event)
-  self._nodes[event] = {actions={}}
-  return self._nodes[event]
+local function findOrCreateNode(self, event)
+  local current = self._root
+  local key
+  for i=1, #event do
+    key = event[i]
+    current.children[key] = current.children[key] or {actions={},children={}}
+    current = current.children[key]
+  end
+  return current
 end
 
-local function findOrCreateNode(self, event)
-  return findNode(self,event) or createNode(self,event)
+local function executeNodeActions(self, event)
+  local current = self._root
+  local counter = 0
+  local params = copy(event)
+  local key
+
+  for i=1,#event do
+    key = event[i]
+    current = current.children[key]
+    if not current then break end
+    table.remove(params, 1)
+    for _,action in pairs(current.actions) do
+      action(unpack(params))
+      counter = counter + 1
+    end
+  end
+
+  return counter > 0 and counter
 end
 
 local function addActionToNode(self, node, action)
@@ -40,16 +69,13 @@ local function removeActionFromNode(node, id)
   return true
 end
 
-local function executeNodeActions(node, ...)
-  for _,action in pairs(node.actions) do action(...) end
-end
-
 function beholder:reset()
-  self._nodes = {}
+  self._root = { actions={}, children={} }
   self._nodesById = setmetatable({}, {__mode="k"})
 end
 
-function beholder:observe(event, action)
+function beholder:observe(...)
+  local event, action = extractEventAndActionFromParams(...)
   return addActionToNode(self, findOrCreateNode(self, event), action)
 end
 
@@ -57,9 +83,9 @@ function beholder:stopObserving(id)
   return removeActionFromNode(findNodeById(self, id), id)
 end
 
-function beholder:trigger(event, ...)
-  local node = findNode(self, event)
-  if node then executeNodeActions(node, ...) end
+function beholder:trigger(...)
+  local event = {...}
+  return executeNodeActions(self, event)
 end
 
 beholder:reset()
diff --git a/spec/unit.lua b/spec/unit.lua
index 84040c2..c0001a5 100644
--- a/spec/unit.lua
+++ b/spec/unit.lua
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ describe("Unit", function()
       assert_equal(counter1, 1)
       assert_equal(counter2, 1)
     end)
+
+    it("allows observing composed events", function()
+      local counter = 0
+      beholder:observe("KEYPRESS", "start", function() counter = counter + 1 end)
+      beholder:trigger("KEYPRESS", "start")
+      assert_equal(counter, 1)
+    end)
   end)
 
   describe(":stopObserving", function()
@@ -77,6 +84,28 @@ describe("Unit", function()
 
   end)
 
+  describe(":trigger", function()
+    it("does not error on random stuff", function()
+      assert_not_error(function() beholder:trigger("FOO") end)
+    end)
+
+    it("returns false on events with no actions", function()
+      assert_equal(false, beholder:trigger("FOO"))
+    end)
+
+    it("returns false if there was a node with no actions", function()
+      beholder:observe("ONE","TWO", function() end)
+      assert_equal(false, beholder:trigger("ONE"))
+    end)
+
+    it("returns the number of actions executed", function()
+      beholder:observe("X", function() end)
+      beholder:observe("X", function() end)
+      assert_equal(2, beholder:trigger("X"))
+    end)
+
+  end)
+
 
   describe(":reset", function()