diff --git a/examples/glyphs/main.zig b/examples/glyphs/main.zig
index b5764514..f45e71d7 100644
--- a/examples/glyphs/main.zig
+++ b/examples/glyphs/main.zig
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ const mach = @import("mach");
 // The global list of Mach modules registered for use in our application.
 pub const modules = .{
     mach.Core,
-    mach.gfx.Sprite,
-    mach.gfx.SpritePipeline,
+    mach.gfx.sprite_modules,
     @import("App.zig"),
     @import("Glyphs.zig"),
 };
diff --git a/examples/sprite/main.zig b/examples/sprite/main.zig
index acc8509d..7732839f 100644
--- a/examples/sprite/main.zig
+++ b/examples/sprite/main.zig
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ const mach = @import("mach");
 // The global list of Mach modules registered for use in our application.
 pub const modules = .{
     mach.Core,
-    mach.gfx.Sprite,
-    mach.gfx.SpritePipeline,
+    mach.gfx.sprite_modules,
     @import("App.zig"),
 };
 
diff --git a/examples/text/main.zig b/examples/text/main.zig
index c5f962f8..6f7407d4 100644
--- a/examples/text/main.zig
+++ b/examples/text/main.zig
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ const mach = @import("mach");
 // The global list of Mach modules registered for use in our application.
 pub const modules = .{
     mach.Core,
-    mach.gfx.Text,
-    mach.gfx.TextPipeline,
-    mach.gfx.TextStyle,
+    mach.gfx.text_modules,
     @import("App.zig"),
 };
 
diff --git a/src/gfx/main.zig b/src/gfx/main.zig
index 8653626b..97a8d56f 100644
--- a/src/gfx/main.zig
+++ b/src/gfx/main.zig
@@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ pub const Text = @import("Text.zig");
 pub const TextPipeline = @import("TextPipeline.zig");
 pub const TextStyle = @import("TextStyle.zig");
 
+/// All Sprite rendering modules
+pub const sprite_modules = .{ Sprite, SpritePipeline };
+
+/// All Text rendering modules
+pub const text_modules = .{ Text, TextPipeline, TextStyle };
+
+/// All graphics modules
+pub const modules = .{ sprite_modules, text_modules };
+
 // Fonts
 pub const Font = @import("font/main.zig").Font;
 pub const TextRun = @import("font/main.zig").TextRun;
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index fb270cc0..1554151b 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ pub const modules = blk: {
     if (!@hasDecl(@import("root"), "modules")) {
         @compileError("expected `pub const modules = .{};` in root file");
     }
-    break :blk @import("root").modules;
+    break :blk merge(.{
+        builtin_modules,
+        @import("root").modules,
+    });
 };
 pub const ModSet = @import("module/main.zig").ModSet;
 pub const Modules = @import("module/main.zig").Modules(modules);
@@ -35,6 +38,9 @@ pub const Archetype = @import("module/main.zig").Archetype;
 pub const ModuleID = @import("module/main.zig").ModuleID;
 pub const EventID = @import("module/main.zig").EventID;
 pub const AnyEvent = @import("module/main.zig").AnyEvent;
+pub const merge = @import("module/main.zig").merge;
+pub const builtin_modules = @import("module/main.zig").builtin_modules;
+pub const EntityModule = @import("module/main.zig").EntityModule;
 
 /// To use experimental sysgpu graphics API, you can write this in your main.zig:
 ///
diff --git a/src/module/entities.zig b/src/module/entities.zig
index 47a01ca9..d61540d8 100644
--- a/src/module/entities.zig
+++ b/src/module/entities.zig
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ const query_mod = @import("query.zig");
 const Archetype = @import("Archetype.zig");
 const StringTable = @import("StringTable.zig");
 const ComponentTypesByName = @import("module.zig").ComponentTypesByName;
+const merge = @import("main.zig").merge;
+const builtin_modules = @import("main.zig").builtin_modules;
 
 /// An entity ID uniquely identifies an entity globally within an Entities set.
 pub const EntityID = u64;
@@ -699,7 +701,10 @@ pub fn ArchetypeIterator(comptime component_types_by_name: anytype) type {
 }
 
 test {
-    std.testing.refAllDeclsRecursive(Entities(.{}));
+    const modules = ComponentTypesByName(merge(.{
+        builtin_modules,
+    })){};
+    std.testing.refAllDeclsRecursive(Entities(modules));
 }
 
 // TODO: require "one big registration of components" even when using dynamic API? Would alleviate
@@ -749,7 +754,8 @@ test "example" {
 
     const Rotation = struct { degrees: f32 };
 
-    const component_types_by_name = ComponentTypesByName(.{
+    const component_types_by_name = ComponentTypesByName(merge(.{
+        builtin_modules,
         struct {
             pub const name = .game;
             pub const components = .{
@@ -758,7 +764,7 @@ test "example" {
                 .rotation = .{ .type = Rotation },
             };
         },
-    }){};
+    })){};
 
     //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Create a world.
diff --git a/src/module/main.zig b/src/module/main.zig
index 5c0f7998..7b4497f6 100644
--- a/src/module/main.zig
+++ b/src/module/main.zig
@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@ pub const Modules = @import("module.zig").Modules;
 pub const ModuleID = @import("module.zig").ModuleID;
 pub const EventID = @import("module.zig").EventID;
 pub const AnyEvent = @import("module.zig").AnyEvent;
+pub const Merge = @import("module.zig").Merge;
+pub const merge = @import("module.zig").merge;
+
+pub const builtin_modules = .{EntityModule};
+
+/// Builtin .entity module
+pub const EntityModule = struct {
+    pub const name = .entity;
+
+    pub const components = .{
+        .id = .{ .type = EntityID, .description = "Entity ID" },
+    };
+};
 
 test {
     std.testing.refAllDeclsRecursive(@This());
@@ -23,7 +36,7 @@ test "entities DB" {
     const allocator = testing.allocator;
 
     const root = struct {
-        pub const modules = .{ Renderer, Physics };
+        pub const modules = merge(.{ builtin_modules, Renderer, Physics });
 
         const Physics = struct {
             pointer: u8,
diff --git a/src/module/module.zig b/src/module/module.zig
index c8cdcdba..903b5cae 100644
--- a/src/module/module.zig
+++ b/src/module/module.zig
@@ -102,6 +102,78 @@ pub const AnyEvent = struct {
     event_id: EventID,
 };
 
+/// Type-returning variant of merge()
+pub fn Merge(comptime tuple: anytype) type {
+    if (@typeInfo(@TypeOf(tuple)) != .Struct or !@typeInfo(@TypeOf(tuple)).Struct.is_tuple) {
+        @compileError("Expected to find a tuple, found: " ++ @typeName(@TypeOf(tuple)));
+    }
+
+    var tuple_fields: []const std.builtin.Type.StructField = &[0]std.builtin.Type.StructField{};
+    loop: inline for (tuple) |elem| {
+        @setEvalBranchQuota(10_000);
+        if (@typeInfo(@TypeOf(elem)) == .Type and @typeInfo(elem) == .Struct) {
+            // Struct type
+            validateModule(elem, false);
+            for (tuple_fields) |field| if (@as(*const type, @ptrCast(field.default_value.?)).* == elem)
+                continue :loop;
+
+            var num_buf: [128]u8 = undefined;
+            tuple_fields = tuple_fields ++ [_]std.builtin.Type.StructField{.{
+                .name = std.fmt.bufPrintZ(&num_buf, "{d}", .{tuple_fields.len}) catch unreachable,
+                .type = type,
+                .default_value = &elem,
+                .is_comptime = false,
+                .alignment = if (@sizeOf(elem) > 0) @alignOf(elem) else 0,
+            }};
+        } else if (@typeInfo(@TypeOf(elem)) == .Struct and @typeInfo(@TypeOf(elem)).Struct.is_tuple) {
+            // Nested tuple
+            inline for (Merge(elem){}) |Nested| {
+                validateModule(Nested, false);
+                for (tuple_fields) |field| if (@as(*const type, @ptrCast(field.default_value.?)).* == Nested)
+                    continue :loop;
+
+                var num_buf: [128]u8 = undefined;
+                tuple_fields = tuple_fields ++ [_]std.builtin.Type.StructField{.{
+                    .name = std.fmt.bufPrintZ(&num_buf, "{d}", .{tuple_fields.len}) catch unreachable,
+                    .type = type,
+                    .default_value = &Nested,
+                    .is_comptime = false,
+                    .alignment = if (@sizeOf(Nested) > 0) @alignOf(Nested) else 0,
+                }};
+            }
+        } else {
+            @compileError("Expected to find a tuple or struct type, found: " ++ @typeName(@TypeOf(elem)));
+        }
+    }
+    return @Type(.{
+        .Struct = .{
+            .is_tuple = true,
+            .layout = .Auto,
+            .decls = &.{},
+            .fields = tuple_fields,
+        },
+    });
+}
+
+/// Given a tuple of module structs or module struct tuples:
+///
+/// ```
+/// .{
+///     .{ Baz, .{ Bar, Foo, .{ Fam } }, Bar },
+///     Foo,
+///     Bam,
+///     .{ Foo, Bam },
+/// }
+/// ```
+///
+/// Returns a single tuple type with the struct types deduplicated:
+///
+/// .{ Baz, Bar, Foo, Fam, Bar, Bam }
+///
+pub fn merge(comptime tuple: anytype) Merge(tuple) {
+    return Merge(tuple){};
+}
+
 /// Manages comptime .{A, B, C} modules and runtime modules.
 pub fn Modules(comptime modules: anytype) type {
     // Verify that each module is valid.
@@ -462,7 +534,7 @@ pub fn Modules(comptime modules: anytype) type {
     };
 }
 
-pub fn ModsByName(comptime modules: anytype) type {
+fn ModsByName(comptime modules: anytype) type {
     var fields: []const std.builtin.Type.StructField = &[0]std.builtin.Type.StructField{};
     for (modules) |M| {
         const ModT = ModSet(modules).Mod(M);
@@ -647,6 +719,11 @@ inline fn injectArgs(comptime Function: type, comptime Injectable: type, injecta
             // Argument is declared as injectable, but we do not have a value to inject for it.
             // This can be the case if e.g. a Mod() parameter is specified, but that module is
             // not registered.
+            //
+            // TODO: we could make this error message less verbose, currently it reads e.g.
+            //
+            // src/module/module.zig:736:13: error: mach: cannot inject argument of type: *module.module.ModSet(.{Core, gfx.Sprite, gfx.SpritePipeline, App, Glyphs}).Mod(Core) - is it registered in your program's top-level `pub const modules = .{};`? used by mach_core.start
+            //
             @compileError("mach: cannot inject argument of type: " ++ @typeName(arg.type) ++ " - is it registered in your program's top-level `pub const modules = .{};`? used by " ++ debug_name);
         }
 
@@ -914,9 +991,6 @@ fn validateEvents(comptime error_prefix: anytype, comptime events: anytype) void
 ///
 /// ```
 /// struct {
-///     builtin: struct {
-///         id: @TypeOf() = .{ .type = EntityID, .description = "Entity ID" },
-///     },
 ///     physics: struct {
 ///         location: @TypeOf() = .{ .type = Vec3, .description = null },
 ///         rotation: @TypeOf() = .{ .type = Vec2, .description = "rotation component" },
@@ -938,23 +1012,6 @@ pub fn ComponentTypesByName(comptime modules: anytype) type {
             .alignment = @alignOf(MC),
         }};
     }
-
-    // Builtin components
-    // TODO: better method of injecting builtin module?
-    const BuiltinMC = ComponentTypesM(struct {
-        pub const name = .builtin;
-        pub const components = .{
-            .id = .{ .type = EntityID, .description = "Entity ID" },
-        };
-    });
-    fields = fields ++ [_]std.builtin.Type.StructField{.{
-        .name = "entity",
-        .type = BuiltinMC,
-        .default_value = &BuiltinMC{},
-        .is_comptime = true,
-        .alignment = @alignOf(BuiltinMC),
-    }};
-
     return @Type(.{
         .Struct = .{
             .layout = .Auto,
diff --git a/src/module/query.zig b/src/module/query.zig
index d3d5964f..60eeec55 100644
--- a/src/module/query.zig
+++ b/src/module/query.zig
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub fn Query(comptime component_types_by_name: anytype) type {
             const namespaces = std.meta.fields(Namespace);
             var fields: [namespaces.len]std.builtin.Type.UnionField = undefined;
             for (namespaces, 0..) |namespace, i| {
-                const ns = std.meta.stringToEnum(Namespace, namespace.name).?;
+                const ns = stringToEnum(Namespace, namespace.name).?;
                 fields[i] = .{
                     .name = namespace.name,
                     .type = ComponentList(ns),
@@ -61,6 +61,15 @@ pub fn Query(comptime component_types_by_name: anytype) type {
     };
 }
 
+// TODO: cannot use std.meta.stringToEnum for some reason; an issue with its internal comptime map and u0 values
+pub fn stringToEnum(comptime T: type, str: []const u8) ?T {
+    inline for (@typeInfo(T).Enum.fields) |enumField| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, str, enumField.name)) {
+            return @field(T, enumField.name);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 test "query" {
     const Location = struct {
         x: f32 = 0,