diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/AddSensor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/AddSensor.java
index d35068f573..2bb27e0ab8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/AddSensor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/AddSensor.java
@@ -47,14 +47,23 @@
 @Beta
 public class AddSensor<T> implements EntityInitializer {
 
-    public static final ConfigKey<String> SENSOR_NAME = ConfigKeys.newStringConfigKey("name", "The name of the sensor to create");
-    public static final ConfigKey<Duration> SENSOR_PERIOD = ConfigKeys.newConfigKey(Duration.class, "period", "Period, including units e.g. 1m or 5s or 200ms; default 5 minutes", Duration.FIVE_MINUTES);
-    public static final ConfigKey<String> SENSOR_TYPE = ConfigKeys.newStringConfigKey("targetType", "Target type for the value; default String", "java.lang.String");
+    public static final ConfigKey<String> SENSOR_NAME = ConfigKeys.newStringConfigKey(
+            "name", "The name of the sensor to create");
+
+    public static final ConfigKey<Duration> SENSOR_PERIOD = ConfigKeys.newDurationConfigKey(
+            "period",
+            "Period in which the sensor should be updated, including units e.g. 1m, 5s or 200ms; default 5 minutes",
+            Duration.FIVE_MINUTES);
+
+    public static final ConfigKey<String> SENSOR_TYPE = ConfigKeys.newStringConfigKey(
+            "targetType", "Target type for the value; default String",
+            "java.lang.String");
 
     protected final String name;
     protected final Duration period;
     protected final String type;
     protected final AttributeSensor<T> sensor;
+    protected final ConfigBag params;
 
     public AddSensor(Map<String, String> params) {
         this(ConfigBag.newInstance(params));
@@ -65,6 +74,7 @@ public AddSensor(final ConfigBag params) {
         this.period = params.get(SENSOR_PERIOD);
         this.type = params.get(SENSOR_TYPE);
         this.sensor = newSensor();
+        this.params = params;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/ssh/SshCommandEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/ssh/SshCommandEffector.java
index b22f717fc1..7f0d9e6066 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/ssh/SshCommandEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/ssh/SshCommandEffector.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.effector.Effectors;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.effector.Effectors.EffectorBuilder;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.entity.BrooklynConfigKeys;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.core.entity.EntityInitializers;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.sensor.ssh.SshCommandSensor;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.collections.MutableMap;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.config.ConfigBag;
@@ -58,45 +59,47 @@ public static EffectorBuilder<String> newEffectorBuilder(ConfigBag params) {
 
     protected static class Body extends EffectorBody<String> {
         private final Effector<?> effector;
-        private final String command;
-        private final String executionDir;
+        private final ConfigBag params;
 
         public Body(Effector<?> eff, ConfigBag params) {
             this.effector = eff;
-            this.command = Preconditions.checkNotNull(params.get(EFFECTOR_COMMAND), "command must be supplied when defining this effector");
-            this.executionDir = params.get(EFFECTOR_EXECUTION_DIR);
+            Preconditions.checkNotNull(params.getAllConfigRaw().get(EFFECTOR_COMMAND.getName()), "command must be supplied when defining this effector");
+            this.params = params;
             // TODO could take a custom "env" aka effectorShellEnv
         }
 
         @Override
         public String call(ConfigBag params) {
-            String command = this.command;
-            
+            ConfigBag allConfig = ConfigBag.newInstanceCopying(this.params).putAll(params);
+            String command = EntityInitializers.resolve(allConfig, EFFECTOR_COMMAND);
+            String executionDir = EntityInitializers.resolve(allConfig, EFFECTOR_EXECUTION_DIR);
+
             command = SshCommandSensor.makeCommandExecutingInDirectory(command, executionDir, entity());
-            
+
             MutableMap<String, String> env = MutableMap.of();
             // first set all declared parameters, including default values
-            for (ParameterType<?> param: effector.getParameters()) {
-                env.addIfNotNull(param.getName(), Strings.toString( params.get(Effectors.asConfigKey(param)) ));
+            for (ParameterType<?> param : effector.getParameters()) {
+                env.addIfNotNull(param.getName(), Strings.toString(params.get(Effectors.asConfigKey(param))));
             }
-            
+
             // then set things from the entities defined shell environment, if applicable
             env.putAll(Strings.toStringMap(entity().getConfig(BrooklynConfigKeys.SHELL_ENVIRONMENT), ""));
-            
+
             // if we wanted to resolve the surrounding environment in real time -- see above
 //            Map<String,Object> paramsResolved = (Map<String, Object>) Tasks.resolveDeepValue(effectorShellEnv, Map.class, entity().getExecutionContext());
-            
+
             // finally set the parameters we've been passed; this will repeat declared parameters but to no harm,
             // it may pick up additional values (could be a flag defining whether this is permitted or not)
             env.putAll(Strings.toStringMap(params.getAllConfig()));
-            
+
             SshEffectorTasks.SshEffectorTaskFactory<String> t = SshEffectorTasks.ssh(command)
-                .requiringZeroAndReturningStdout()
-                .summary("effector "+effector.getName())
-                .environmentVariables(env);
+                    .requiringZeroAndReturningStdout()
+                    .summary("effector " + effector.getName())
+                    .environmentVariables(env);
             return queue(t).get();
         }
-        
+
     }
-    
+
+
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/entity/EntityInitializers.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/entity/EntityInitializers.java
index a258007b5b..0f35b7c7aa 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/entity/EntityInitializers.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/entity/EntityInitializers.java
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
 
 import org.apache.brooklyn.api.entity.EntityInitializer;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.api.entity.EntityLocal;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.api.mgmt.ExecutionContext;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.config.ConfigKey;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.config.ConfigBag;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.internal.ConfigKeySelfExtracting;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.task.BasicExecutionContext;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 
@@ -45,5 +50,30 @@ public void apply(EntityLocal entity) {
     public static EntityInitializer addingTags(Object... tags) {
         return new AddTags(tags);
     }
-    
+
+    /**
+     * Resolves key in the
+     * {@link BasicExecutionContext#getCurrentExecutionContext current execution context}.
+     * @see #resolve(ConfigBag, ConfigKey, ExecutionContext)
+     */
+    public static <T> T resolve(ConfigBag configBag, ConfigKey<T> key) {
+        return resolve(configBag, key, BasicExecutionContext.getCurrentExecutionContext());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the value for key from configBag.
+     * <p>
+     * If key is an instance of {@link ConfigKeySelfExtracting} and executionContext is
+     * not null then its value will be retrieved per the key's implementation of
+     * {@link ConfigKeySelfExtracting#extractValue extractValue}. Otherwise, the value
+     * will be retrieved from configBag directly.
+     */
+    public static <T> T resolve(ConfigBag configBag, ConfigKey<T> key, ExecutionContext executionContext) {
+        if (key instanceof ConfigKeySelfExtracting && executionContext != null) {
+            ConfigKeySelfExtracting<T> ckse = ((ConfigKeySelfExtracting<T>) key);
+            return ckse.extractValue(configBag.getAllConfigAsConfigKeyMap(), executionContext);
+        }
+        return configBag.get(key);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/StaticSensor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/StaticSensor.java
index 18978fac4f..5fa66dded7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/StaticSensor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/StaticSensor.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 import org.apache.brooklyn.api.entity.EntityLocal;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.api.mgmt.Task;
-import org.apache.brooklyn.api.mgmt.TaskAdaptable;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.config.ConfigKey;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.config.ConfigKeys;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.effector.AddSensor;
@@ -30,7 +29,6 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.enricher.stock.Propagator;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.config.ConfigBag;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.task.Tasks;
-import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.task.ValueResolver;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.guava.Maybe;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.time.Duration;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -47,7 +45,8 @@
  * This supports a {@link StaticSensor#SENSOR_PERIOD} 
  * which can be useful if the supplied value is such a function.
  * However when the source is another sensor,
- * consider using {@link Propagator} which listens for changes instead. */
+ * consider using {@link Propagator} which listens for changes instead.
+ */
 public class StaticSensor<T> extends AddSensor<T> {
 
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(StaticSensor.class);
@@ -65,18 +64,24 @@ public StaticSensor(ConfigBag params) {
         timeout = params.get(TIMEOUT);
     }
 
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     @Override
     public void apply(final EntityLocal entity) {
         super.apply(entity);
 
         class ResolveValue implements Callable<Maybe<T>> {
+            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
             @Override
             public Maybe<T> call() throws Exception {
-                return Tasks.resolving(value).as((Class<T>)sensor.getType()).timeout(timeout).getMaybe();
+                return Tasks.resolving(value)
+                        .as((Class<T>)sensor.getType())
+                        .timeout(timeout)
+                        .getMaybe();
             }
         }
-        final Task<Maybe<T>> resolveValue = Tasks.<Maybe<T>>builder().displayName("resolving " + value).body(new ResolveValue()).build();
+        final Task<Maybe<T>> resolveValue = Tasks.<Maybe<T>>builder()
+                .displayName("resolving " + value)
+                .body(new ResolveValue())
+                .build();
 
         class SetValue implements Callable<T> {
             @Override
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/password/CreatePasswordSensor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/password/CreatePasswordSensor.java
index 7b7a908bdf..dced642eb6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/password/CreatePasswordSensor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/password/CreatePasswordSensor.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.config.ConfigKey;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.config.ConfigKeys;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.effector.AddSensor;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.core.entity.EntityInitializers;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.config.ConfigBag;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.text.Identifiers;
 
@@ -33,23 +34,21 @@ public class CreatePasswordSensor extends AddSensor<String> {
 
     public static final ConfigKey<String> ACCEPTABLE_CHARS = ConfigKeys.newStringConfigKey("password.chars", "The characters allowed in password");
 
-    private Integer passwordLength;
-    private String acceptableChars;
-
     public CreatePasswordSensor(Map<String, String> params) {
         this(ConfigBag.newInstance(params));
     }
 
     public CreatePasswordSensor(ConfigBag params) {
         super(params);
-        passwordLength = params.get(PASSWORD_LENGTH);
-        acceptableChars = params.get(ACCEPTABLE_CHARS);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void apply(EntityLocal entity) {
         super.apply(entity);
 
+        Integer passwordLength = EntityInitializers.resolve(params, PASSWORD_LENGTH);
+        String acceptableChars = EntityInitializers.resolve(params, ACCEPTABLE_CHARS);
+
         String password = acceptableChars == null
                 ? Identifiers.makeRandomPassword(passwordLength)
                 : Identifiers.makeRandomPassword(passwordLength, acceptableChars);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/ssh/SshCommandSensor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/ssh/SshCommandSensor.java
index 0218a990da..d408a9f75a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/ssh/SshCommandSensor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/sensor/ssh/SshCommandSensor.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.config.ConfigKeys;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.effector.AddSensor;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.entity.BrooklynConfigKeys;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.core.entity.EntityInitializers;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.sensor.http.HttpRequestSensor;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.feed.ssh.SshFeed;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.feed.ssh.SshPollConfig;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.collections.MutableMap;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.config.ConfigBag;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.flags.TypeCoercions;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.task.Tasks;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.os.Os;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.text.Strings;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -61,16 +63,9 @@ public final class SshCommandSensor<T> extends AddSensor<T> {
         + "if not supplied, executes in the entity's run dir (or home dir if no run dir is defined); "
         + "use '~' to always execute in the home dir, or 'custom-feed/' to execute in a custom-feed dir relative to the run dir");
 
-    protected final String command;
-    protected final String executionDir;
-
     public SshCommandSensor(final ConfigBag params) {
         super(params);
-
-        // TODO create a supplier for the command string to support attribute embedding
-        command = Preconditions.checkNotNull(params.get(SENSOR_COMMAND), "command");
-        
-        executionDir = params.get(SENSOR_EXECUTION_DIR);
+        Preconditions.checkNotNull(params.getAllConfigRaw().get(SENSOR_COMMAND.getName()), "command");
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -91,6 +86,8 @@ public Map<String, String> get() {
         Supplier<String> commandSupplier = new Supplier<String>() {
             @Override
             public String get() {
+                String command = EntityInitializers.resolve(params, SENSOR_COMMAND);
+                String executionDir = EntityInitializers.resolve(params, SENSOR_EXECUTION_DIR);
                 return makeCommandExecutingInDirectory(command, executionDir, entity);
             }
         };
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/DeferredSupplier.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/DeferredSupplier.java
index 4a19a74777..6be1941fe7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/DeferredSupplier.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/DeferredSupplier.java
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@
  * A class that supplies objects of a single type. When used as a ConfigKey value,
  * the evaluation is deferred until getConfig() is called. The returned value will then
  * be coerced to the correct type. 
- * 
+ * <p>
  * Subsequent calls to getConfig will result in further calls to deferredProvider.get(), 
  * rather than reusing the result. If you want to reuse the result, consider instead 
  * using a Future.
- * 
- * Note that this functionality replaces the ues of Closure in brooklyn 0.4.0, which 
+ * <p>
+ * Note that this functionality replaces the ues of Closure in brooklyn 0.4.0, which
  * served the same purpose.
  */
 public interface DeferredSupplier<T> extends Supplier<T> {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/ValueResolver.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/ValueResolver.java
index 0f85c3f7b4..6fa6bc41bf 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/ValueResolver.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/util/core/task/ValueResolver.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
 /** 
  * Resolves a given object, as follows:
- * <li> If it is a {@link Tasks} or a {@link DeferredSupplier} then get its contents
+ * <li> If it is a {@link Task} or a {@link DeferredSupplier} then get its contents
  * <li> If it's a map and {@link #deep(boolean)} is requested, it applies resolution to contents
  * <li> It applies coercion
  * <p>
diff --git a/software/base/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/entity/java/JmxAttributeSensor.java b/software/base/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/entity/java/JmxAttributeSensor.java
index 30829c7c31..3eaaf6fbe3 100644
--- a/software/base/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/entity/java/JmxAttributeSensor.java
+++ b/software/base/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/entity/java/JmxAttributeSensor.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.config.ConfigKey;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.config.ConfigKeys;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.effector.AddSensor;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.core.entity.EntityInitializers;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.sensor.DependentConfiguration;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.sensor.http.HttpRequestSensor;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.sensor.ssh.SshCommandSensor;
@@ -61,22 +62,8 @@ public final class JmxAttributeSensor<T> extends AddSensor<T> {
     public static final ConfigKey<String> ATTRIBUTE = ConfigKeys.newStringConfigKey("attribute", "JMX attribute to poll in object");
     public static final ConfigKey<Object> DEFAULT_VALUE = ConfigKeys.newConfigKey(Object.class, "defaultValue", "Default value for sensor; normally null");
 
-    protected final String objectName;
-    protected final String attribute;
-    protected final Object defaultValue;
-
     public JmxAttributeSensor(final ConfigBag params) {
         super(params);
-
-        objectName = Preconditions.checkNotNull(params.get(OBJECT_NAME), "objectName");
-        attribute = Preconditions.checkNotNull(params.get(ATTRIBUTE), "attribute");
-        defaultValue = params.get(DEFAULT_VALUE);
-
-        try {
-            ObjectName.getInstance(objectName);
-        } catch (MalformedObjectNameException mone) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Malformed JMX object name: " + objectName, mone);
-        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -88,6 +75,16 @@ public void apply(final EntityLocal entity) {
                 LOG.debug("Submitting task to add JMX sensor {} to {}", name, entity);
             }
 
+            final String objectName = Preconditions.checkNotNull(EntityInitializers.resolve(params, OBJECT_NAME), "objectName");
+            final String attribute = Preconditions.checkNotNull(EntityInitializers.resolve(params, ATTRIBUTE), "attribute");
+            final Object defaultValue = EntityInitializers.resolve(params, DEFAULT_VALUE);
+
+            try {
+                ObjectName.getInstance(objectName);
+            } catch (MalformedObjectNameException mone) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Malformed JMX object name: " + objectName, mone);
+            }
+
             Task<Integer> jmxPortTask = DependentConfiguration.attributeWhenReady(entity, UsesJmx.JMX_PORT);
             Task<JmxFeed> jmxFeedTask = Tasks.<JmxFeed>builder()
                     .description("Add JMX feed")
@@ -100,10 +97,10 @@ public JmxFeed call() throws Exception {
                                     .entity(entity)
                                     .period(period)
                                     .helper(helper)
-                                    .pollAttribute(new JmxAttributePollConfig<T>(sensor)
+                                    .pollAttribute(new JmxAttributePollConfig<>(sensor)
                                             .objectName(objectName)
                                             .attributeName(attribute)
-                                            .onFailureOrException(Functions.<T>constant((T) defaultValue)))
+                                            .onFailureOrException(Functions.constant((T) defaultValue)))
                                     .build();
                             entity.addFeed(feed);
                             return feed;