diff --git a/lib/inspec/targets/archive.rb b/lib/inspec/targets/archive.rb
index 5e5607223..c4c263d69 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/targets/archive.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/targets/archive.rb
@@ -8,40 +8,26 @@ require 'inspec/targets/dir'
 
 module Inspec::Targets
   class ArchiveHelper < DirsResolver
-    def get_files(target)
-      files, rootdir = structure(target)
+    attr_reader :files
+
+    def initialize(target, _opts = {})
+      @target = target
+      files, @rootdir = structure(target)
 
       # remove trailing slashes
       files = files.collect { |f| f.chomp('/') }
 
       # remove leading directory
-      files.collect { |f|
-        Pathname(f).relative_path_from(Pathname(rootdir)).to_s
+      root = Pathname(@rootdir)
+      @files = files.collect { |f|
+        Pathname(f).relative_path_from(root).to_s
       }
     end
 
-    def resolve(target, _opts = {})
-      files = get_files(target)
-      helper = DirsHelper.get_handler(files) ||
-               fail("Don't know how to handle folder #{target}")
-
-      _, rootdir = structure(target)
-
-      res = {
-        test:     collect(helper, files, :get_filenames),
-        library:  collect(helper, files, :get_libraries),
-        metadata: collect(helper, files, :get_metadata),
-      }.map { |as, list|
-        content(target, list, rootdir, base_folder: target, as: as)
-      }
-
-      res.flatten
-    end
-
-    # FIXME(sr) dedup inspec/targets/folder
-    def collect(helper, files, getter)
-      return [] unless helper.respond_to? getter
-      helper.method(getter).call(files)
+    def resolve(path, opts = {})
+      o = (opts || {})
+      o[:base_folder] = @target
+      content(@target, path, @rootdir, o)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/targets/core.rb b/lib/inspec/targets/core.rb
index 101e1bc09..ca12c4a71 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/targets/core.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/targets/core.rb
@@ -8,17 +8,42 @@ module Inspec
   module Targets
     extend Modulator
 
+    # Retrieve the resolver for a given target. Resolvers are any type of
+    # instance, that can take a target in the #resolve method, and turn
+    # it into raw InSpec code. It will actually retrieve all file's
+    # contents, including libraries and metadata.
+    #
+    # @param [any] target any target you are pointing to; typically a string
+    # @return [Inspec::Targets::*] the resolver handling this target
     def self.find_resolver(target)
       modules.values.find { |m| m.handles?(target) }
     end
 
+    # Retrieve the target handler, i.e. the component that is going to handle
+    # all aspects of a given target. Unlike the resolver, this provides
+    # access to an object, that understands the target and is able to read
+    # all contents, while providing additional methods which InSpec itself
+    # does not care about (think: plugins).
+    #
+    # There is a special case, where you might be pointing to a URL containing
+    # a ZIP file which has a full InSpec Profile embedded. This will be
+    # resolved to a directory helper (Inspec::Targets::DirsResolver). This
+    # method will retrieve the right handler for this directory and provide it
+    # with full access all contents (i.e. the DirsResolver will be embedded).
+    #
+    # @param [any] target any target you are pointing to; typically a string
+    # @return [Inspec::Targets::*] the handler for this target
     def self.find_handler(target)
       resolver = find_resolver(target)
-      return resolver unless resolver.is_a?DirsResolver
-      files = resolver.get_files(target)
-      DirsHelper.get_handler(files)
+      return resolver unless resolver.ancestors.include? DirsResolver
+      resolver.from_target(target).handler
     end
 
+    # Turn targets into actionable InSpec code, library-data and metadata.
+    #
+    # @param [any] targets any targets you are pointing to; typically strings
+    # @param [Hash] additional options for loading
+    # @return [Array] an array of resolved data, with :content, :ref, :type
     def self.resolve(targets, opts = {})
       Array(targets).map do |target|
         handler = find_resolver(target) ||
diff --git a/lib/inspec/targets/dir.rb b/lib/inspec/targets/dir.rb
index a3b01ea80..c9b225f49 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/targets/dir.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/targets/dir.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ module Inspec::Targets
     extend Modulator
 
     def self.get_handler(paths)
-      modules.values.find { |x| x.handles?(paths) }
+      modules.values.reverse.find { |x| x.handles?(paths) }
     end
   end
 
@@ -27,8 +27,46 @@ module Inspec::Targets
   #
   # These resolvers must implement the required methods of this class.
   class DirsResolver
-    def get_files(_target)
-      fail NotImplementedError, "Directory resolver #{self.class} must implement #get_files"
+    def files
+      fail NotImplementedError, "Directory resolver #{self.class} must implement #files"
+    end
+
+    def resolve(_path)
+      fail NotImplementedError, "Directory resolver #{self.class} must implement #content"
+    end
+
+    def handler
+      DirsHelper.get_handler(files) ||
+        fail("Don't know how to handle #{self}")
+    end
+
+    def self.from_target(target)
+      new(target)
+    end
+
+    def self.resolve(target, opts)
+      r = new(target, opts)
+      handler = r.handler
+      files = r.files
+
+      res = []
+      {
+        test:     __collect(handler, :get_filenames, files),
+        library:  __collect(handler, :get_libraries, files),
+        metadata: __collect(handler, :get_metadata, files),
+      }.each do |as, list|
+        Array(list).each { |path|
+          res.push(r.resolve(path, as: as))
+        }
+      end
+
+      return handler.resolve_contents(res) if handler.respond_to?(:resolve_contents)
+      res
+    end
+
+    def self.__collect(handler, getter, files)
+      return [] unless handler.respond_to? getter
+      handler.method(getter).call(files)
     end
   end
 
@@ -97,7 +135,9 @@ module Inspec::Targets
     end
 
     def get_filenames(paths)
-      paths.find_all { |x| x.end_with?('.rb') and !x.include?('/') }
+      # TODO: eventually remove the metadata.rb exception here
+      # when we have fully phased out metadata.rb in 1.0
+      paths.find_all { |x| x.end_with?('.rb') && !x.include?('/') && x != 'metadata.rb' }
     end
   end
   DirsHelper.add_module('flat-ruby-folder', FlatDir.new)
diff --git a/lib/inspec/targets/folder.rb b/lib/inspec/targets/folder.rb
index bafec8e4a..44f41690c 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/targets/folder.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/targets/folder.rb
@@ -7,49 +7,32 @@ require 'inspec/targets/file'
 
 module Inspec::Targets
   class FolderHelper < DirsResolver
-    def handles?(target)
+    def self.handles?(target)
       File.directory?(target)
     end
 
-    def get_files(target)
+    attr_reader :files
+
+    def initialize(target, _opts = {})
+      @base_folder = target
       # find all files in the folder
       files = Dir[File.join(target, '**', '*')]
       # remove the prefix
       prefix = File.join(target, '')
-      files.map { |x| x.sub(prefix, '') }
+      @files = files.map { |x| x.sub(prefix, '') }
+      @file_handler = Inspec::Targets.modules['file']
     end
 
-    def resolve(target, _opts = {})
-      # get the dirs helper
-      files = get_files(target)
-      helper = DirsHelper.get_handler(files) ||
-               fail("Don't know how to handle folder #{target}")
-
-      # get all test file contents
-      file_handler = Inspec::Targets.modules['file']
-      res = {
-        test:     collect(helper, files, :get_filenames),
-        library:  collect(helper, files, :get_libraries),
-        metadata: collect(helper, files, :get_metadata),
-      }.map { |as, list|
-        file_handler.resolve_all(list, base_folder: target, as: as)
-      }
-
-      # flatten the outer list layer
-      res.inject(&:+)
+    def resolve(path, opts = {})
+      o = (opts || {})
+      o[:base_folder] = @base_folder
+      @file_handler.resolve(path, o)
     end
 
     def to_s
       'Folder Loader'
     end
-
-    private
-
-    def collect(helper, files, getter)
-      return [] unless helper.respond_to? getter
-      helper.method(getter).call(files)
-    end
   end
 
-  Inspec::Targets.add_module('folder', FolderHelper.new)
+  Inspec::Targets.add_module('folder', FolderHelper)
 end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/targets/tar.rb b/lib/inspec/targets/tar.rb
index 554be91bf..e8af85708 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/targets/tar.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/targets/tar.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ require 'inspec/targets/archive'
 
 module Inspec::Targets
   class TarHelper < ArchiveHelper
-    def handles?(target)
+    def self.handles?(target)
       File.file?(target) && target.end_with?('.tar.gz', '.tgz')
     end
 
@@ -30,22 +30,20 @@ module Inspec::Targets
       [files, rootdir]
     end
 
-    def content(input, files, rootdir = nil, opts = {})
-      content = []
+    def content(input, path, rootdir = nil, opts = {})
+      content = nil
       Gem::Package::TarReader.new(Zlib::GzipReader.open(input)) do |tar|
         tar.each do |entry|
           if entry.directory?
             # nothing to do
           elsif entry.file?
-            if files.include?(entry.full_name.gsub(rootdir, ''))
-              h = {
-                # NB if some file is empty, return empty-string, not nil
-                content: entry.read || '',
-                type: opts[:as] || :test,
-                ref: entry.full_name,
-              }
-              content.push(h)
-            end
+            next unless path == entry.full_name.gsub(rootdir, '')
+            content = {
+              # NB if some file is empty, return empty-string, not nil
+              content: entry.read || '',
+              type: opts[:as] || :test,
+              ref: entry.full_name,
+            }
           elsif entry.header.typeflag == '2'
             # ignore symlinks for now
           end
@@ -59,5 +57,5 @@ module Inspec::Targets
     end
   end
 
-  Inspec::Targets.add_module('tar', TarHelper.new)
+  Inspec::Targets.add_module('tar', TarHelper)
 end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/targets/zip.rb b/lib/inspec/targets/zip.rb
index 84c5ae72e..cd094a1f0 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/targets/zip.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/targets/zip.rb
@@ -8,22 +8,22 @@ require 'inspec/targets/archive'
 
 module Inspec::Targets
   class ZipHelper < ArchiveHelper
-    def handles?(target)
+    def self.handles?(target)
       File.file?(target) and target.end_with?('.zip')
     end
 
-    def content(input, files, rootdir = nil, opts = {})
-      content = []
+    def content(input, path, rootdir = nil, opts = {})
+      content = nil
       ::Zip::InputStream.open(input) do |io|
         while (entry = io.get_next_entry)
-          next if !files.include?(entry.name.gsub(rootdir, ''))
-          h = {
+          next unless path == entry.name.gsub(rootdir, '')
+          content = {
             # NB if some file is empty, return empty-string, not nil
             content: io.read || '',
             type: opts[:as] || :test,
             ref: entry.name,
           }
-          content.push(h)
+          abort
         end
       end
       content
@@ -51,5 +51,5 @@ module Inspec::Targets
     end
   end
 
-  Inspec::Targets.add_module('zip', ZipHelper.new)
+  Inspec::Targets.add_module('zip', ZipHelper)
 end