diff --git a/.github/workflows/preview.yml b/.github/workflows/preview.yml
index 23105cad5..104c02103 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/preview.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/preview.yml
@@ -207,30 +207,30 @@ jobs:
         echo "PREVIEW_VERSION=${{ needs.preview-build.outputs.preview_version }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo "DOCKER_TAGS=${{ needs.preview-build.outputs.docker_tags }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
-      - name: checkout build docs
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: nosqlbench/nosqlbench-build-docs
-          path: build-docs
+    - name: checkout build docs
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        repository: nosqlbench/nosqlbench-build-docs
+        path: build-docs
 
-      - name: download exported_docs
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: exported-docs
-          path: build-docs
+    - name: download exported_docs
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: exported-docs
+        path: build-docs
 
-      - name: overlay docs changes and push
-        run: |
-          set -x
-          cd build-docs
-          ./doimport.sh
-          rm exported_docs.zip
-          git config --global user.email "${{ secrets.NBDROID_EMAIL }}"
-          git config --global user.name "${{ secrets.NBDROID_NAME }}"
-          git add .
-          git tag -f ${{ env.PREVIEW_VERSION }}
-          git commit -m"docs update for ${{ env.PREVIEW_VERSION }}"
-          git push
+    - name: overlay docs changes and push
+      run: |
+        set -x
+        cd build-docs
+        ./doimport.sh
+        rm exported_docs.zip
+        git config --global user.email "${{ secrets.NBDROID_EMAIL }}"
+        git config --global user.name "${{ secrets.NBDROID_NAME }}"
+        git add .
+        git tag -f ${{ env.PREVIEW_VERSION }}
+        git commit -m"docs update for ${{ env.PREVIEW_VERSION }}"
+        git push
 
   javadocs:
     needs: preview-docs
diff --git a/nb-virtdata/virtdata-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/virtdata/core/bindings/VirtDataComposer.java b/nb-virtdata/virtdata-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/virtdata/core/bindings/VirtDataComposer.java
index e19bb76c7..7de6bd864 100644
--- a/nb-virtdata/virtdata-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/virtdata/core/bindings/VirtDataComposer.java
+++ b/nb-virtdata/virtdata-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/virtdata/core/bindings/VirtDataComposer.java
@@ -117,9 +117,11 @@ public class VirtDataComposer {
 
         for (int pos = 0; pos <fargs.length; pos++) { // Resolve functions recursively if needed
             Object param = fargs[pos];
-            if (param instanceof FunctionCall) {
-
-                List<ResolvedFunction> resolvedAt = resolve(diagnostics, (FunctionCall) param, cconfig);
+            if (param instanceof FunctionCall innerFcall) {
+                if (innerFcall.getInputType()==null) {
+                    innerFcall.setInputType(fcall.getInputType());
+                }
+                List<ResolvedFunction> resolvedAt = resolve(diagnostics, innerFcall, cconfig);
                 Object[] pfuncs = new Object[resolvedAt.size()];
                 for (int pfunc = 0; pfunc < pfuncs.length; pfunc++) {
                     pfuncs[pfunc]=resolvedAt.get(pfunc).getFunctionObject();
@@ -167,6 +169,11 @@ public class VirtDataComposer {
 
         for (int i = flow.getExpressions().size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
             FunctionCall call = flow.getExpressions().get(i).getCall();
+            if (flow.getExpressions().size()==1) {
+                if (call.getInputType()==null) {
+                    call.setInputType("long");
+                }
+            }
 
             diagnostics.trace("FUNCTION[" + i + "]: " + call.toString() + ", resolving args");
 
@@ -306,7 +313,8 @@ public class VirtDataComposer {
      * @param funcs the list of candidate functions offered at each phase, in List&lt;List&gt; form.
      * @return a List of resolved functions that has been fully optimized
      */
-    private List<ResolvedFunction> optimizePath(List<List<ResolvedFunction>> funcs, Class<?> type) {
+    public List<ResolvedFunction> optimizePath(List<List<ResolvedFunction>> funcs,
+        Class<?> type) {
         List<ResolvedFunction> prevFuncs = null;
         List<ResolvedFunction> nextFuncs = null;
         int progress = -1;
@@ -345,12 +353,18 @@ public class VirtDataComposer {
                 progress += reduceByPreferredResultTypes(funcs.get(0));
             }
         }
+
+        for (List<ResolvedFunction> func : funcs) {
+            func.sort(ResolvedFunction.PREFERRED_TYPE_COMPARATOR);
+        }
+
         List<ResolvedFunction> optimized = funcs.stream().map(l -> l.get(0)).collect(Collectors.toList());
 
         return optimized;
     }
 
-    private int reduceByRequiredResultsType(List<ResolvedFunction> endFuncs, Class<?> resultType) {
+    public int reduceByRequiredResultsType(List<ResolvedFunction> endFuncs,
+        Class<?> resultType) {
         int progressed = 0;
         LinkedList<ResolvedFunction> tmpList = new LinkedList<>(endFuncs);
         for (ResolvedFunction endFunc : tmpList) {
diff --git a/nbr/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/cli/testing/ExitStatusIntegrationTests.java b/nbr/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/cli/testing/ExitStatusIntegrationTests.java
index 58bb0a002..842483e54 100644
--- a/nbr/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/cli/testing/ExitStatusIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/nbr/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/cli/testing/ExitStatusIntegrationTests.java
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ class ExitStatusIntegrationTests {
 
         // Forcing a thread exception via basic command issue.
         ProcessResult result = invoker.run("exitstatus_threadexception", 30,
-                "java", "--enable-preview", "-jar", JARNAME, "--logs-dir", "logs/test/threadexcep", "--logs-level",
+                java, "--enable-preview", "-jar", JARNAME, "--logs-dir", "logs/test/threadexcep",
+            "--logs-level",
             "debug", "run",
                 "driver=diag", "cyclerate=10", "not_a_thing", "cycles=100", "-vvv"
         );
@@ -79,7 +80,8 @@ class ExitStatusIntegrationTests {
         ProcessInvoker invoker = new ProcessInvoker();
         invoker.setLogDir("logs/test");
         ProcessResult result = invoker.run("exitstatus_asyncstoprequest", 60,
-                "java", "--enable-preview", "-jar", JARNAME, "--logs-dir", "logs/test/asyncstop", "--logs-level", "debug", "run",
+                java, "--enable-preview", "-jar", JARNAME, "--logs-dir", "logs/test/asyncstop",
+            "--logs-level", "debug", "run",
                 "driver=diag", "threads=2", "cyclerate=10", "op=erroroncycle:erroroncycle=10", "cycles=50", "-vvv"
         );
         assertThat(result.exception).isNull();