diff --git a/lib/src/Engine.dart b/lib/src/Engine.dart
index e00b50f..59bcc66 100644
--- a/lib/src/Engine.dart
+++ b/lib/src/Engine.dart
@@ -102,7 +102,10 @@ class Engine {
   /// If simulation should be advanced manually one time, prefer using step().
   void update() {
     // TODO: create hasUpdated/hasAdvanced method in simulation to abstract actual updating away
-    if (_simulation.update().length == 0) running = false;
+    Map<int, bool> simulationUpdate = _simulation.update();
+    _simulation.mergeStateChanges(simulationUpdate);
+
+    if (simulationUpdate.length == 0) running = false;
   }
 
   /// Advances Logic One Update
diff --git a/lib/src/Simulation.dart b/lib/src/Simulation.dart
index b0bbb46..8cc04ef 100644
--- a/lib/src/Simulation.dart
+++ b/lib/src/Simulation.dart
@@ -72,12 +72,14 @@ class Simulation {
 
   Map<int, bool> update() {
     Map<int, bool> stateChanges = calculateNextState(map);
-
-    stateChanges.forEach((i, el) => map[i] = el);
-    stateChanges.length != 0 ? _dirty = true : false;
     return stateChanges;
   }
 
+  void mergeStateChanges(Map<int, bool> stateChanges) {
+    stateChanges.forEach((i, el) => map[i] = el);
+    if (stateChanges.length != 0) _dirty = true;
+  }
+
   Map<int, bool> calculateNextState(Grid<bool> oldState) {
     Map<int, bool> stateChanges = Map();