diff --git a/openbr/plugins/meta.cpp b/openbr/plugins/meta.cpp
index b5e14cb..c8df4c5 100644
--- a/openbr/plugins/meta.cpp
+++ b/openbr/plugins/meta.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,25 @@ class PipeTransform : public CompositeTransform
                 fprintf(stderr, " training...");
                 transforms[i]->train(copy);
             }
+            // if the transform is time varying, we batch project it.
+            if (transforms[i]->timeVarying()) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "\n%s projecting...", qPrintable(transforms[i]->objectName()));
+                transforms[i]->projectUpdate(copy, copy);
+
+                // advance i since we already projected for this stage.
+                i++;
+
+                // set up the single item lists since they are inconsistent again.
+                singleItemLists.clear();
+                for (int j=0; j < copy.size(); j++)
+                {
+                    TemplateList temp;
+                    temp.append(copy[j]);
+                    singleItemLists.append(temp);
+                }
+                // the next stage might be trainable, so continue to evaluate it.
+                continue;
+            }
 
             // We project through any subsequent untrainable transforms at once
             //   as a memory optimization in case any of these intermediate
@@ -112,7 +131,8 @@ class PipeTransform : public CompositeTransform
             //   by that transform at once if we can avoid it.
             int nextTrainableTransform = i+1;
             while ((nextTrainableTransform < transforms.size()) &&
-                   !transforms[nextTrainableTransform]->trainable)
+                   !transforms[nextTrainableTransform]->trainable &&
+                   !transforms[nextTrainableTransform]->timeVarying())
                 nextTrainableTransform++;
 
             fprintf(stderr, " projecting...");
diff --git a/openbr/plugins/openbr_internal.h b/openbr/plugins/openbr_internal.h
index fb7a1b5..2f42e50 100644
--- a/openbr/plugins/openbr_internal.h
+++ b/openbr/plugins/openbr_internal.h
@@ -170,14 +170,8 @@ public:
     virtual void project(const TemplateList &src, TemplateList &dst) const
     {
         if (timeVarying()) {
-            if (!this->timeInvariantAlias) {
-                QMutexLocker lock(&aliasLock);
-                CompositeTransform * non_const = const_cast<CompositeTransform *>(this);
-                non_const->timeInvariantAlias = non_const->smartCopy();
-                non_const->timeInvariantAlias->setParent(non_const);
-                lock.unlock();
-            }
-            timeInvariantAlias->projectUpdate(src,dst);
+            CompositeTransform * non_const = const_cast<CompositeTransform *>(this);
+            non_const->projectUpdate(src,dst);
             return;
         }
         _project(src, dst);
@@ -237,13 +231,10 @@ public:
 protected:
     bool isTimeVarying;
 
-    mutable QMutex aliasLock;
-    Transform * timeInvariantAlias;
-
     virtual void _project(const Template & src, Template & dst) const = 0;
     virtual void _project(const TemplateList & src, TemplateList & dst) const = 0;
 
-    CompositeTransform() : TimeVaryingTransform(false) { timeInvariantAlias = NULL; }
+    CompositeTransform() : TimeVaryingTransform(false) {}
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/openbr/plugins/stream.cpp b/openbr/plugins/stream.cpp
index e02092c..7376265 100644
--- a/openbr/plugins/stream.cpp
+++ b/openbr/plugins/stream.cpp
@@ -958,6 +958,8 @@ public:
     {
         if (transforms.isEmpty()) return;
 
+        CompositeTransform::init();
+
         // We share a thread pool across streams attached to the same
         // parent tranform, retrieve or create a thread pool based
         // on our parent transform.