diff --git a/artefact.inc.php b/artefact.inc.php
index bd8d2fb..ce6a700 100644
--- a/artefact.inc.php
+++ b/artefact.inc.php
@@ -4,20 +4,27 @@ use Exception;
 
 class TaskmanArtefact
 {
+  private \taskman\TaskmanTask $task;
   private string $path;
   private array $sources_fn = array();
   private array $sources_spec = array();
   private iterable $sources = array();
   private array $sources_changed = array();
   private array $sources_changed_fn = array();
-  private array $sources_newer = array();
+  private array $sources_affected = array();
 
-  function __construct(string $path, array $sources_spec)
+  function __construct(\taskman\TaskmanTask $task, string $path, array $sources_spec)
   {
+    $this->task = $task;
     $this->path = $path;
     $this->sources_spec = $sources_spec; 
   }
 
+  function getTask() : \taskman\TaskmanTask
+  {
+    return $this->task;
+  }
+
   function getPath() : string
   {
     return $this->path;
@@ -70,23 +77,31 @@ class TaskmanArtefact
     return array();
   }
 
+  //obsolete
   function isSourcesNewer(int $idx) : bool
   {
-    return isset($this->sources_newer[$idx]) && $this->sources_newer[$idx];
+    return $this->isSourcesAffected($idx);
   }
 
-  function getNewerSourcesIndices() : array
+  function isSourcesAffected(int $idx) : bool
   {
-    return array_keys($this->sources_newer);
+    return isset($this->sources_affected[$idx]) && $this->sources_affected[$idx];
+  }
+
+  function getAffectedSourcesIndices() : array
+  {
+    return array_keys($this->sources_affected);
   }
 
   function isStale() : bool
   {
-    return count($this->sources_newer) > 0;
+    return count($this->sources_affected) > 0;
   }
 
-  function initSources(?\taskman\TaskmanFileChanges $file_changes)
+  function initSources()
   {
+    $file_changes = $this->task->getFileChanges();
+
     $all_src_specs = $this->getSourcesSpec();
     //let's process a convenience special case
     if(count($all_src_specs) > 0 && !is_array($all_src_specs[0]))
@@ -134,14 +149,16 @@ class TaskmanArtefact
     }
   }
 
-  function checkNewerSources(?\taskman\TaskmanFileChanges $file_changes) : bool
+  function checkAffectedSources() : bool
   {
+    $file_changes = $this->task->getFileChanges();
+
     foreach($this->getSourcesSpec() as $src_idx => $src_spec)
     {
       $sources = $file_changes != null ? $this->getChangedSources($src_idx) : $this->getSources($src_idx);
       if(is_stale($this->getPath(), $sources))
       {
-        $this->sources_newer[$src_idx] = true;
+        $this->sources_affected[$src_idx] = true;
         return true;
       }
     }
diff --git a/taskman.inc.php b/taskman.inc.php
index eaafa0d..8defd94 100644
--- a/taskman.inc.php
+++ b/taskman.inc.php
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class TaskmanTask
     if(is_array($specs))
     {
       foreach($specs as $dst => $src_spec)
-        $artefacts[] = new artefact\TaskmanArtefact($dst, $src_spec);
+        $artefacts[] = new artefact\TaskmanArtefact($this, $dst, $src_spec);
     }
     
     return $artefacts;
@@ -266,20 +266,18 @@ class TaskmanTask
 
   private function _checkIfArtefactsStale() : bool 
   {
-    $file_changes = $this->getFileChanges();
-
     $stale_found = false;
 
     foreach($this->getArtefacts() as $artefact)
     {
-      $artefact->initSources($file_changes);
+      $artefact->initSources();
 
-      if(!$stale_found && $artefact->checkNewerSources($file_changes))
+      if(!$stale_found && $artefact->checkAffectedSources())
         $stale_found = true;
 
       if($artefact->isStale())
       {
-        log(0, "Task '{$this->name}' artefact '{$artefact->getPath()}' (sources at ".implode(',', $artefact->getNewerSourcesIndices()).") is stale\n");
+        log(0, "Task '{$this->name}' artefact '{$artefact->getPath()}' (sources at ".implode(',', $artefact->getAffectedSourcesIndices()).") is stale\n");
       }
     }
 
@@ -365,6 +363,31 @@ class TaskmanFileChanges
     $this->changed = $changed;
   }
 
+  function getStatus(string $file) : ?int
+  {
+    return isset($this->changed[$file]) ? $this->changed[$file] : null;
+  }
+
+  function isChanged(string $file) : bool
+  {
+    return $this->getStatus($file) == self::Changed;
+  }
+
+  function isCreated(string $file) : bool
+  {
+    return $this->getStatus($file) == self::Created;
+  }
+
+  function isDeleted(string $file) : bool
+  {
+    return $this->getStatus($file) == self::Deleted;
+  }
+
+  function isRenamed(string $file) : bool
+  {
+    return $this->getStatus($file) == self::Renamed;
+  }
+
   function isEmpty() : bool
   {
     return count($this->changed) == 0;