diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d4ae7a7..aacfdf1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Paths that have a component that begins with an underscore are ignored.
 
 ## API usage
 
-The following goes recursively through the provided `./modules` path and imports the files whose names end with `.nix`.
+The following goes recursively through `./modules` and imports all `.nix` files.
 
 ```nix
 {config, ...} {
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ The following goes recursively through the provided `./modules` path and imports
 }
 ```
 
+For more advanced usage, `import-tree` can be configured via its builder API.
+This means that the result of calling a function on an `import-tree` object
+is itself another `import-tree` object.
+
 </summary>
 
 ## Obtaining the API
@@ -89,16 +93,34 @@ The following is valid usage:
 }
 ```
 
+As an special case, when the single argument given to an `import-tree` object is an
+attribute-set *meaning it is _NOT_ a path or list of paths*, the `import-tree` object
+assumes it is being imported as a module. This way, a pre-configured `import-tree` can
+also be used directly in a list of module imports.
+
+This is useful for authors exposing pre-configured `import-tree`s that users can directly
+add to their import list or continue configuring themselves using the API.
+
+```nix
+let
+  # imagine this configured tree is actually provided by some flake or library.
+  # users can directly import it or continue using API methods on it.
+  configured-tree = import-tree.addPath [./a [./b]]; # paths are configured by library author.
+in {
+  imports = [ configured-tree ]; # but then imported or further configured by the library user.
+}
+```
+
 ## Configurable behavior
 
-`import-tree` functions with custom behavior can be obtained using a builder pattern.
+`import-tree` objects with custom behavior can be obtained using a builder pattern.
 For example:
 
 ```nix
 lib.pipe import-tree [
-  (i: i.mapWith lib.traceVal) # trace all paths
+  (i: i.mapWith lib.traceVal) # trace all paths. useful for debugging what is being imported.
   (i: i.filtered (lib.hasInfix ".mod.")) # filter nix files by some predicate
-  (i: i ./modules) # finally, call the configured callable with a path
+  (i: i ./modules) # finally, call the configured import-tree with a path
 ]
 ```
 
diff --git a/checkmate.nix b/checkmate.nix
index 9db7cd7..883aa39 100644
--- a/checkmate.nix
+++ b/checkmate.nix
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ in
             oneElement inner.imports;
           expected = ./tree/x/y.nix;
         };
+
+        import-tree."test evaluates returned module as part of module-eval" = {
+          expr =
+            let
+              res = lib.modules.evalModules { modules = [ (it ./tree/modules) ]; };
+            in
+            res.config.hello;
+          expected = "world";
+        };
+
+        import-tree."test can itself be used as a module" = {
+          expr =
+            let
+              res = lib.modules.evalModules { modules = [ (it.addPath ./tree/modules) ]; };
+            in
+            res.config.hello;
+          expected = "world";
+        };
       };
 
     }
diff --git a/default.nix b/default.nix
index 448e68a..346dd79 100644
--- a/default.nix
+++ b/default.nix
@@ -58,18 +58,27 @@ let
     attrs: k: f:
     attrs // { ${k} = f attrs.${k}; };
 
-  functor = self: perform self.config;
+  functor =
+    self: args:
+    let
+      imported-as-module = builtins.isAttrs args;
+      module = {
+        imports = [ (perform self.__config [ ]) ];
+      };
+      result = perform self.__config args;
+    in
+    if imported-as-module then module else result;
 
   callable =
     let
-      config = {
+      __config = {
         # Accumulated configuration
         mapf = (i: i);
         filterf = _: true;
         paths = [ ];
 
         __functor = self: f: {
-          config = (f self);
+          __config = (f self);
           __functor = functor;
 
           # Configuration updates (accumulating)
@@ -88,7 +97,7 @@ let
         };
       };
     in
-    config (c: c);
+    __config (c: c);
 
 in
 callable
diff --git a/tree/modules/hello-option/mod.nix b/tree/modules/hello-option/mod.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c44450c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tree/modules/hello-option/mod.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{ lib, ... }:
+{
+  options.hello = lib.mkOption {
+    type = lib.types.str;
+    default = "goodbye";
+  };
+}
diff --git a/tree/modules/hello-world/mod.nix b/tree/modules/hello-world/mod.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03a8e7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tree/modules/hello-world/mod.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  hello = "world";
+}