diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/configuration/application/ApplicationHandlers.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/configuration/application/ApplicationHandlers.java
index 3834e38..a0c553c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/configuration/application/ApplicationHandlers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/configuration/application/ApplicationHandlers.java
@@ -136,6 +136,17 @@ public class ApplicationHandlers {
  	    }
  	}
  	
- 	
+ 	public void mergeWith(ApplicationHandlers other){
+ 		List<ApplicationLifecycleHandler> lifecycles = other.lifecycleHandlers();
+ 		for (ApplicationLifecycleHandler handler : lifecycles)
+ 			if (!this.lifecycleHandlers().contains(handler))
+ 				this.lifecycleHandlers().add(handler);
+		
+ 		List<RequestHandler> requests = other.requestHandlers();
+ 		for (RequestHandler handler : requests)
+ 			if (!this.requestHandlers().contains(handler))
+ 				this.requestHandlers().add(handler);
+ 
+ 	}
    
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/AbstractHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/AbstractHandler.java
index ce128bc..9f260c1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/AbstractHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/AbstractHandler.java
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractHandler {
 	public String toString() {
 		return getClass().getSimpleName();
 	}
+
+	@Override
+	public final boolean equals(Object obj) {
+		AbstractHandler handler = (AbstractHandler) obj;
+		return this.getClass().getCanonicalName().equals(handler.getClass().getCanonicalName());
+	}
 	
 	//so far, largely a placeholder for future cross-handler behaviour
 	
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/application/ApplicationLifecycleHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/application/ApplicationLifecycleHandler.java
index 4db4b49..9e6486b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/application/ApplicationLifecycleHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/handlers/application/ApplicationLifecycleHandler.java
@@ -44,4 +44,6 @@ public abstract class ApplicationLifecycleHandler extends AbstractHandler implem
 			if (e instanceof ApplicationLifecycleEvent.Stop)
 				onStop(ApplicationLifecycleEvent.Stop.class.cast(e));
 	}
+
+	
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/provider/DefaultProvider.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/provider/DefaultProvider.java
index 6f91dcf..b75d5a2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/provider/DefaultProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/smartgears/provider/DefaultProvider.java
@@ -204,24 +204,26 @@ public class DefaultProvider implements Provider {
 
 		try {
 
-			InputStream config = context.application().getResourceAsStream(handlers_file_path);
-
-			if (config == null) {
+			// it's in a library, using
+			InputStream defaultHandlersStream = getClass().getResourceAsStream(default_handlers_file_path);
 
+			if (defaultHandlersStream == null)
+					throw new IllegalStateException("invalid distribution: cannot find " + default_handlers_file_path);
+			
+			InputStream appSpecificHandlersStream = context.application().getResourceAsStream(handlers_file_path);
+			
+			ApplicationConfigurationBinder binder = new ApplicationConfigurationBinder();
+			
+			ApplicationHandlers defaultHandlers = binder.bindHandlers(defaultHandlersStream);
+			
+			if (appSpecificHandlersStream !=null ){
+				defaultHandlers.mergeWith(binder.bindHandlers(appSpecificHandlersStream));
+				log.trace("{} uses default lifecycle with app spceific handler as it includes {}", context.name(), handlers_file_path);
+			} else 
 				log.trace("{} uses the default lifecycle as it does not include {}", context.name(), handlers_file_path);
 
-				// it's in a library, using
-				config = getClass().getResourceAsStream(default_handlers_file_path);
-
-				if (config == null)
-					throw new IllegalStateException("invalid distribution: cannot find " + default_handlers_file_path);
-
-			} else
-				log.info("{} uses a custom lifecycle @ {}", context.name(), handlers_file_path);
-
-			ApplicationConfigurationBinder binder = new ApplicationConfigurationBinder();
-
-			return binder.bindHandlers(config);
+			return defaultHandlers;	
+			 
 
 		} catch (RuntimeException e) {
 
@@ -230,6 +232,7 @@ public class DefaultProvider implements Provider {
 		}
 	}
 
+	
 	@Override
 	public ApplicationExtensions extensionsFor(ApplicationContext context) {