diff -uNr hal-0.5.8.1.orig/hald/device_info.c hal-0.5.8.1/hald/device_info.c
--- hal-0.5.8.1.orig/hald/device_info.c	2006-09-19 22:23:25.000000000 +0200
+++ hal-0.5.8.1/hald/device_info.c	2006-10-29 13:51:49.000000000 +0100
@@ -1189,56 +1189,22 @@
 				    pc->merge_type, pc->merge_type));
 			break;
 		}
-	} else if (pc->curelem == CURELEM_APPEND && pc->match_ok && 
+	} else if ((pc->curelem == CURELEM_APPEND || pc->curelem == CURELEM_PREPEND) && pc->match_ok && 
 		   (hal_device_property_get_type (pc->device, pc->merge_key) == HAL_PROPERTY_TYPE_STRING ||
 		    hal_device_property_get_type (pc->device, pc->merge_key) == HAL_PROPERTY_TYPE_STRLIST ||
 		    hal_device_property_get_type (pc->device, pc->merge_key) == HAL_PROPERTY_TYPE_INVALID)) {
 		char buf[256];
 		char buf2[256];
 
-		/* As soon as we are appending, we have matched the device... */
+		/* As soon as we are appending/prepending, we have matched the device... */
 		pc->device_matched = TRUE;
 
 		if (pc->merge_type == MERGE_TYPE_STRLIST) {
-			hal_device_property_strlist_append (pc->device, pc->merge_key, pc->cdata_buf);
-		} else {
-			const char *existing_string;
-			
-			switch (pc->merge_type) {
-			case MERGE_TYPE_STRING:
-				strncpy (buf, pc->cdata_buf, sizeof (buf));
-				break;
-				
-			case MERGE_TYPE_COPY_PROPERTY:
-				hal_device_property_get_as_string (pc->device, pc->cdata_buf, buf, sizeof (buf));
-				break;
-				
-			default:
-				HAL_ERROR (("Unknown merge_type=%d='%c'", pc->merge_type, pc->merge_type));
-				break;
-			}
-			
-			existing_string = hal_device_property_get_string (pc->device, pc->merge_key);
-			if (existing_string != NULL) {
-				strncpy (buf2, existing_string, sizeof (buf2));
-				strncat (buf2, buf, sizeof (buf2) - strlen(buf2));
+			if (pc->curelem == CURELEM_APPEND){
+				hal_device_property_strlist_append (pc->device, pc->merge_key, pc->cdata_buf);
 			} else {
-				strncpy (buf2, buf, sizeof (buf2));
+				hal_device_property_strlist_prepend (pc->device, pc->merge_key, pc->cdata_buf);
 			}
-			hal_device_property_set_string (pc->device, pc->merge_key, buf2);
-		}
-	} else if (pc->curelem == CURELEM_PREPEND && pc->match_ok && 
-		   (hal_device_property_get_type (pc->device, pc->merge_key) == HAL_PROPERTY_TYPE_STRING ||
-		    hal_device_property_get_type (pc->device, pc->merge_key) == HAL_PROPERTY_TYPE_STRLIST ||
-		    hal_device_property_get_type (pc->device, pc->merge_key) == HAL_PROPERTY_TYPE_INVALID)) {
-		char buf[256];
-		char buf2[256];
-
-		/* As soon as we are prepending, we have matched the device... */
-		pc->device_matched = TRUE;
-
-		if (pc->merge_type == MERGE_TYPE_STRLIST) {
-			hal_device_property_strlist_prepend (pc->device, pc->merge_key, pc->cdata_buf);
 		} else {
 			const char *existing_string;
 			
@@ -1248,8 +1214,34 @@
 				break;
 				
 			case MERGE_TYPE_COPY_PROPERTY:
-				hal_device_property_get_as_string (pc->device, pc->cdata_buf, buf, sizeof (buf));
+			{
+				char udi_to_merge_from[256];
+				char prop_to_merge[256];
+
+				/* Resolve key paths like 'someudi/foo/bar/baz:prop.name' 
+				 * '@prop.here.is.an.udi:with.prop.name'
+				 */
+				if (!resolve_udiprop_path (pc->cdata_buf,
+							   pc->device->udi,
+							   udi_to_merge_from, sizeof (udi_to_merge_from),
+							   prop_to_merge, sizeof (prop_to_merge))) {
+					HAL_ERROR (("Could not resolve keypath '%s' on udi '%s'", pc->cdata_buf, pc->device->udi));
+				} else {
+					HalDevice *d;
+
+					d = hal_device_store_find (hald_get_gdl (), udi_to_merge_from);
+					if (d == NULL) {
+						d = hal_device_store_find (hald_get_tdl (), udi_to_merge_from);
+					}
+					if (d == NULL) {
+						HAL_ERROR (("Could not find device with udi '%s'", udi_to_merge_from));
+					} else {
+						hal_device_property_get_as_string (d, prop_to_merge, buf, sizeof (buf));
+					}
+				}
+
 				break;
+			}
 				
 			default:
 				HAL_ERROR (("Unknown merge_type=%d='%c'", pc->merge_type, pc->merge_type));
@@ -1258,8 +1250,13 @@
 			
 			existing_string = hal_device_property_get_string (pc->device, pc->merge_key);
 			if (existing_string != NULL) {
-				strncpy (buf2, buf, sizeof (buf2));
-				strncat (buf2, existing_string, sizeof (buf2) - strlen(buf2));
+				if (pc->curelem == CURELEM_APPEND){
+					strncpy (buf2, existing_string, sizeof (buf2));
+					strncat (buf2, buf, sizeof (buf2) - strlen(buf2));
+				} else {
+					strncpy (buf2, buf, sizeof (buf2));
+					strncat (buf2, existing_string, sizeof (buf2) - strlen(buf2));
+				}
 			} else {
 				strncpy (buf2, buf, sizeof (buf2));
 			}