diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..829652a5dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2022 DiffPlug
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package com.diffplug.spotless;
+
+import java.util.Objects;
+
+/** Superclass of all compound FormatterSteps necessary for {@link com.diffplug.spotless.LazyForwardingEquality#unlazy(java.lang.Object)}. */
+abstract class DelegateFormatterStep implements FormatterStep {
+	protected final FormatterStep delegateStep;
+
+	DelegateFormatterStep(FormatterStep delegateStep) {
+		this.delegateStep = Objects.requireNonNull(delegateStep);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public final String getName() {
+		return delegateStep.getName();
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep.java
index 9b39361719..d9a6fe4093 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2016-2021 DiffPlug
+ * Copyright 2016-2022 DiffPlug
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -22,27 +22,19 @@
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
-final class FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep implements FormatterStep {
-	private final FormatterStep delegateStep;
+final class FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep extends DelegateFormatterStep {
 	final Pattern contentPattern;
 
 	FilterByContentPatternFormatterStep(FormatterStep delegateStep, String contentPattern) {
-		this.delegateStep = Objects.requireNonNull(delegateStep);
+		super(delegateStep);
 		this.contentPattern = Pattern.compile(Objects.requireNonNull(contentPattern));
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public String getName() {
-		return delegateStep.getName();
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public @Nullable String format(String raw, File file) throws Exception {
 		Objects.requireNonNull(raw, "raw");
 		Objects.requireNonNull(file, "file");
-
 		Matcher matcher = contentPattern.matcher(raw);
-
 		if (matcher.find()) {
 			return delegateStep.format(raw, file);
 		} else {
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByFileFormatterStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByFileFormatterStep.java
index 2fd221220c..04a06a4673 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByFileFormatterStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FilterByFileFormatterStep.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2016 DiffPlug
+ * Copyright 2016-2022 DiffPlug
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -20,20 +20,14 @@
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
-final class FilterByFileFormatterStep implements FormatterStep {
-	private final FormatterStep delegateStep;
+final class FilterByFileFormatterStep extends DelegateFormatterStep {
 	private final SerializableFileFilter filter;
 
 	FilterByFileFormatterStep(FormatterStep delegateStep, SerializableFileFilter filter) {
-		this.delegateStep = Objects.requireNonNull(delegateStep);
+		super(delegateStep);
 		this.filter = Objects.requireNonNull(filter);
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public String getName() {
-		return delegateStep.getName();
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public @Nullable String format(String raw, File file) throws Exception {
 		Objects.requireNonNull(raw, "raw");
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/LazyForwardingEquality.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/LazyForwardingEquality.java
index e29464bd91..e2d6ba8988 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/LazyForwardingEquality.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/LazyForwardingEquality.java
@@ -113,7 +113,16 @@ static byte[] toBytes(Serializable obj) {
 	}
 
 	/** Ensures that the lazy state has been evaluated. */
-	public static void unlazy(LazyForwardingEquality<?> in) {
-		in.state();
+	public static void unlazy(Object in) {
+		if (in instanceof LazyForwardingEquality) {
+			((LazyForwardingEquality<?>) in).state();
+		} else if (in instanceof DelegateFormatterStep) {
+			unlazy(((DelegateFormatterStep) in).delegateStep);
+		} else if (in instanceof Iterable) {
+			Iterable<Object> cast = (Iterable<Object>) in;
+			for (Object c : cast) {
+				unlazy(c);
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }