diff --git a/tests/integration/apply_test.go b/tests/integration/apply_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d06d8c9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/apply_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+//go:build integration
+
+package integration
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func Test_Apply_3x(t *testing.T) {
+	// setup stage
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		firstFile     string
+		secondFile    string
+		expectedState string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "applies multiple of the same entity",
+			firstFile:     "testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-01.yaml",
+			secondFile:    "testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-02.yaml",
+			expectedState: "testdata/apply/001-same-type/expected-state.yaml",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "applies different entity types",
+			firstFile:     "testdata/apply/002-different-types/service-01.yaml",
+			secondFile:    "testdata/apply/002-different-types/plugin-01.yaml",
+			expectedState: "testdata/apply/002-different-types/expected-state.yaml",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "accepts consumer foreign keys",
+			firstFile:     "testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/consumer-01.yaml",
+			secondFile:    "testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/plugin-01.yaml",
+			expectedState: "testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/expected-state.yaml",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "accepts consumer group foreign keys",
+			firstFile:     "testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-group-01.yaml",
+			secondFile:    "testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-01.yaml",
+			expectedState: "testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/expected-state.yaml",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			runWhen(t, "kong", ">=3.0.0")
+			setup(t)
+			apply(tc.firstFile)
+			apply(tc.secondFile)
+
+			out, _ := dump()
+
+			expected, err := readFile(tc.expectedState)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to read expected state: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			assert.Equal(t, expected, out)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_utils.go b/tests/integration/test_utils.go
index 41a23b40e..7cedc5bce 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_utils.go
+++ b/tests/integration/test_utils.go
@@ -266,6 +266,16 @@ func setup(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func apply(kongFile string, opts ...string) error {
+	deckCmd := cmd.NewRootCmd()
+	args := []string{"gateway", "apply", kongFile}
+	if len(opts) > 0 {
+		args = append(args, opts...)
+	}
+	deckCmd.SetArgs(args)
+	return deckCmd.ExecuteContext(context.Background())
+}
+
 func sync(kongFile string, opts ...string) error {
 	deckCmd := cmd.NewRootCmd()
 	args := []string{"sync", "-s", kongFile}
@@ -300,7 +310,7 @@ func diff(kongFile string, opts ...string) (string, error) {
 
 func dump(opts ...string) (string, error) {
 	deckCmd := cmd.NewRootCmd()
-	args := []string{"dump"}
+	args := []string{"gateway", "dump"}
 	if len(opts) > 0 {
 		args = append(args, opts...)
 	}
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/expected-state.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/expected-state.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad11045d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/expected-state.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+services:
+- connect_timeout: 60000
+  enabled: true
+  host: httpbin.org
+  name: mock1
+  path: /anything
+  port: 80
+  protocol: http
+  read_timeout: 60000
+  retries: 5
+  write_timeout: 60000
+- connect_timeout: 60000
+  enabled: true
+  host: httpbin.org
+  name: mock2
+  path: /anything
+  port: 80
+  protocol: http
+  read_timeout: 60000
+  retries: 5
+  write_timeout: 60000
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1adfd2e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+services:
+  - connect_timeout: 60000
+    enabled: true
+    host: httpbin.org
+    name: mock1
+    path: /anything
+    port: 80
+    protocol: http
+    read_timeout: 60000
+    retries: 5
+    write_timeout: 60000
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-02.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-02.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e90105139
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/001-same-type/service-02.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+services:
+  - connect_timeout: 60000
+    enabled: true
+    host: httpbin.org
+    name: mock2
+    path: /anything
+    port: 80
+    protocol: http
+    read_timeout: 60000
+    retries: 5
+    write_timeout: 60000
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/expected-state.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/expected-state.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1542af59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/expected-state.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+plugins:
+- config:
+    body: null
+    content_type: null
+    echo: false
+    message: null
+    status_code: 200
+    trigger: null
+  enabled: true
+  name: request-termination
+  protocols:
+  - grpc
+  - grpcs
+  - http
+  - https
+services:
+- connect_timeout: 60000
+  enabled: true
+  host: httpbin.org
+  name: mock1
+  path: /anything
+  port: 80
+  protocol: http
+  read_timeout: 60000
+  retries: 5
+  write_timeout: 60000
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/plugin-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/plugin-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4fa00c681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/plugin-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+plugins:
+- name: request-termination
+  config:
+    body: null
+    content_type: null
+    echo: false
+    message: null
+    status_code: 200
+    trigger: null
+  enabled: true
+  protocols:
+  - grpc
+  - grpcs
+  - http
+  - https
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/service-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/service-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1adfd2e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/002-different-types/service-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+services:
+  - connect_timeout: 60000
+    enabled: true
+    host: httpbin.org
+    name: mock1
+    path: /anything
+    port: 80
+    protocol: http
+    read_timeout: 60000
+    retries: 5
+    write_timeout: 60000
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/consumer-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/consumer-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..72f1982d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/consumer-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+consumers:
+  - username: alice
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/expected-state.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/expected-state.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1d58c23c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/expected-state.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+consumers:
+- plugins:
+  - config:
+      body: null
+      content_type: null
+      echo: false
+      message: null
+      status_code: 404
+      trigger: null
+    enabled: true
+    name: request-termination
+    protocols:
+    - http
+    - https
+  username: alice
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/plugin-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/plugin-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3159b3c63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/003-foreign-keys-consumers/plugin-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+plugins:
+  - name: request-termination
+    enabled: true
+    consumer: alice
+    config:
+      status_code: 404
+      body: null
+      content_type: null
+      echo: false
+      message: null
+      trigger: null
+    protocols:
+      - http
+      - https
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a34eec0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+consumers:
+  - username: alice
+    groups:
+      - name: gold
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-group-01.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-group-01.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..45ad17e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/consumer-group-01.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+consumer_groups:
+  - name: gold
diff --git a/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/expected-state.yaml b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/expected-state.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..45f5d4e5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/testdata/apply/004-foreign-keys-consumer-groups/expected-state.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+_format_version: "3.0"
+consumer_groups:
+- name: gold
+consumers:
+- groups:
+  - name: gold
+  username: alice