diff --git a/pkg/strvals/parser.go b/pkg/strvals/parser.go
index 26bc0fcf2..c59925522 100644
--- a/pkg/strvals/parser.go
+++ b/pkg/strvals/parser.go
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ var ErrNotList = errors.New("not a list")
 // The default value 65536 = 1024 * 64
 var MaxIndex = 65536
 
+// MaxNestedNameLevel is the maximum level of nesting for a value name that
+// will be allowed.
+var MaxNestedNameLevel = 30
+
 // ToYAML takes a string of arguments and converts to a YAML document.
 func ToYAML(s string) (string, error) {
 	m, err := Parse(s)
@@ -155,7 +159,7 @@ func newFileParser(sc *bytes.Buffer, data map[string]interface{}, reader RunesVa
 
 func (t *parser) parse() error {
 	for {
-		err := t.key(t.data)
+		err := t.key(t.data, 0)
 		if err == nil {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ func runeSet(r []rune) map[rune]bool {
 	return s
 }
 
-func (t *parser) key(data map[string]interface{}) (reterr error) {
+func (t *parser) key(data map[string]interface{}, nestedNameLevel int) (reterr error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
 			reterr = fmt.Errorf("unable to parse key: %s", r)
@@ -204,7 +208,7 @@ func (t *parser) key(data map[string]interface{}) (reterr error) {
 			}
 
 			// Now we need to get the value after the ].
-			list, err = t.listItem(list, i)
+			list, err = t.listItem(list, i, nestedNameLevel)
 			set(data, kk, list)
 			return err
 		case last == '=':
@@ -261,6 +265,12 @@ func (t *parser) key(data map[string]interface{}) (reterr error) {
 			set(data, string(k), "")
 			return errors.Errorf("key %q has no value (cannot end with ,)", string(k))
 		case last == '.':
+			// Check value name is within the maximum nested name level
+			nestedNameLevel++
+			if nestedNameLevel > MaxNestedNameLevel {
+				return fmt.Errorf("value name nested level is greater than maximum supported nested level of %d", MaxNestedNameLevel)
+			}
+
 			// First, create or find the target map.
 			inner := map[string]interface{}{}
 			if _, ok := data[string(k)]; ok {
@@ -268,11 +278,13 @@ func (t *parser) key(data map[string]interface{}) (reterr error) {
 			}
 
 			// Recurse
-			e := t.key(inner)
-			if len(inner) == 0 {
+			e := t.key(inner, nestedNameLevel)
+			if e == nil && len(inner) == 0 {
 				return errors.Errorf("key map %q has no value", string(k))
 			}
-			set(data, string(k), inner)
+			if len(inner) != 0 {
+				set(data, string(k), inner)
+			}
 			return e
 		}
 	}
@@ -322,7 +334,7 @@ func (t *parser) keyIndex() (int, error) {
 	return strconv.Atoi(string(v))
 
 }
-func (t *parser) listItem(list []interface{}, i int) ([]interface{}, error) {
+func (t *parser) listItem(list []interface{}, i, nestedNameLevel int) ([]interface{}, error) {
 	if i < 0 {
 		return list, fmt.Errorf("negative %d index not allowed", i)
 	}
@@ -395,7 +407,7 @@ func (t *parser) listItem(list []interface{}, i int) ([]interface{}, error) {
 			}
 		}
 		// Now we need to get the value after the ].
-		list2, err := t.listItem(crtList, nextI)
+		list2, err := t.listItem(crtList, nextI, nestedNameLevel)
 		if err != nil {
 			return list, err
 		}
@@ -414,7 +426,7 @@ func (t *parser) listItem(list []interface{}, i int) ([]interface{}, error) {
 		}
 
 		// Recurse
-		e := t.key(inner)
+		e := t.key(inner, nestedNameLevel)
 		if e != nil {
 			return list, e
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go b/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go
index f7eba7830..925aa97c6 100644
--- a/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go
+++ b/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package strvals
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
@@ -754,3 +755,64 @@ func TestToYAML(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %q, got %q", expect, o)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseSetNestedLevels(t *testing.T) {
+	var keyMultipleNestedLevels string
+	for i := 1; i <= MaxNestedNameLevel+2; i++ {
+		tmpStr := fmt.Sprintf("name%d", i)
+		if i <= MaxNestedNameLevel+1 {
+			tmpStr = tmpStr + "."
+		}
+		keyMultipleNestedLevels += tmpStr
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		str    string
+		expect map[string]interface{}
+		err    bool
+		errStr string
+	}{
+		{
+			"outer.middle.inner=value",
+			map[string]interface{}{"outer": map[string]interface{}{"middle": map[string]interface{}{"inner": "value"}}},
+			false,
+			"",
+		},
+		{
+			str: keyMultipleNestedLevels + "=value",
+			err: true,
+			errStr: fmt.Sprintf("value name nested level is greater than maximum supported nested level of %d",
+				MaxNestedNameLevel),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		got, err := Parse(tt.str)
+		if err != nil {
+			if tt.err {
+				if tt.errStr != "" {
+					if err.Error() != tt.errStr {
+						t.Errorf("Expected error: %s. Got error: %s", tt.errStr, err.Error())
+					}
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+			t.Fatalf("%s: %s", tt.str, err)
+		}
+		if tt.err {
+			t.Errorf("%s: Expected error. Got nil", tt.str)
+		}
+
+		y1, err := yaml.Marshal(tt.expect)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		y2, err := yaml.Marshal(got)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Error serializing parsed value: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		if string(y1) != string(y2) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: Expected:\n%s\nGot:\n%s", tt.str, y1, y2)
+		}
+	}
+}