diff --git a/pkg/strvals/parser.go b/pkg/strvals/parser.go
index dae949d8e..006bed5f4 100644
--- a/pkg/strvals/parser.go
+++ b/pkg/strvals/parser.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
+	"reflect"
 )
 
 // ErrNotList indicates that a non-list was treated as a list.
@@ -172,7 +173,24 @@ func (t *parser) key(data map[string]interface{}) error {
 			// First, create or find the target map.
 			inner := map[string]interface{}{}
 			if _, ok := data[string(k)]; ok {
-				inner = data[string(k)].(map[string]interface{})
+				// when reading nested object yamls, the unmarshal will create a map[interface{}]interface{})
+				// below logic tries to account for that and attempts to cast the key into a string again
+				if simpleStringMapCast, ok := data[string(k)].(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+					inner = simpleStringMapCast
+				} else {
+					if interfaceKeyCasted, ok := data[string(k)].(map[interface{}]interface{}); ok {
+						for key, val := range interfaceKeyCasted {
+							keyString, casted := key.(string)
+							if !casted {
+								return fmt.Errorf("couldn't cast map key %q to string for value key %q", key, string(k))
+							}
+							inner[keyString] = val
+						}
+					} else {
+						return fmt.Errorf("don't know how to handle map type %q for key %q",
+							reflect.TypeOf(data[string(k)]), string(k))
+					}
+				}
 			}
 
 			// Recurse
diff --git a/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go b/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go
index 22f0e753a..7dc3c3273 100644
--- a/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go
+++ b/pkg/strvals/parser_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
+	"io/ioutil"
 )
 
 func TestSetIndex(t *testing.T) {
@@ -348,7 +349,7 @@ func TestParseSet(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestParseInto(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseIntoHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	got := map[string]interface{}{
 		"outer": map[string]interface{}{
 			"inner1": "overwrite",
@@ -365,10 +366,45 @@ func TestParseInto(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	if err := ParseInto(input, got); err != nil {
+	checkParserOutput(input, got, t, expect)
+}
+
+func TestParseIntoNestedInterface(t *testing.T) {
+	currentMap := map[string]interface{}{}
+	bytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile("testdata/parser_val_nested.yaml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(bytes, &currentMap); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	input := "toplevel.flatlevel1=overwritefl1"
+
+	expect := map[string]interface{}{
+		"toplevel": map[string]interface{}{
+			"env": []interface{}{
+				map[string]interface{}{
+					"key":   "abckey",
+					"value": "abcval",
+				}, map[string]interface{}{
+					"key":   "defkey",
+					"value": "defval",
+				},
+			},
+			"flatlevel1": "overwritefl1",
+			"flatlevel2": "def",
+		},
+	}
+
+	checkParserOutput(input, currentMap, t, expect)
+}
+
+func checkParserOutput(input string, got map[string]interface{}, t *testing.T, expect map[string]interface{}) {
+	if err := ParseInto(input, got); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	y1, err := yaml.Marshal(expect)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -377,7 +413,6 @@ func TestParseInto(t *testing.T) {
 	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", input, y1, y2)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/strvals/testdata/parser_val_nested.yaml b/pkg/strvals/testdata/parser_val_nested.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c7d7ce116
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/strvals/testdata/parser_val_nested.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+toplevel:
+   env:
+   - key: abckey
+     value: abcval
+   - key: defkey
+     value: defval
+   flatlevel1: abc
+   flatlevel2: def