diff --git a/config.lisp b/config.lisp
index 1846b2d..a0df701 100644
--- a/config.lisp
+++ b/config.lisp
@@ -49,13 +49,19 @@
   ((parent :reader parent
            :initarg :parent)))
 
+(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((cfg base) &key parent &allow-other-keys)
+  (push cfg (children parent)))
+
+(defmethod (setf parent) ((cfg base) (parent common))
+  (push cfg (children parent)))
+
 (defgeneric add (cfg child)
   (:method ((cfg common) (child base))
-    (push (children cfg) child)
+    (push child (children cfg))
     (setf (parent child) cfg)))
 
 (defmethod env-data ((cfg base))
-  (env-data (parent (cfg))))
+  (env-data (parent cfg)))
 
 ;;;; utility functions
 
diff --git a/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp b/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp
index 6de6834..ddaf615 100644
--- a/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp
+++ b/test/etc/config-dummy.lisp
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@
 
 (setf *config* 
   (make-instance 'test-config))
+
+(make-instance 'child-config :parent *config*)
diff --git a/test/test-config.lisp b/test/test-config.lisp
index 7696a89..c14d909 100644
--- a/test/test-config.lisp
+++ b/test/test-config.lisp
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@
 
 (defclass test-config (config:root) 
   ((config:env-keys :initform '(:user :password))
-   (config:env-path :initform (t:test-path ".test.env"))
-   (user :accessor user :initarg :user)
-   (password :accessor password :initarg :password)))
+   (config:env-path :initform (t:test-path ".test.env"))))
 
-(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((cfg test-config) &key &allow-other-keys)
+(defclass child-config (config:base) 
+   ((user :accessor user :initarg :user)
+    (password :accessor password :initarg :password)))
+
+(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((cfg child-config) &key &allow-other-keys)
   (config:hash-to-slots (config:env-data cfg) cfg '(user password)))
 
 (defun run ()
@@ -38,8 +40,9 @@
   (== (pathname-name (util:home-path ".env.txt" "lisp" "cl-scopes")) ".env"))
 
 (t:deftest test-env-override ()
-  (let ((data (config:env-data *config*)))
+  (let ((data (config:env-data *config*))
+        (child (car (config:children *config*))))
     (== (gethash :user data) "user-from-env-file")
     (== (gethash :password data) "very_secret")
-    (== (user *config*) "user-from-env-file")
-    (== (password *config*) "very_secret")))
+    (== (user child) "user-from-env-file")
+    (== (password child) "very_secret")))