diff --git a/jrnl/override.py b/jrnl/override.py
index 82d6da93..13b5f88d 100644
--- a/jrnl/override.py
+++ b/jrnl/override.py
@@ -12,13 +12,24 @@ def apply_overrides(overrides: list, base_config: dict) -> dict:
     config = base_config.copy()
     for pairs in overrides:
 
-        key_as_dots, override_value = list(pairs.items())[0]
-        keys = key_as_dots.split(".")
-        config = _recursively_apply(config, keys, override_value)
+        key_as_dots, override_value = _get_key_and_value_from_pair(pairs)
+        keys = _convert_dots_to_list(key_as_dots)
+        config.update(_recursively_apply(config, keys, override_value))
 
     return config
 
 
+def _get_key_and_value_from_pair(pairs):
+    key_as_dots, override_value = list(pairs.items())[0]
+    return key_as_dots, override_value
+
+
+def _convert_dots_to_list(key_as_dots):
+    keys = key_as_dots.split(".")
+    keys = [k for k in keys if k != ""]
+    return keys
+
+
 def _recursively_apply(tree: dict, nodes: list, override_value) -> dict:
     """Recurse through configuration and apply overrides at the leaf of the config tree
 
@@ -34,7 +45,8 @@ def _recursively_apply(tree: dict, nodes: list, override_value) -> dict:
         tree[key] = override_value
     else:
         next_key = nodes[1:]
-        _recursively_apply(_get_config_node(tree, key), next_key, override_value)
+        next_node = _get_config_node(tree, key)
+        _recursively_apply(next_node, next_key, override_value)
 
     return tree
 
diff --git a/tests/test_override.py b/tests/test_override.py
index c673f304..77f4a8c9 100644
--- a/tests/test_override.py
+++ b/tests/test_override.py
@@ -15,10 +15,9 @@ def minimal_config():
 
 
 def test_apply_override(minimal_config):
-    config = minimal_config.copy()
     overrides = [{"editor": "nano"}]
-    config = apply_overrides(overrides, config)
-    assert config["editor"] == "nano"
+    apply_overrides(overrides, minimal_config)
+    assert minimal_config["editor"] == "nano"
 
 
 def test_override_dot_notation(minimal_config):
@@ -52,3 +51,29 @@ def test_get_config_node(minimal_config):
     assert len(minimal_config.keys()) == 4
     assert _get_config_node(minimal_config, "editor") == "vim"
     assert _get_config_node(minimal_config, "display_format") == None
+
+
+from jrnl.override import _get_key_and_value_from_pair
+
+
+def test_get_kv_from_pair():
+    pair = {"ab.cde": "fgh"}
+    k, v = _get_key_and_value_from_pair(pair)
+    assert k == "ab.cde"
+    assert v == "fgh"
+
+
+from jrnl.override import _convert_dots_to_list
+
+
+class TestDotNotationToList:
+    def test_unpack_dots_to_list(self):
+
+        keys = "a.b.c.d.e.f"
+        keys_list = _convert_dots_to_list(keys)
+        assert len(keys_list) == 6
+
+    def test_sequential_delimiters(self):
+        k = "g.r..h.v"
+        k_l = _convert_dots_to_list(k)
+        assert len(k_l) == 4