diff --git a/panaetius/config.py b/panaetius/config.py
index b5ec026..75152fb 100644
--- a/panaetius/config.py
+++ b/panaetius/config.py
@@ -39,7 +39,25 @@ class Config:
         # no config file, look for env vars
         return self._get_env_value(env_key, default, coerce)
 
-    def _get_config_value_key_split_once(self, key: str, mask: bool) -> Any:
+    def _get_config_value(
+        self, env_key: str, key: str, default: Any, mask: bool, coerce: bool = False
+    ) -> Any:
+        try:
+            # look under top header
+            if len(key.split(".")) == 1:
+                return self.__get_config_value_key_split_once(key, mask)
+            if len(key.split(".")) == 2:
+                return self.__get_config_value_key_split_twice(key, mask)
+
+        except (KeyError, TypeError):
+            value = os.environ.get(env_key.replace("-", "_"))
+            if value is None:
+                return self.__get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_none(default)
+            # if env var, coerce value if flag is set, else return a TOML string
+            value = self.__get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_not_none(value, coerce)
+            return self.__get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_not_none(value, coerce)
+
+    def __get_config_value_key_split_once(self, key: str, mask: bool) -> Any:
         if mask:
             # TODO: write mask logic here
             pass
@@ -47,7 +65,7 @@ class Config:
             name = key.lower()
             return self.config[self.header_variable][name]
 
-    def _get_config_value_key_split_twice(self, key: str, mask: bool) -> Any:
+    def __get_config_value_key_split_twice(self, key: str, mask: bool) -> Any:
         if mask:
             # TODO: write mask logic here
             pass
@@ -55,42 +73,13 @@ class Config:
             section, name = key.lower().split(".")
             return self.config[self.header_variable][section][name]
 
-    def _get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_none(self, default: Any) -> Any:
-        if isinstance(default, str):
-            # if default is a string, wrap TOML value in quotes
-            return toml.loads(f'value = "{default}"')["value"]
-        # if default is not a string, leave TOML value as is
-        # if default is a bool, convert to lower case for TOML syntax
-        default = str(default).lower() if isinstance(default, bool) else default
-        return (
-            toml.loads(f"value = {default}")["value"] if default is not None else None
-        )
+    def __get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_none(self, default: Any) -> Any:
+        return self.__load_default_value(default)
 
-    def _get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_not_none(
+    def __get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_not_none(
         self, value: str, coerce: bool
     ) -> Any:
-        return (
-            toml.loads(f"value = {value}")["value"]
-            if coerce
-            else toml.loads(f'value = "{value}"')["value"]
-        )
-
-    def _get_config_value(
-        self, env_key: str, key: str, default: Any, mask: bool, coerce: bool = False
-    ) -> Any:
-        try:
-            # look under top header
-            if len(key.split(".")) == 1:
-                return self._get_config_value_key_split_once(key, mask)
-            if len(key.split(".")) == 2:
-                return self._get_config_value_key_split_twice(key, mask)
-
-        except (KeyError, TypeError):
-            value = os.environ.get(env_key.replace("-", "_"))
-            if value is None:
-                return self._get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_none(default)
-            # if env var, coerce value if flag is set, else return a TOML string
-            return self._get_config_value_missing_key_value_is_not_none(value, coerce)
+        return self.__load_value(value, coerce)
 
     def _get_env_value(  # noqa
         self, env_key: str, default: Any, coerce: bool = False
@@ -98,19 +87,21 @@ class Config:
         # look for an environment variable, fallback to default
         value = os.environ.get(env_key.replace("-", "_"))
         if value is None:
-            if isinstance(default, str):
-                # if default is a string, wrap TOML value in quotes
-                return toml.loads(f'value = "{default}"')["value"]
-            # if default is not a string, leave TOML value as is
-            # if default is a bool, convert to lower case for TOML syntax
-            default = str(default).lower() if isinstance(default, bool) else default
-            return (
-                toml.loads(f"value = {default}")["value"]
-                if default is not None
-                else None
-            )
+            return self.__load_default_value(default)
+        return self.__load_value(value, coerce)
+
+    def __load_value(self, value: str, coerce: bool) -> Any:
         return (
             toml.loads(f"value = {value}")["value"]
             if coerce
             else toml.loads(f'value = "{value}"')["value"]
         )
+
+    def __load_default_value(self, default: Any) -> Any:
+        if isinstance(default, str):
+            return toml.loads(f'value = "{default}"')["value"]
+        # if default is bool convert to lower case toml syntax
+        default = str(default).lower() if isinstance(default, bool) else default
+        return (
+            toml.loads(f"value = {default}")["value"] if default is not None else None
+        )
diff --git a/tests/test_panaetius.py b/tests/test_panaetius.py
index ee27c64..954bc31 100644
--- a/tests/test_panaetius.py
+++ b/tests/test_panaetius.py
@@ -6,28 +6,33 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_PATH"] = "/usr/local"
     os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_BOOL"] = "true"
     print(os.environ.get("PANAETIUS_TEST_PATH"))
-    os.environ[
-        "PANAETIUS_TEST_TOML_POINTS"
-    ] = "[ { x = 1, y = 2, z = 3 }, { x = 7, y = 8, z = 9 }, { x = 2, y = 4, z = 8 }]"
+    # os.environ[
+    #     "PANAETIUS_TEST_TOML_POINTS"
+    # ] = "[ { x = 1, y = 2, z = 3 }, { x = 7, y = 8, z = 9 }, { x = 2, y = 4, z = 8 }]"
 
+    os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_NOC_PATH"] = "/usr/locals"
+    os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_NOC_FLOAT"] = "2.0"
+    os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_NOC_BOOL"] = "true"
     os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_NOC_EMBEDDED_PATH"] = "/usr/local"
     os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_NOC_EMBEDDED_FLOAT"] = "2.0"
     os.environ["PANAETIUS_TEST_NOC_EMBEDDED_BOOL"] = "true"
 
-    # c = Config("panaetius_test")
     c = Config("panaetius_test")
+    # c = Config("panaetius_test_noc")
 
+    set_config(c, key="toml.points", coerce=True)
     set_config(c, key="path", default="some path")
     set_config(c, key="top", default="some top")
     set_config(c, key="logging.path", default="some logging path")
     set_config(c, key="nonexistent.item", default="some nonexistent item")
     set_config(c, key="nonexistent.item")
-    set_config(c, key="toml.points", coerce=True)
+    # FIXME: this isn't working after the refactor...
     set_config(c, key="toml.points_config")
     set_config(c, key="float", default=2.0)
     set_config(c, key="float_str", default="2.0")
     set_config(c, key="bool", coerce=True)
     set_config(c, key="noexistbool", default=False)
+    set_config(c, key="middle.middle")
 
     # set_config(c, key="path")
     # set_config(c, key="float", coerce=True)