diff --git a/scripts/configure_valhalla.sh b/scripts/configure_valhalla.sh
index 0e7f28a..dedff59 100755
--- a/scripts/configure_valhalla.sh
+++ b/scripts/configure_valhalla.sh
@@ -123,21 +123,28 @@ if test -f "${CONFIG_FILE}"; then
     # create temporary default config
     valhalla_build_config > ${TMP_CONFIG_FILE}  || exit 1
 
-    # for each path in the temp config (excluding array indices)
-    jq -r 'paths | select(map(type) | index("number") | not ) | "." + join(".")' ${TMP_CONFIG_FILE} | while read key ; do
+    # collect additions to make from the temp config (treating arrays as atomic values)
+    additions=$(jq --slurpfile A "${TMP_CONFIG_FILE}" --slurpfile B "${CONFIG_FILE}" -n '
+      def push(p;k): p+[k];
+      def missing(a;b;p):
+        if a|type=="object" then
+          reduce (a|keys_unsorted[]) as $k ([];
+            .+(
+              if b|has($k)|not then [{path:push(p;$k), dot:(push(p;$k)|join(".")), value:a[$k]}]
+              elif (a[$k]|type=="object") and (b[$k]|type=="object") then missing(a[$k];b[$k];push(p;$k))
+              else [] end))
+        else [] end;
+      missing($A[0];$B[0];[])
+    ')
 
-      # if the key path does not exist in the existing config 
-      jq -e "${key} | if type == \"null\" then false else true end" ${CONFIG_FILE} >/dev/null
-      if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then 
+    echo "$additions" | jq -r '.[] | "added \(.dot) with value \(.value)"'
 
-          # get its value from the temp config
-          newval=$(jq "${key}" ${TMP_CONFIG_FILE})
-          echo "INFO: copied new config entry ${key}=${newval} into existing config."
-
-          # and set it on the new one
-          jq --argjson d "${newval}" "${key} = \$d" "${CONFIG_FILE}"| sponge "${CONFIG_FILE}"
-      fi  
-    done 
+    # add all additions
+    jq --argjson additions "$additions" '
+      reduce $additions[] as $a (.;
+        setpath($a.path; $a.value)
+      )
+    ' "${CONFIG_FILE}" | sponge "${CONFIG_FILE}"
 
     rm ${TMP_CONFIG_FILE}
   fi
diff --git a/tests/test.sh b/tests/test.sh
index 76e7d14..c86b02a 100755
--- a/tests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/bash
 set -u
 
 valhalla_image=$1
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ if [[ $? -eq 1 ]]; then
 fi
 
 line_count=$(diff -y --suppress-common-lines <(jq --sort-keys . "${custom_file_folder}/valhalla_base.json") <(jq --sort-keys . "${custom_file_folder}/valhalla.json") | wc -l)
-if [[ $line_count != "0" ]]; then
+if [[ $line_count -ne 0 ]]; then
   echo "Valhalla config was not updated correctly. Check the generated config files."
   exit 1
 fi
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
 fi
 
 line_count=$(diff -y --suppress-common-lines <(jq --sort-keys . "${custom_file_folder}/valhalla_base.json") <(jq --sort-keys . "${custom_file_folder}/valhalla.json") | wc -l)
-if [[ $line_count != "1" ]]; then
+if [[ $line_count -ne 1 ]]; then
   echo "valhalla.json should not have been updated but was"
   exit 1
 fi