diff --git a/confuse.py b/confuse.py
index a9c2f96..0460499 100644
--- a/confuse.py
+++ b/confuse.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 """
 from __future__ import division, absolute_import, print_function
 
+import argparse
+import optparse
 import platform
 import os
 import pkgutil
@@ -60,6 +62,21 @@ def iter_first(sequence):
         raise ValueError()
 
 
+def namespace_to_dict(obj):
+    """If obj is argparse.Namespace or optparse.Values we'll return
+      a dict representation of it, else return the original object.
+
+    Redefine this method if using other parsers.
+
+    :param obj: *
+    :return:
+    :rtype: dict or *
+    """
+    if isinstance(obj, (argparse.Namespace, optparse.Values)):
+        return vars(obj)
+    return obj
+
+
 # Exceptions.
 
 class ConfigError(Exception):
@@ -243,15 +260,86 @@ class ConfigView(object):
     def __contains__(self, key):
         return self[key].exists()
 
-    def set_args(self, namespace):
+    @classmethod
+    def _build_namespace_dict(cls, obj, dots=False):
+        """Recursively replaces all argparse.Namespace and optparse.Values
+        with dicts and drops any keys with None values.
+
+        Additionally, if dots is True, will expand any dot delimited
+        keys.
+
+        :param obj: Namespace, Values, or dict to iterate over. Other
+            values will simply be returned.
+        :type obj: argparse.Namespace or optparse.Values or dict or *
+        :param dots: If True, any properties on obj that contain dots (.)
+            will be broken down into child dictionaries.
+        :return: A new dictionary or the value passed if obj was not a
+            dict, Namespace, or Values.
+        :rtype: dict or *
+        """
+        # We expect our root object to be a dict, but it may come in as
+        # a namespace
+        obj = namespace_to_dict(obj)
+        # We only deal with dictionaries
+        if not isinstance(obj, dict):
+            return obj
+
+        # Get keys iterator
+        keys = obj.keys() if PY3 else obj.iterkeys()
+        if dots:
+            # Dots needs sorted keys to prevent parents from
+            # clobbering children
+            keys = sorted(list(keys))
+
+        output = {}
+        for key in keys:
+            value = obj[key]
+            if value is None:  # Avoid unset options.
+                continue
+
+            save_to = output
+            result = cls._build_namespace_dict(value, dots)
+            if dots:
+                # Split keys by dots as this signifies nesting
+                split = key.split('.')
+                if len(split) > 1:
+                    # The last index will be the key we assign result to
+                    key = split.pop()
+                    # Build the dict tree if needed and change where
+                    # we're saving to
+                    for child_key in split:
+                        if child_key in save_to and \
+                                isinstance(save_to[child_key], dict):
+                            save_to = save_to[child_key]
+                        else:
+                            # Clobber or create
+                            save_to[child_key] = {}
+                            save_to = save_to[child_key]
+
+            # Save
+            if key in save_to:
+                save_to[key].update(result)
+            else:
+                save_to[key] = result
+        return output
+
+    def set_args(self, namespace, dots=False):
         """Overlay parsed command-line arguments, generated by a library
         like argparse or optparse, onto this view's value.
+
+        :param namespace: Dictionary or Namespace to overlay this config with.
+            Supports nested Dictionaries and Namespaces.
+        :type namespace: dict or Namespace
+        :param dots: If True, any properties on namespace that contain dots (.)
+            will be broken down into child dictionaries.
+            :Example:
+
+            {'foo.bar': 'car'}
+            # Will be turned into
+            {'foo': {'bar': 'car'}}
+        :type dots: bool
         """
-        args = {}
-        for key, value in namespace.__dict__.items():
-            if value is not None:  # Avoid unset options.
-                args[key] = value
-        self.set(args)
+        self.set(self._build_namespace_dict(namespace, dots))
 
     # Magical conversions. These special methods make it possible to use
     # View objects somewhat transparently in certain circumstances. For
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index c900a37..a3c7e14 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -167,6 +167,24 @@ consider this argparse script::
 This will allow the user to override the configured value for key
 ``foo`` by passing ``--foo <something>`` on the command line.
 
+Overriding nested values can be accomplished by passing `dots=True` and
+have dot-delimited properties on the incoming object.::
+
+    parser.add_argument('--bar', help='nested parameter', dest='foo.bar')
+    args = parser.parse_args()  # args looks like: {'foo.bar': 'value'}
+    config.set_args(args, dots=True)
+    print(config['foo']['bar'].get())
+
+`parse_args` works with generic dictionaries too.::
+
+    args = {
+      'foo': {
+        'bar': 1
+      }
+    }
+    config.set_args(args, dots=True)
+    print(config['foo']['bar'].get())
+
 .. _argparse: http://docs.python.org/dev/library/argparse.html
 .. _parse_args: http://docs.python.org/library/argparse.html#the-parse-args-method
 .. _optparse: http://docs.python.org/library/optparse.html
diff --git a/example/__init__.py b/example/__init__.py
index 0717181..33b4306 100644
--- a/example/__init__.py
+++ b/example/__init__.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='example Confuse program')
     parser.add_argument('--library', '-l', dest='library', metavar='LIBPATH',
                         help='library database file')
-    parser.add_argument('--directory', '-d', dest='directory',
+    parser.add_argument('--directory', '-d', dest='paths.directory',
                         metavar='DIRECTORY',
                         help='destination music directory')
     parser.add_argument('--verbose', '-v', dest='verbose', action='store_true',