diff --git a/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs b/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs
index c41c710..979be10 100644
--- a/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs
+++ b/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs
@@ -48,59 +48,84 @@ namespace greyn.Deployment
             Console.WriteLine($"fromfile null: {fromFile == null}");
             if (fromFile == null)
             {
-                var expandoPopulated = new ExpandoObject();
-                var dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated = (IDictionary<string, object?>)expandoPopulated;
-                foreach (var memberInfo in config.GetType().GetMembers())
-                {
-                    switch (memberInfo.MemberType)
-                    {
-                        case MemberTypes.Field:
-                            dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(memberInfo.Name, ((FieldInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
-                            break;
-                        case MemberTypes.Property:
-                            dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(memberInfo.Name, ((PropertyInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
-                            break;
-                        default:
-                            break;
-                    }
-                }
-                expandoPopulated = (ExpandoObject)dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated;
-                fromFile = expandoPopulated;
-                return;
+                fromFile = new ExpandoObject();
+                // var expandoPopulated = new ExpandoObject();
+                // var dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated = (IDictionary<string, object?>)expandoPopulated;
+                // foreach (var memberInfo in config.GetType().GetMembers())
+                // {
+                //     switch (memberInfo.MemberType)
+                //     {
+                //         case MemberTypes.Field:
+                //             dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(memberInfo.Name, ((FieldInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
+                //             break;
+                //         case MemberTypes.Property:
+                //             dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(memberInfo.Name, ((PropertyInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
+                //             break;
+                //         default:
+                //             break;
+                //     }
+                // }
+                // expandoPopulated = (ExpandoObject)dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated;
+                // fromFile = expandoPopulated;
+                // return;
             }
             var dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile = (IDictionary<string, object?>)fromFile;
-            foreach (var memberInfo in config.GetType().GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly))
+            Console.WriteLine($"{config.GetType().GetMembers().Count()} members on {config.GetType()}");
+            foreach (var memberInfo in config.GetType().GetMembers())
             {
                 Console.WriteLine($"checking property: {memberInfo.Name}");
                 
+                if(memberInfo.DeclaringType == typeof(System.Object))
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine($"junk from system.object, don't care");
+                    continue;
+                }
+                if(memberInfo.MemberType != MemberTypes.Field && memberInfo.MemberType != MemberTypes.Property)
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine($"type I don't know how to handle ({memberInfo.MemberType})");
+                    continue;
+                }
+                
                 if (dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile.TryGetValue(memberInfo.Name, out object? valueFromDict))
                 {
                     Console.WriteLine($"dictionary has it - {valueFromDict}");
                     if (valueFromDict != null)
                     {
-                        Console.WriteLine($"value from configuration value is not null");
+                        Console.WriteLine($"value from configuration file is not null");
 
                         switch (memberInfo.MemberType)
                         {
                             case MemberTypes.Field:
                                 var asField = (FieldInfo)memberInfo;
                                 
-                                if ((asField.FieldType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)?.Count() ?? 0) > 0)
+                                //if ((asField.FieldType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)?.Count() ?? 0) > 0)
                                 {
-                                    Console.WriteLine($"{asField.Name} (as field) has {asField.FieldType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly) .Count()} members.");
-                                    var childMember = (ExpandoObject)dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asField.Name]; // (ExpandoObject)asField.GetValue(fromFile);
-                                    populateExpando(asField.GetValue(config), ref childMember);
-                                    asField.SetValue(fromFile, childMember);
+                                    Console.WriteLine($"{asField.Name} (as field) has {asField.FieldType.GetMembers() .Count()} members.");
+                                    Console.WriteLine($"{dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asField.Name]}");
+                                    
+                                    var childMember = dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asField.Name] as ExpandoObject;
+                                    if(childMember != null)
+                                    {
+                                        populateExpando(asField.GetValue(config), ref childMember);
+                                        //asField.SetValue(fromFile, childMember); //you don't have to set it back. the expandoobject *implements* IDictionary
+                                        // so when you cast it, it's not a copy; you just access it as a dictionary. So you can change it dynamically.
+                                        // and we ref'd it so it got the underlying one.
+                                        //https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4938397/dynamically-adding-properties-to-an-expandoobject
+                                    }
                                 }
                                 break;
                             case MemberTypes.Property:
                                 var asProperty = (PropertyInfo)memberInfo;
-                                if ((asProperty.PropertyType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)?.Count() ?? 0) > 0)
+                                //if ((asProperty.PropertyType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)?.Count() ?? 0) > 0)
                                 {
-                                    Console.WriteLine($"{asProperty.Name} (as property) has {asProperty.PropertyType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly) .Count()} members.");
-                                    var childMember = (ExpandoObject)dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asProperty.Name]; //  (ExpandoObject)asProperty.GetValue(fromFile);
-                                    populateExpando(asProperty.GetValue(config), ref childMember);
-                                    asProperty.SetValue(fromFile, childMember);
+                                    Console.WriteLine($"{asProperty.Name} (as property) has {asProperty.PropertyType.GetMembers() .Count()} members.");
+                                    Console.WriteLine($"{dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asProperty.Name]}");
+                                    var childMember = dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asProperty.Name] as ExpandoObject; //  (ExpandoObject)asProperty.GetValue(fromFile);
+                                    if(childMember != null)
+                                    {
+                                        populateExpando(asProperty.GetValue(config), ref childMember);
+                                        //asProperty.SetValue(fromFile, childMember);
+                                    }
                                 }
                                 break;
                             default: