diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index ce279f1..3f0d5fa 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
             "request": "launch",
             "preLaunchTask": "build",
             // If you have changed target frameworks, make sure to update the program path.
-            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/deploy-test/bin/Debug/net8.0/deploy-test.dll",
+            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/deployment.tests/bin/Debug/net8.0/deployment.tests.dll",
             "args": [],
-            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/deploy-test",
+            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/deployment.tests",
             // For more information about the 'console' field, see https://aka.ms/VSCode-CS-LaunchJson-Console
             "console": "internalConsole",
             "stopAtEntry": false
diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index 05a2991..7bbd3e2 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
             "type": "process",
             "args": [
                 "build",
-                "${workspaceFolder}/deploy-test/deploy-test.csproj",
+                "${workspaceFolder}/deployment.tests/deployment.tests.csproj",
                 "/property:GenerateFullPaths=true",
                 "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary;ForceNoAlign"
             ],
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
             "type": "process",
             "args": [
                 "publish",
-                "${workspaceFolder}/deploy-test/deploy-test.csproj",
+                "${workspaceFolder}/deployment.tests/deployment.tests.csproj",
                 "/property:GenerateFullPaths=true",
                 "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary;ForceNoAlign"
             ],
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
                 "watch",
                 "run",
                 "--project",
-                "${workspaceFolder}/deploy-test/deploy-test.csproj"
+                "${workspaceFolder}/deployment.tests/deployment.tests.csproj"
             ],
             "problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
         }
diff --git a/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs b/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs
index a7ec107..c41c710 100644
--- a/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs
+++ b/Deployment/ConfigurationBootstrapper.cs
@@ -39,43 +39,99 @@ namespace greyn.Deployment
             }
         }
 
-        //TODO: make private but get tests to cooperate
-        public static void populateExpando<T>(T config, ref ExpandoObject fromFile)
+        //TODO: make private but get tests to cooperate... I think that's a c# limitation
+        internal static void populateExpando<T>(T config, ref ExpandoObject fromFile)
         {
             if (config == null) return;
+            Console.WriteLine("config is not null");
 
+            Console.WriteLine($"fromfile null: {fromFile == null}");
             if (fromFile == null)
             {
                 var expandoPopulated = new ExpandoObject();
                 var dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated = (IDictionary<string, object?>)expandoPopulated;
-                foreach (var property in config.GetType().GetProperties())
-                    dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(property.Name, property.GetValue(config));
+                foreach (var memberInfo in config.GetType().GetMembers())
+                {
+                    switch (memberInfo.MemberType)
+                    {
+                        case MemberTypes.Field:
+                            dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(memberInfo.Name, ((FieldInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
+                            break;
+                        case MemberTypes.Property:
+                            dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated.Add(memberInfo.Name, ((PropertyInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
+                            break;
+                        default:
+                            break;
+                    }
+                }
                 expandoPopulated = (ExpandoObject)dictionaryFromExpandoPopulated;
                 fromFile = expandoPopulated;
                 return;
             }
             var dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile = (IDictionary<string, object?>)fromFile;
-            foreach (var property in config.GetType().GetProperties())
+            foreach (var memberInfo in config.GetType().GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly))
             {
-                if (dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile.TryGetValue(property.Name, out object? value))
+                Console.WriteLine($"checking property: {memberInfo.Name}");
+                
+                if (dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile.TryGetValue(memberInfo.Name, out object? valueFromDict))
                 {
-                    if (value != null)
+                    Console.WriteLine($"dictionary has it - {valueFromDict}");
+                    if (valueFromDict != null)
                     {
-                        if (property.PropertyType.GetMembers() == null)
+                        Console.WriteLine($"value from configuration value is not null");
+
+                        switch (memberInfo.MemberType)
                         {
-                            var childProperty = (ExpandoObject)property.GetValue(fromFile);
-                            populateExpando(property.GetValue(config), ref childProperty);
-                            property.SetValue(fromFile, childProperty);
+                            case MemberTypes.Field:
+                                var asField = (FieldInfo)memberInfo;
+                                
+                                if ((asField.FieldType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)?.Count() ?? 0) > 0)
+                                {
+                                    Console.WriteLine($"{asField.Name} (as field) has {asField.FieldType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly) .Count()} members.");
+                                    var childMember = (ExpandoObject)dictionaryFromExpandoFromFile[asField.Name]; // (ExpandoObject)asField.GetValue(fromFile);
+                                    populateExpando(asField.GetValue(config), ref childMember);
+                                    asField.SetValue(fromFile, childMember);
+                                }
+                                break;
+                            case MemberTypes.Property:
+                                var asProperty = (PropertyInfo)memberInfo;
+                                if ((asProperty.PropertyType.GetMembers(BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)?.Count() ?? 0) > 0)
+                                {
+                                    Console.WriteLine($"{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);
+                                }
+                                break;
+                            default:
+                                Console.WriteLine($"membertype unhanlded. {memberInfo.MemberType}");
+                                break;
                         }
+
                     }
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    fromFile.TryAdd(property.Name, property.GetValue(config));
+                    Console.WriteLine($"dictionary didn't have it. so let's add to fromFile");
+                    switch (memberInfo.MemberType)
+                    {
+                        case MemberTypes.Field:
+                            var addTry = fromFile.TryAdd(memberInfo.Name, ((FieldInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
+                    Console.WriteLine($"ostensibly, succeeded? {addTry}");
+                            break;
+                        case MemberTypes.Property:
+                            var addTry2 = fromFile.TryAdd(memberInfo.Name, ((PropertyInfo)memberInfo).GetValue(config));
+                            Console.WriteLine($"ostensibly, succeeded? {addTry2}");
+                            break;
+                        default:
+                            break;
+                    }
+                    
                 }
+                Console.WriteLine($"{memberInfo.Name} handled");
             }
         }
-        public static void readFromExpando<T>(ref T config, ExpandoObject readFromFile)
+        internal static void readFromExpando<T>(ref T config, ExpandoObject readFromFile)
         {
             //TODO: read from Expando
         }
diff --git a/deployment.tests/ConfigTests.cs b/deployment.tests/ConfigTests.cs
index 6231004..1c8b536 100644
--- a/deployment.tests/ConfigTests.cs
+++ b/deployment.tests/ConfigTests.cs
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ public class ConfigTests
         }
     }");
         greyn.Deployment.ConfigurationBootstrapper.populateExpando(new AConfigurationType(), ref actualConfig);
+        Console.WriteLine("survived populate expando");
         var casted = (IDictionary<string, object?>)actualConfig; 
         Console.WriteLine(casted["aValueTypeButNotAField"]);
         Assert.Pass();
@@ -350,6 +351,7 @@ public class ConfigTests
         var actualConfig = parse("{}");
         greyn.Deployment.ConfigurationBootstrapper.populateExpando(new AConfigurationType(), ref actualConfig);
         var casted = (IDictionary<string, object?>)actualConfig; 
+        Console.WriteLine(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(casted,  Formatting.Indented));
         var subtypeCasted = (IDictionary<string, object?>)casted["subtyped"];
         Console.WriteLine(subtypeCasted["aValueTypeButNotAField"]);
         Assert.Pass();