diff --git a/etiquette/helpers.py b/etiquette/helpers.py
index 285258a..bcd80e4 100644
--- a/etiquette/helpers.py
+++ b/etiquette/helpers.py
@@ -267,6 +267,44 @@ def read_filebytes(filepath, range_min, range_max, chunk_size=2 ** 20):
             yield chunk
             sent_amount += len(chunk)
 
+def recursive_dict_update(d1, d2):
+    '''
+    Update d1 using d2, but when the value is a dictionary update the insides
+    instead of replacing the dictionary itself.
+    '''
+    for (key, value) in d2.items():
+        if isinstance(value, dict):
+            existing = d1.get(key, None)
+            if existing is None:
+                d1[key] = value
+            else:
+                recursive_dict_update(existing, value)
+        else:
+            d1[key] = value
+
+def recursive_dict_keys(d):
+    '''
+    Given a dictionary, return a set containing all of its keys and the keys of
+    all other dictionaries that appear as values within. The subkeys will use \\
+    to indicate their lineage.
+
+    {
+        'hi': {
+            'ho': 'neighbor'
+        }
+    }
+
+    returns
+
+    {'hi', 'hi\\ho'}
+    '''
+    keys = set(d.keys())
+    for (key, value) in d.items():
+        if isinstance(value, dict):
+            subkeys = {'%s\\%s' % (key, subkey) for subkey in recursive_dict_keys(value)}
+            keys.update(subkeys)
+    return keys
+
 def remove_characters(text, characters):
     translator = {ord(c): None for c in characters}
     text = text.translate(translator)
diff --git a/etiquette/photodb.py b/etiquette/photodb.py
index d03e5e2..0008992 100644
--- a/etiquette/photodb.py
+++ b/etiquette/photodb.py
@@ -1124,8 +1124,10 @@ class PhotoDB(PDBAlbumMixin, PDBBookmarkMixin, PDBPhotoMixin, PDBTagMixin, PDBUs
         if user_config_exists:
             with open(self.config_filepath.absolute_path, 'r') as handle:
                 user_config = json.load(handle)
-            needs_dump = len(user_config) < len(self.config)
-            self.config.update(user_config)
+            my_keys = helpers.recursive_dict_keys(self.config)
+            stored_keys = helpers.recursive_dict_keys(user_config)
+            needs_dump = not my_keys.issubset(stored_keys)
+            helpers.recursive_dict_update(self.config, user_config)
         else:
             needs_dump = True