diff --git a/flytestdlib/config/tests/accessor_test.go b/flytestdlib/config/tests/accessor_test.go
index 899938be64..f2328c5c36 100644
--- a/flytestdlib/config/tests/accessor_test.go
+++ b/flytestdlib/config/tests/accessor_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	k8sRand "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/rand"
 
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flyte/flytestdlib/config"
+	"github.com/flyteorg/flyte/flytestdlib/config/viper"
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flyte/flytestdlib/internal/utils"
 )
 
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ func TestAccessor_InitializePflags(t *testing.T) {
 
 			set := pflag.NewFlagSet("test", pflag.ContinueOnError)
 			v.InitializePflags(set)
-			key := "MY_COMPONENT.STR2"
+			key := fmt.Sprintf("MY_COMPONENT%sSTR2", viper.KeyDelim)
 			assert.NoError(t, os.Setenv(key, "123"))
 			defer func() { assert.NoError(t, os.Unsetenv(key)) }()
 			assert.NoError(t, v.UpdateConfig(context.TODO()))
@@ -179,10 +180,10 @@ func TestAccessor_InitializePflags(t *testing.T) {
 
 			set := pflag.NewFlagSet("test", pflag.ExitOnError)
 			v.InitializePflags(set)
-			assert.NoError(t, set.Parse([]string{"--my-component.nested.int-val=3"}))
+			assert.NoError(t, set.Parse([]string{fmt.Sprintf("--my-component%snested%sint-val=3", viper.KeyDelim, viper.KeyDelim)}))
 			assert.True(t, set.Parsed())
 
-			flagValue, err := set.GetInt("my-component.nested.int-val")
+			flagValue, err := set.GetInt(fmt.Sprintf("my-component%snested%sint-val", viper.KeyDelim, viper.KeyDelim))
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, 3, flagValue)
 
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@ func TestAccessor_UpdateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 				SearchPaths: []string{filepath.Join("testdata", "config.yaml")},
 				RootSection: reg,
 			})
-			key := strings.ToUpper("my-component.str")
+			key := strings.ToUpper(fmt.Sprintf("my-component%sstr", viper.KeyDelim))
 			assert.NoError(t, os.Setenv(key, "Set From Env"))
 			defer func() { assert.NoError(t, os.Unsetenv(key)) }()
 			assert.NoError(t, v.UpdateConfig(context.TODO()))
@@ -428,7 +429,7 @@ func TestAccessor_UpdateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 			v := provider(config.Options{RootSection: reg})
-			key := strings.ToUpper("my-component.str3")
+			key := strings.ToUpper(fmt.Sprintf("my-component%sstr3", viper.KeyDelim))
 			assert.NoError(t, os.Setenv(key, "Set From Env"))
 			defer func() { assert.NoError(t, os.Unsetenv(key)) }()
 			assert.NoError(t, v.UpdateConfig(context.TODO()))
@@ -521,7 +522,7 @@ func TestAccessor_UpdateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 				SearchPaths: []string{filepath.Join("testdata", "config.yaml")},
 				RootSection: reg,
 			})
-			key := strings.ToUpper("my-component.str")
+			key := strings.ToUpper(fmt.Sprintf("my-component%sstr", viper.KeyDelim))
 			assert.NoError(t, os.Setenv(key, "Set From Env"))
 			defer func() { assert.NoError(t, os.Unsetenv(key)) }()
 			assert.NoError(t, v.UpdateConfig(context.TODO()))
diff --git a/flytestdlib/config/viper/collection.go b/flytestdlib/config/viper/collection.go
index 914ff07526..aaf8927b5c 100644
--- a/flytestdlib/config/viper/collection.go
+++ b/flytestdlib/config/viper/collection.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func (c CollectionProxy) MergeConfig(in io.Reader) error {
 }
 
 func (c CollectionProxy) MergeAllConfigs() (all Viper, err error) {
-	combinedConfig := viperLib.New()
+	combinedConfig := viperLib.NewWithOptions(viperLib.KeyDelimiter(KeyDelim))
 	if c.envVars != nil {
 		for _, envConfig := range c.envVars {
 			err = combinedConfig.BindEnv(envConfig...)
diff --git a/flytestdlib/config/viper/viper.go b/flytestdlib/config/viper/viper.go
index 9ba4a552c2..15877c8d86 100644
--- a/flytestdlib/config/viper/viper.go
+++ b/flytestdlib/config/viper/viper.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	keyDelim = "."
+	KeyDelim = "::"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func (v viperAccessor) addSectionsPFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet) (err error) {
 
 func (v viperAccessor) addSubsectionsPFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet, rootKey string, root config.Section) error {
 	for key, section := range root.GetSections() {
-		prefix := rootKey + key + keyDelim
+		prefix := rootKey + key + KeyDelim
 		if asPFlagProvider, ok := section.GetConfig().(config.PFlagProvider); ok {
 			flags.AddFlagSet(asPFlagProvider.GetPFlagSet(prefix))
 		}
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (v viperAccessor) bindViperConfigsEnvDepth(m map[string]interface{}, prefix
 	for key, val := range m {
 		subKey := prefix + key
 		if asMap, ok := val.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
-			errs.Append(v.bindViperConfigsEnvDepth(asMap, subKey+keyDelim))
+			errs.Append(v.bindViperConfigsEnvDepth(asMap, subKey+KeyDelim))
 		} else {
 			errs.Append(v.viper.BindEnv(subKey, strings.ToUpper(strings.Replace(subKey, "-", "_", -1))))
 		}
@@ -272,6 +272,9 @@ func (v viperAccessor) parseViperConfigRecursive(root config.Section, settings i
 	if asMap, casted := settings.(map[string]interface{}); casted {
 		myMap := map[string]interface{}{}
 		for childKey, childValue := range asMap {
+			if childKey == "default-annotations" {
+				logger.Debugf(context.Background(), "Found default-annotations in config. Skipping.")
+			}
 			if childSection, found := root.GetSections()[childKey]; found {
 				errs.Append(v.parseViperConfigRecursive(childSection, childValue))
 			} else {
@@ -396,7 +399,7 @@ func (v viperAccessor) sendUpdatedEvents(ctx context.Context, root config.Sectio
 			section.GetConfigUpdatedHandler()(ctx, section.GetConfig())
 		}
 
-		v.sendUpdatedEvents(ctx, section, forceSend, sectionKey+key+keyDelim)
+		v.sendUpdatedEvents(ctx, section, forceSend, sectionKey+key+KeyDelim)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -413,7 +416,7 @@ func newAccessor(opts config.Options) *viperAccessor {
 	vipers := make([]Viper, 0, 1)
 	configFiles := files.FindConfigFiles(opts.SearchPaths)
 	for _, configFile := range configFiles {
-		v := viperLib.New()
+		v := viperLib.NewWithOptions(viperLib.KeyDelimiter(KeyDelim))
 		v.SetConfigFile(configFile)
 
 		vipers = append(vipers, v)
@@ -421,7 +424,7 @@ func newAccessor(opts config.Options) *viperAccessor {
 
 	// Create a default viper even if we couldn't find any matching files
 	if len(configFiles) == 0 {
-		v := viperLib.New()
+		v := viperLib.NewWithOptions(viperLib.KeyDelimiter(KeyDelim))
 		vipers = append(vipers, v)
 	}