diff --git a/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js b/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js
index 881339a..ac00613 100644
--- a/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js
+++ b/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js
@@ -35,7 +35,12 @@ var Argv = exports.Argv = function (options, usage) {
   } else {
       this.transform = false;
   }
-
+  if (typeof options.separator === 'string' || options.separator instanceof RegExp) {
+    this.separator = options.separator;
+    delete options.separator;
+  } else {
+    this.separator = '';
+  }
 };
 
 // Inherit from the Memory store
@@ -86,7 +91,12 @@ Argv.prototype.loadArgv = function () {
         val = common.parseValues(val);
       }
 
-      self.set(key, val);
+      if (self.separator) {
+        self.set(common.key.apply(common, key.split(self.separator)), val);
+      }
+      else {
+        self.set(key, val);
+      }
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-hierarchical-load-merge-with-separator.js b/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-hierarchical-load-merge-with-separator.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a58a4b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-hierarchical-load-merge-with-separator.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+ * nconf-hierarchical-load-merge.js: Test fixture for loading and merging nested objects across stores.
+ *
+ * (C) 2012, Charlie Robbins and the Contributors.
+ * (C) 2012, Michael Hart
+ *
+ */
+
+var path = require('path'),
+    nconf = require('../../../lib/nconf');
+
+nconf.argv({separator: '--'})
+     .env('__')
+     .file(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'merge', 'file1.json'));
+
+process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({
+  apples: nconf.get('apples'),
+  candy: nconf.get('candy')
+}));
diff --git a/test/hierarchy-test.js b/test/hierarchy-test.js
index de8dc4a..a76e2b5 100644
--- a/test/hierarchy-test.js
+++ b/test/hierarchy-test.js
@@ -111,7 +111,43 @@ vows.describe('nconf/hierarchy').addBatch({
         });
       }
     },
-    "configured with .file(), .defaults() should deep merge objects": {
+      "configured with .argv() and separator, .file() and invoked with nested command line options": {
+          topic: function () {
+              var script = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'scripts', 'nconf-hierarchical-load-merge-with-separator.js'),
+                  argv = ['--candy--something', 'foo', '--candy--something5--second', 'bar'],
+                  that = this,
+                  data = '',
+                  child;
+              process.env.candy__bonbon =  'sweet';
+              child = spawn('node', [script].concat(argv));
+              delete process.env.candy__bonbon;
+              child.stdout.on('data', function (d) {
+                  data += d;
+              });
+
+              child.on('close', function() {
+                  that.callback(null, data);
+              });
+          },
+          "should merge nested objects ": function (err, data) {
+            console.log(data)
+              assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(data), {
+                  apples: true,
+                  candy: {
+                      bonbon: 'sweet',
+                      something: 'foo',
+                      something1: true,
+                      something2: true,
+                      something5: {
+                          first: 1,
+                          second: 'bar'
+                      }
+                  }
+              });
+          }
+      },
+
+      "configured with .file(), .defaults() should deep merge objects": {
       topic: function () {
         var script = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'scripts', 'nconf-hierarchical-defaults-merge.js'),
             that = this,
diff --git a/test/nconf-argv-test.js b/test/nconf-argv-test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ab1842b..0000000
--- a/test/nconf-argv-test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * file-store-test.js: Tests for the nconf File store.
- *
- * (C) 2011, Charlie Robbins and the Contributors.
- *
- */
-
-var fs = require('fs'),
-    path = require('path'),
-    vows = require('vows'),
-    assert = require('assert'),
-    nconf = require('../lib/nconf'),
-    yargs = require('yargs')
-
-vows.describe('nconf/argv').addBatch({
-  "When using the nconf": {
-    "with a custom yargs": {
-      topic: function () {
-        fs.readFile(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'package.json'), this.callback);
-      },
-    },
-    "with the default yars": {
-    }
-  }
-}).export(module);