diff --git a/slate/slate.py b/slate/slate.py
index 52401d7..1a16d57 100644
--- a/slate/slate.py
+++ b/slate/slate.py
@@ -78,17 +78,22 @@ class Slate():
                         return doc, stack
             raise Exception(f'Unable to find experiment <{name}> in <{filename}>')
 
-    def deep_update(self, d, u):
+    def deep_update(self, d, u, traverse_dot_notation=True):
         for kstr, v in u.items():
-            ks = kstr.split('.')
+            if traverse_dot_notation:
+                ks = kstr.split('.')
+            else:
+                ks = [kstr]
             head = d
             for k in ks:
+                if k in ['parameters']:
+                    traverse_dot_notation = False
                 last_head = head
                 if k not in head:
                     head[k] = {}
                 head = head[k]
             if isinstance(v, collections.abc.Mapping):
-                last_head[ks[-1]] = self.deep_update(d.get(k, {}), v)
+                last_head[ks[-1]] = self.deep_update(d.get(k, {}), v, traverse_dot_notation=traverse_dot_notation)
             else:
                 last_head[ks[-1]] = v
         return d