diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index 30ab8f35e2c..5e89210dfcb 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -386,7 +386,11 @@ export function newConfig() {
         option = Object.assign({}, defaults[topic], option);
       }
 
-      topicalConfig[topic] = config[topic] = option;
+      try {
+        topicalConfig[topic] = config[topic] = option;
+      } catch (e) {
+        logWarn(`Cannot set config for property ${topic} : `, e)
+      }
     });
 
     callSubscribers(topicalConfig);
@@ -525,11 +529,7 @@ export function newConfig() {
       return;
     }
 
-    const mergedConfig = Object.keys(obj).reduce((accum, key) => {
-      const prevConf = _getConfig()[key] || {};
-      accum[key] = mergeDeep(prevConf, obj[key]);
-      return accum;
-    }, {});
+    const mergedConfig = mergeDeep(_getConfig(), obj);
 
     setConfig({ ...mergedConfig });
     return mergedConfig;
diff --git a/test/spec/config_spec.js b/test/spec/config_spec.js
index 294fce2fa9b..d7f6b9de6c0 100644
--- a/test/spec/config_spec.js
+++ b/test/spec/config_spec.js
@@ -596,6 +596,7 @@ describe('config API', function () {
     }
 
     setConfig({
+      bidderTimeout: 2000,
       ortb2: {
         user: {
           data: [userObj1, userObj2]
@@ -609,6 +610,7 @@ describe('config API', function () {
     });
 
     const rtd = {
+      bidderTimeout: 3000,
       ortb2: {
         user: {
           data: [userObj1]
@@ -623,11 +625,13 @@ describe('config API', function () {
     mergeConfig(rtd);
 
     let ortb2Config = getConfig('ortb2');
+    let bidderTimeout = getConfig('bidderTimeout');
 
     expect(ortb2Config.user.data).to.deep.include.members([userObj1, userObj2]);
     expect(ortb2Config.site.content.data).to.deep.include.members([siteObj1]);
     expect(ortb2Config.user.data).to.have.lengthOf(2);
     expect(ortb2Config.site.content.data).to.have.lengthOf(1);
+    expect(bidderTimeout).to.equal(3000);
   });
 
   it('should not corrupt global configuration with bidder configuration', () => {