diff --git a/cake/libs/configure.php b/cake/libs/configure.php
index c38462b51eb..d77a8e98772 100644
--- a/cake/libs/configure.php
+++ b/cake/libs/configure.php
@@ -92,19 +92,15 @@ function write($config, $value = null) {
 			$config = array($config => $value);
 		}
 
-		foreach ($config as $names => $value) {
-			$name = $_this->__configVarNames($names);
-
-			switch (count($name)) {
-				case 3:
-					$_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]][$name[2]] = $value;
-				break;
-				case 2:
-					$_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]] = $value;
-				break;
-				case 1:
-					$_this->{$name[0]} = $value;
-				break;
+		foreach ($config as $name => $value) {
+			if (strpos($name, '.') === false) {
+				$_this->{$name} = $value;
+			} else {
+				$names = explode('.', $name, 2);
+				if (!isset($_this->{$names[0]})) {
+					$_this->{$names[0]} = array();
+				}
+				$_this->{$names[0]} = Set::insert($_this->{$names[0]}, $names[1], $value);
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -154,26 +150,20 @@ function read($var = 'debug') {
 			}
 			return $_this->debug;
 		}
-		$name = $_this->__configVarNames($var);
 
-		switch (count($name)) {
-			case 3:
-				if (isset($_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]][$name[2]])) {
-					return $_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]][$name[2]];
-				}
-			break;
-			case 2:
-				if (isset($_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]])) {
-					return $_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]];
-				}
-			break;
-			case 1:
-				if (isset($_this->{$name[0]})) {
-					return $_this->{$name[0]};
-				}
-			break;
+		if (strpos($var, '.') !== false) {
+			$names = explode('.', $var, 2);
+			$var = $names[0];
 		}
-		return null;
+		if (!isset($_this->{$var})) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		if (!empty($names[1])) {
+			return Set::extract($_this->{$var}, $names[1]);
+		}
+
+		return $_this->{$var};
 	}
 /**
  * Used to delete a variable from the Configure instance.
@@ -189,13 +179,14 @@ function read($var = 'debug') {
  */
 	function delete($var = null) {
 		$_this =& Configure::getInstance();
-		$name = $_this->__configVarNames($var);
 
-		if (count($name) > 1) {
-			unset($_this->{$name[0]}[$name[1]]);
-		} else {
-			unset($_this->{$name[0]});
+		if (strpos($var, '.') === false) {
+			unset($_this->{$var});
+			return;
 		}
+
+		$names = explode('.', $var, 2);
+		$_this->{$names[0]} = Set::remove($_this->{$names[0]}, $names[1]);
 	}
 /**
  * Loads a file from app/config/configure_file.php.
@@ -332,22 +323,6 @@ function __writeConfig($content, $name, $write = true) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-/**
- * Checks $name for dot notation to create dynamic Configure::$var as an array when needed.
- *
- * @param mixed $name Name to split
- * @return array Name separated in items through dot notation
- * @access private
- */
-	function __configVarNames($name) {
-		if (is_string($name)) {
-			if (strpos($name, ".")) {
-				return explode(".", $name);
-			}
-			return array($name);
-		}
-		return $name;
-	}
 /**
  * @deprecated
  * @see App::objects()
@@ -412,7 +387,7 @@ function __loadBootstrap($boot) {
 				} else {
 					$duration = '+999 days';
 				}
-				
+
 				if (Cache::config('_cake_core_') === false) {
 					Cache::config('_cake_core_', array_merge((array)$cache['settings'], array(
 						'prefix' => $prefix . 'cake_core_', 'path' => $path . DS . 'persistent' . DS,