diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 8e944c54..cb7bbbf0 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -153,6 +153,52 @@ func TestFilterDottedKeys(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(expectedRest, rest)
 }
 
+func TestUnmarshalOrReturnString(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := require.New(t)
+
+	assert.Equal("ab", unmarshalOrReturnString("ab"))
+	assert.Equal("a\nb", unmarshalOrReturnString("a\nb"))
+	assert.Equal("a\n", unmarshalOrReturnString("a\n"))
+	assert.Equal("\nb", unmarshalOrReturnString("\nb"))
+	assert.Equal("a,b", unmarshalOrReturnString("a,b"))
+	assert.Equal("a,", unmarshalOrReturnString("a,"))
+	assert.Equal(",b", unmarshalOrReturnString(",b"))
+
+	assert.Equal(int64(10), unmarshalOrReturnString("10"))
+	assert.Equal(true, unmarshalOrReturnString("true"))
+	assert.Equal(false, unmarshalOrReturnString("false"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[a]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"a\"]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a,"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"a,\"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{" a, "}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\" a, \"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{",a"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\",a\"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{" ,a "}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\" ,a \"]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a\n"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"a\n\"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{" a\n "}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\" a\n \"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"\na"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"\na\"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{" \na "}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\" \na \"]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a", "b"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[a,b]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a", "b"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"a\",\"b\"]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a,", "b"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"a,\",b]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a", ",b"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[a,\",b\"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{" a, ", " ,b "}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\" a, \",\" ,b \"]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a\n", "b"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\"a\n\",b]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a", "\nb"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[a,\"\nb\"]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{" a\n ", " \nb "}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[\" a\n \",\" \nb \"]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a", int64(10)}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[a,10]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{int64(10), "a"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[10,a]"))
+
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{"a", true}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[a,true]"))
+	assert.Equal([]interface{}{false, "a"}, unmarshalOrReturnString("[false,a]"))
+}
+
 func TestParseCmdline(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := require.New(t)
 
@@ -161,18 +207,20 @@ func TestParseCmdline(t *testing.T) {
 			"rescue":   true,
 			"key1":     "value1",
 			"key2":     "value2",
-			"keyArray": []interface{}{"1", "2"},
+			"keyArray": []interface{}{int64(1), int64(2)},
 			"obj1": map[interface{}]interface{}{
 				"key3": "3value",
 				"obj2": map[interface{}]interface{}{
 					"key4": true,
 				},
 			},
-			"key5": 5,
+			"key5": int64(5),
+			"key6": "a,b",
+			"key7": "a\nb",
 		},
 	}
 
-	actual := parseCmdline("a b rancher.rescue rancher.keyArray=[1,2] rancher.key1=value1 c rancher.key2=value2 rancher.obj1.key3=3value rancher.obj1.obj2.key4 rancher.key5=5")
+	actual := parseCmdline("a b rancher.rescue rancher.keyArray=[1,2] rancher.key1=value1 c rancher.key2=value2 rancher.obj1.key3=3value rancher.obj1.obj2.key4 rancher.key5=5 rancher.key6=a,b rancher.key7=a\nb")
 
 	assert.Equal(expected, actual)
 }
diff --git a/config/data_funcs.go b/config/data_funcs.go
index 37328a29..2ab8bee1 100644
--- a/config/data_funcs.go
+++ b/config/data_funcs.go
@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	log "github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	yaml "github.com/cloudfoundry-incubator/candiedyaml"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/os/util"
-	"regexp"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -87,7 +86,7 @@ func getOrSetVal(args string, data map[interface{}]interface{}, value interface{
 		// Reached end, set the value
 		if last && value != nil {
 			if s, ok := value.(string); ok {
-				value = DummyMarshall(s)
+				value = unmarshalOrReturnString(s)
 			}
 
 			t[part] = value
@@ -121,28 +120,36 @@ func getOrSetVal(args string, data map[interface{}]interface{}, value interface{
 	return "", tData
 }
 
-func DummyMarshall(value string) interface{} {
-	if strings.HasPrefix(value, "[") && strings.HasSuffix(value, "]") {
-		result := []interface{}{}
-		for _, i := range strings.Split(value[1:len(value)-1], ",") {
-			result = append(result, strings.TrimSpace(i))
+// YAML parsers will remove newlines, but we'd like to keep those
+// replace newlines with magicString, and then undo after unmarshaling
+var magicString = "9XsJcx6dR5EERYCC"
+
+func reverseReplacement(result interface{}) interface{} {
+	switch val := result.(type) {
+	case map[interface{}]interface{}:
+		for k, v := range val {
+			val[k] = reverseReplacement(v)
 		}
-		return result
+		return val
+	case []interface{}:
+		for i, item := range val {
+			val[i] = reverseReplacement(item)
+		}
+		return val
+	case string:
+		return strings.Replace(val, magicString, "\n", -1)
 	}
 
-	if value == "true" {
-		return true
-	} else if value == "false" {
-		return false
-	} else if ok, _ := regexp.MatchString("^[0-9]+$", value); ok {
-		i, err := strconv.Atoi(value)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-		return i
-	}
+	return result
+}
 
-	return value
+func unmarshalOrReturnString(value string) (result interface{}) {
+	value = strings.Replace(value, "\n", magicString, -1)
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &result); err != nil {
+		result = value
+	}
+	result = reverseReplacement(result)
+	return
 }
 
 func parseCmdline(cmdLine string) map[interface{}]interface{} {
@@ -167,7 +174,7 @@ outer:
 		keys := strings.Split(kv[0], ".")
 		for i, key := range keys {
 			if i == len(keys)-1 {
-				current[key] = DummyMarshall(value)
+				current[key] = unmarshalOrReturnString(value)
 			} else {
 				if obj, ok := current[key]; ok {
 					if newCurrent, ok := obj.(map[interface{}]interface{}); ok {