diff --git a/parser.go b/parser.go
index 405d72f..43b747f 100644
--- a/parser.go
+++ b/parser.go
@@ -8,17 +8,19 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 var (
-	config   = map[string]any{}
-	defaults = map[string]any{}
+	config        = map[string]any{}
+	flattenConfig = map[string]any{}
+	defaults      = map[string]any{}
 )
 
 // ParseConfig reads the config from an io.Reader.
 //
 // The config may be in JSON or in JSONC ( json with comment)
-// Allowed format for comments are 
+// Allowed format for comments are
 //  * single line ( //... )
 //  * multiligne ( /*...*/ )
 func ParseConfig(jsoncConfig io.Reader) error {
@@ -33,13 +35,12 @@ func ParseConfig(jsoncConfig io.Reader) error {
 	d := json.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(cleanJson))
 	d.UseNumber()
 
-	var src map[string]any
-	err = d.Decode(&src)
+	err = d.Decode(&config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("fail to parse JSON: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	flatten("", src, config)
+	flatten("", config, flattenConfig)
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -85,7 +86,6 @@ func removeComment(src []byte) []byte {
 			output = append(output, b)
 		}
 	}
-
 	return output
 }
 
@@ -124,41 +124,26 @@ func SetDefault(key string, value any) {
 	default:
 		defaults[key] = value
 	}
-
 }
 
 // GetString returns the value associated with the key as a string.
 func GetString(key string) string {
-
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return ""
-	}
-	return cast[string](val)
+	return getValue[string](key)
 }
 
 // GetBool returns the value associated with the key as a bool.
 func GetBool(key string) bool {
-
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return false
-	}
-	return cast[bool](val)
+	return getValue[bool](key)
 }
 
 // GetInt returns the value associated with the key as an int.
 func GetInt(key string) int {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
-	n := cast[json.Number](val)
-	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(string(n), 10, 64)
+	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(string(val), 10, 64)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as an int")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an int", val))
 	}
 	return int(i)
 }
@@ -166,15 +151,11 @@ func GetInt(key string) int {
 // GetInt32 returns the value associated with the key as an int32
 func GetInt32(key string) int32 {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
-	n := cast[json.Number](val)
-	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(string(n), 10, 32)
+	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(string(val), 10, 32)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as an int32")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an int32", val))
 	}
 	return int32(i)
 }
@@ -182,15 +163,11 @@ func GetInt32(key string) int32 {
 // GetInt64 returns the value associated with the key as an int64.
 func GetInt64(key string) int64 {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
-	n := cast[json.Number](val)
-	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(string(n), 10, 64)
+	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(string(val), 10, 64)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as an int64")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an int64", val))
 	}
 	return i
 }
@@ -198,15 +175,12 @@ func GetInt64(key string) int64 {
 // GetUint returns the value associated with the key as an uint.
 func GetUint(key string) uint {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
 	n := cast[json.Number](val)
 	i, err := strconv.ParseUint(string(n), 10, 64)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as an uint")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an uint", val))
 	}
 	return uint(i)
 }
@@ -214,15 +188,11 @@ func GetUint(key string) uint {
 // GetUint32 returns the value associated with the key as an uint32.
 func GetUint32(key string) uint32 {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
-	n := cast[json.Number](val)
-	i, err := strconv.ParseUint(string(n), 10, 32)
+	i, err := strconv.ParseUint(string(val), 10, 32)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as an uint32")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an uint32", val))
 	}
 	return uint32(i)
 }
@@ -230,15 +200,11 @@ func GetUint32(key string) uint32 {
 // GetUint64 returns the value associated with the key as an uint64.
 func GetUint64(key string) uint64 {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
-	n := cast[json.Number](val)
-	i, err := strconv.ParseUint(string(n), 10, 64)
+	i, err := strconv.ParseUint(string(val), 10, 64)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as an uint64")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an uint64", val))
 	}
 	return uint64(i)
 }
@@ -246,42 +212,69 @@ func GetUint64(key string) uint64 {
 // GetFloat64 returns the value associated with the key as a float64.
 func GetFloat64(key string) float64 {
 
-	val, ok := getValue(key)
-	if !ok {
-		return 0.0
-	}
+	val := getValue[json.Number](key)
 
-	n := cast[json.Number](val)
-	f, err := strconv.ParseFloat(string(n), 64)
+	f, err := strconv.ParseFloat(string(val), 64)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("Can't parse number '%s' as a float64")
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Can't parse number '%s' as an float64", val))
 	}
 	return f
 }
 
 // GetAny returns any value associated with the key.
 func GetAny(key string) any {
-	v, _ := getValue(key)
-	return v
+	return getValue[any](key)
 }
 
-func getValue(key string) (val any, ok bool) {
-	v, ok := config[key]
-	if !ok {
-		v, ok = getDefault(key)
+// GetMap returns the map associated with the key.
+// Numbers will be of type json.Number
+// returns nil if the key does not exist
+func GetMap(key string) map[string]any {
+
+	nProp := strings.Split(key, ".")
+	nested := config
+
+	for i, prop := range nProp {
+
+		if i == len(nProp)-1 {
+
+			if v, ok := nested[prop]; ok {
+				return cast[map[string]any](v)
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		nested, _ = nested[prop].(map[string]any)
+	}
+	return getDefault[map[string]any](key)
+}
+
+func getValue[T any](key string) (val T) {
+
+	v, ok := flattenConfig[key]
+	if ok {
+		return cast[T](v)
 	}
-	return v, ok
+	return getDefault[T](key)
 }
 
-func getDefault(key string) (val any, ok bool) {
+func getDefault[T any](key string) (val T) {
+
 	v, ok := defaults[key]
-	if !ok {
-		log.Printf("no value found for key '%s', using nil value instead", key)
+	if ok {
+		return cast[T](v)
 	}
-	return v, ok
+
+	log.Printf("no value found for key '%s', using nil value instead", key)
+
+	var zeroVal T
+	if reflect.TypeOf(zeroVal) == reflect.TypeOf(json.Number("")) {
+		return cast[T](json.Number("0"))
+	}
+	return zeroVal
 }
 
 func cast[T any](v any) T {
+
 	s, ok := v.(T)
 	if !ok {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("'%v' is not a %s", v, reflect.TypeOf(s)))
diff --git a/parser_test.go b/parser_test.go
index 0050ddd..083af3b 100644
--- a/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package boa_test
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -367,6 +368,55 @@ func TestRemoveComment(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetMap(t *testing.T) {
+
+	config := `{
+		"root": {
+			"object": {
+				"key1": "val",
+				"key2": true,
+				"key3": 1
+			}
+		}
+	}`
+
+	loadConfig(t, config)
+
+	result := boa.GetMap("root.object")
+	if want, got := "val", result["key1"]; want != got {
+		t.Errorf("expected '%v' but got '%v'", want, got)
+	}
+	if want, got := true, result["key2"]; want != got {
+		t.Errorf("expected '%v' but got '%v'", want, got)
+	}
+	if want, got := json.Number("1"), result["key3"]; want != got {
+		t.Errorf("expected '%v' but got '%v'", want, got)
+	}
+
+	nonExistingMap := boa.GetMap("non_existing")
+	if nonExistingMap != nil {
+		t.Errorf("non existing key should return nil, but got '%v'", nonExistingMap)
+	}
+
+	defer func(t *testing.T) {
+		got := recover()
+		if got == nil {
+			t.Error("val not of type map should trigger a panic")
+		}
+		want := "'val' is not a map[string]interface {}"
+		if want != got {
+			t.Errorf("expected '%s' but got '%s'", want, got)
+		}
+	}(t)
+	_ = boa.GetMap("root.object.key1")
+
+	boa.SetDefault("non_existing", map[string]any{"k": "v"})
+	nonExistingMap = boa.GetMap("non_existing")
+	if len(nonExistingMap) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("after default set, non_existing should be a map of length 1, but got '%v'", nonExistingMap)
+	}
+}
+
 func loadConfig(t *testing.T, config string) {
 	err := boa.ParseConfig(strings.NewReader(config))
 	if err != nil {