diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index c3add4c..c25efe0 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -565,15 +565,20 @@ CParseResult CConfig::parseLine(std::string line, bool dynamic) {
         bool found = false;
 
         for (auto& h : impl->handlers) {
-            if (!h.options.allowFlags) {
-                // we want to handle potentially nested keywords and ensure
-                // we only call the handler if they are scoped correctly.
+            // we want to handle potentially nested keywords and ensure
+            // we only call the handler if they are scoped correctly,
+            // unless the keyword is not scoped itself
+
+            const bool UNSCOPED    = !h.name.contains(":");
+            const auto HANDLERNAME = !h.name.empty() && h.name.at(0) == ':' ? h.name.substr(1) : h.name;
+
+            if (!h.options.allowFlags && !UNSCOPED) {
                 size_t colon = 0;
                 size_t idx   = 0;
                 size_t depth = 0;
 
-                while ((colon = h.name.find(":", idx)) != std::string::npos && impl->categories.size() > depth) {
-                    auto actual = h.name.substr(idx, colon - idx);
+                while ((colon = HANDLERNAME.find(":", idx)) != std::string::npos && impl->categories.size() > depth) {
+                    auto actual = HANDLERNAME.substr(idx, colon - idx);
 
                     if (actual != impl->categories[depth])
                         break;
@@ -582,11 +587,14 @@ CParseResult CConfig::parseLine(std::string line, bool dynamic) {
                     ++depth;
                 }
 
-                if (depth != impl->categories.size() || h.name.substr(idx) != LHS)
+                if (depth != impl->categories.size() || HANDLERNAME.substr(idx) != LHS)
                     continue;
             }
 
-            if (h.options.allowFlags && (!LHS.starts_with(h.name) || LHS.contains(':') /* avoid cases where a category is called the same as a handler */))
+            if (UNSCOPED && HANDLERNAME != LHS && !h.options.allowFlags)
+                continue;
+
+            if (h.options.allowFlags && (!LHS.starts_with(HANDLERNAME) || LHS.contains(':') /* avoid cases where a category is called the same as a handler */))
                 continue;
 
             ret   = h.func(LHS.c_str(), RHS.c_str());
diff --git a/tests/config/config.conf b/tests/config/config.conf
index d94094a..c8ea739 100644
--- a/tests/config/config.conf
+++ b/tests/config/config.conf
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ errorVariable = true
 # hyprlang noerror false
 
 categoryKeyword = oops, this one shouldn't call the handler, not fun
+testUseKeyword = yes
 
 testCategory {
     testValueInt = 123456
@@ -38,6 +39,9 @@ testCategory {
     testColor2   = rgba(0,   0,   0,   1.0)
     testColor3   = rgba(ffeeff22)
 
+    testIgnoreKeyword = aaa
+    testUseKeyword = no
+
     nested1 {
         testValueNest = 1
         nested2 {
diff --git a/tests/parse/main.cpp b/tests/parse/main.cpp
index bbc84b4..0fdb916 100644
--- a/tests/parse/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/parse/main.cpp
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@ namespace Colors {
     }
 
 // globals for testing
-bool                            barrelRoll  = false;
-std::string                     flagsFound  = "";
-Hyprlang::CConfig*              pConfig     = nullptr;
-std::string                     currentPath = "";
+bool                            barrelRoll    = false;
+std::string                     flagsFound    = "";
+Hyprlang::CConfig*              pConfig       = nullptr;
+std::string                     currentPath   = "";
+std::string                     ignoreKeyword = "";
+std::string                     useKeyword    = "";
 static std::vector<std::string> categoryKeywordActualValues;
 
 static Hyprlang::CParseResult   handleDoABarrelRoll(const char* COMMAND, const char* VALUE) {
@@ -51,6 +53,22 @@ static Hyprlang::CParseResult handleCategoryKeyword(const char* COMMAND, const c
     return Hyprlang::CParseResult();
 }
 
+static Hyprlang::CParseResult handleTestIgnoreKeyword(const char* COMMAND, const char* VALUE) {
+    ignoreKeyword = VALUE;
+
+    return Hyprlang::CParseResult();
+}
+
+static Hyprlang::CParseResult handleTestUseKeyword(const char* COMMAND, const char* VALUE) {
+    useKeyword = VALUE;
+
+    return Hyprlang::CParseResult();
+}
+
+static Hyprlang::CParseResult handleNoop(const char* COMMAND, const char* VALUE) {
+    return Hyprlang::CParseResult();
+}
+
 static Hyprlang::CParseResult handleSource(const char* COMMAND, const char* VALUE) {
     std::string PATH = std::filesystem::canonical(currentPath + "/" + VALUE);
     return pConfig->parseFile(PATH.c_str());
@@ -116,6 +134,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv, char** envp) {
         config.registerHandler(&handleDoABarrelRoll, "doABarrelRoll", {false});
         config.registerHandler(&handleFlagsTest, "flags", {true});
         config.registerHandler(&handleSource, "source", {false});
+        config.registerHandler(&handleTestIgnoreKeyword, "testIgnoreKeyword", {false});
+        config.registerHandler(&handleTestUseKeyword, ":testUseKeyword", {false});
+        config.registerHandler(&handleNoop, "testCategory:testUseKeyword", {false});
         config.registerHandler(&handleCategoryKeyword, "testCategory:categoryKeyword", {false});
 
         config.addSpecialCategory("special", {"key"});
@@ -161,6 +182,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv, char** envp) {
         EXPECT(std::any_cast<const char*>(config.getConfigValue("testStringColon")), std::string{"ee:ee:ee"});
         EXPECT(std::any_cast<const char*>(config.getConfigValue("categoryKeyword")), std::string{"oops, this one shouldn't call the handler, not fun"});
         EXPECT(std::any_cast<const char*>(config.getConfigValue("testCategory:nested1:categoryKeyword")), std::string{"this one should not either"});
+        EXPECT(ignoreKeyword, "aaa");
+        EXPECT(useKeyword, "yes");
 
         // test static values
         std::cout << " → Testing static values\n";