diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index 216f924..2e5dfeb 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,38 @@ void CConfig::addConfigValue(const char* name, const CConfigValue value) {
     impl->defaultValues[std::string{name}] = value;
 }
 
+void CConfig::addSpecialConfigValue(const char* cat, const char* name, const CConfigValue value) {
+    const auto IT = std::find_if(impl->specialCategoryDescriptors.begin(), impl->specialCategoryDescriptors.end(), [&](const auto& other) { return other->name == cat; });
+
+    if (IT == impl->specialCategoryDescriptors.end())
+        throw "No such category";
+
+    IT->get()->defaultValues[std::string{name}] = value;
+}
+
+void CConfig::addSpecialCategory(const char* name, SSpecialCategoryOptions options) {
+    const auto PDESC          = impl->specialCategoryDescriptors.emplace_back(std::make_unique<SSpecialCategoryDescriptor>()).get();
+    PDESC->name               = name;
+    PDESC->key                = options.key ? options.key : "";
+    PDESC->dontErrorOnMissing = options.ignoreMissing;
+
+    if (!options.key) {
+        const auto PCAT  = impl->specialCategories.emplace_back(std::make_unique<SSpecialCategory>()).get();
+        PCAT->descriptor = PDESC;
+        PCAT->name       = name;
+        PCAT->key        = options.key ? options.key : "";
+        PCAT->isStatic   = true;
+        if (!PCAT->key.empty())
+            addSpecialConfigValue(name, options.key, CConfigValue("0"));
+    }
+}
+
+void SSpecialCategory::applyDefaults() {
+    for (auto& [k, v] : descriptor->defaultValues) {
+        values[k] = v;
+    }
+}
+
 void CConfig::commence() {
     m_bCommenced = true;
     for (auto& [k, v] : impl->defaultValues) {
@@ -174,10 +206,62 @@ CParseResult CConfig::configSetValueSafe(const std::string& command, const std::
 
     valueName += command;
 
-    const auto VALUEIT = impl->values.find(valueName);
+    auto VALUEIT = impl->values.find(valueName);
     if (VALUEIT == impl->values.end()) {
-        result.setError(std::format("config option <{}> does not exist.", valueName));
-        return result;
+        // it might be in a special category
+        bool found = false;
+        for (auto& sc : impl->specialCategories) {
+            if (!valueName.starts_with(sc->name) || valueName.substr(sc->name.length() + 1).contains(":"))
+                continue;
+
+            if (!sc->isStatic && std::string{std::any_cast<const char*>(sc->values[sc->key].getValue())} != impl->currentSpecialKey)
+                continue;
+
+            VALUEIT = sc->values.find(valueName.substr(sc->name.length() + 1));
+
+            if (VALUEIT != sc->values.end())
+                found = true;
+            else if (sc->descriptor->dontErrorOnMissing)
+                return result; // will return a success, cuz we want to ignore missing
+
+            break;
+        }
+
+        if (!found) {
+            // could be a dynamic category that doesnt exist yet
+            for (auto& sc : impl->specialCategoryDescriptors) {
+                if (sc->key.empty() || !valueName.starts_with(sc->name) || valueName.substr(sc->name.length() + 1).contains(":"))
+                    continue;
+
+                // bingo
+                const auto PCAT  = impl->specialCategories.emplace_back(std::make_unique<SSpecialCategory>()).get();
+                PCAT->descriptor = sc.get();
+                PCAT->name       = sc->name;
+                PCAT->key        = sc->key;
+                addSpecialConfigValue(sc->name.c_str(), sc->key.c_str(), CConfigValue("0"));
+
+                PCAT->applyDefaults();
+
+                VALUEIT = PCAT->values.find(valueName.substr(sc->name.length() + 1));
+
+                if (VALUEIT != PCAT->values.end())
+                    found = true;
+
+                if (VALUEIT == PCAT->values.end() || VALUEIT->first != sc->key) {
+                    result.setError(std::format("special category's first value must be the key. Key for <{}> is <{}>", PCAT->name, PCAT->key));
+                    return result;
+                }
+
+                impl->currentSpecialKey = value;
+
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (!found) {
+            result.setError(std::format("config option <{}> does not exist.", valueName));
+            return result;
+        }
     }
 
     switch (VALUEIT->second.m_eType) {
@@ -359,6 +443,7 @@ CParseResult CConfig::parseLine(std::string line, bool dynamic) {
                 return result;
             }
 
+            impl->currentSpecialKey = "";
             impl->categories.pop_back();
         } else {
             // open a category.
@@ -385,6 +470,9 @@ CParseResult CConfig::parse() {
     for (auto& [k, v] : impl->defaultValues) {
         impl->values.at(k) = v;
     }
+    for (auto& sc : impl->specialCategories) {
+        sc->applyDefaults();
+    }
 
     std::ifstream iffile(impl->path);
     if (!iffile.good())
@@ -430,6 +518,7 @@ void CConfig::clearState() {
     impl->categories.clear();
     impl->parseError = "";
     impl->variables  = impl->envVariables;
+    std::erase_if(impl->specialCategories, [](const auto& e) { return !e->isStatic; });
 }
 
 CConfigValue* CConfig::getConfigValuePtr(const char* name) {
@@ -437,6 +526,25 @@ CConfigValue* CConfig::getConfigValuePtr(const char* name) {
     return IT == impl->values.end() ? nullptr : &IT->second;
 }
 
+CConfigValue* CConfig::getSpecialConfigValuePtr(const char* category, const char* name, const char* key) {
+    const std::string CAT  = category;
+    const std::string NAME = name;
+    const std::string KEY  = key ? key : "";
+
+    for (auto& sc : impl->specialCategories) {
+        if (sc->name != CAT || (!sc->isStatic && std::string{std::any_cast<const char*>(sc->values[sc->key].getValue())} != KEY))
+            continue;
+
+        const auto IT = sc->values.find(NAME);
+        if (IT == sc->values.end())
+            return nullptr;
+
+        return &IT->second;
+    }
+
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
 void CConfig::registerHandler(PCONFIGHANDLERFUNC func, const char* name, SHandlerOptions options) {
     impl->handlers.push_back(SHandler{name, options, func});
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/config.hpp b/src/config.hpp
index 4026dc5..40c6f66 100644
--- a/src/config.hpp
+++ b/src/config.hpp
@@ -16,17 +16,37 @@ struct SVariable {
     std::vector<std::string> linesContainingVar; // for dynamic updates
 };
 
+struct SSpecialCategoryDescriptor {
+    std::string                                             name = "";
+    std::string                                             key  = "";
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, Hyprlang::CConfigValue> defaultValues;
+    bool                                                    dontErrorOnMissing = false;
+};
+
+struct SSpecialCategory {
+    SSpecialCategoryDescriptor*                             descriptor = nullptr;
+    std::string                                             name       = "";
+    std::string                                             key        = ""; // empty means no key
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, Hyprlang::CConfigValue> values;
+    bool                                                    isStatic = false;
+
+    void                                                    applyDefaults();
+};
+
 class CConfigImpl {
   public:
-    std::string                                             path = "";
+    std::string                                              path = "";
 
-    std::unordered_map<std::string, Hyprlang::CConfigValue> values;
-    std::unordered_map<std::string, Hyprlang::CConfigValue> defaultValues;
-    std::vector<SHandler>                                   handlers;
-    std::vector<SVariable>                                  variables;
-    std::vector<SVariable>                                  envVariables;
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, Hyprlang::CConfigValue>  values;
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, Hyprlang::CConfigValue>  defaultValues;
+    std::vector<SHandler>                                    handlers;
+    std::vector<SVariable>                                   variables;
+    std::vector<SVariable>                                   envVariables;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SSpecialCategory>>           specialCategories;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SSpecialCategoryDescriptor>> specialCategoryDescriptors;
 
-    std::vector<std::string>                                categories;
+    std::vector<std::string>                                 categories;
+    std::string                                              currentSpecialKey = "";
 
-    std::string                                             parseError = "";
+    std::string                                              parseError = "";
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/public.hpp b/src/public.hpp
index eab2ec1..1620784 100644
--- a/src/public.hpp
+++ b/src/public.hpp
@@ -44,10 +44,22 @@ namespace Hyprlang {
         friend class CConfig;
     };
 
+    /* Generic struct for options for handlers */
     struct SHandlerOptions {
         bool allowFlags = false;
     };
 
+    /* Generic struct for options for special categories */
+    struct SSpecialCategoryOptions {
+        /* a key is the name of a value that will be the identifier of a special category
+           can be left null for no key, aka a generic one
+           keys are always strings. Default key value is "0" */
+        const char* key = nullptr;
+
+        /* don't pop up an error if the config value is missing */
+        bool ignoreMissing = false;
+    };
+
     /* typedefs */
     typedef CParseResult (*PCONFIGHANDLERFUNC)(const char* COMMAND, const char* VALUE);
 
@@ -111,6 +123,12 @@ namespace Hyprlang {
            no new values may be added or removed. Required for parsing. */
         void commence();
 
+        /* Add a special category. Can be done dynamically. */
+        void addSpecialCategory(const char* name, SSpecialCategoryOptions options);
+
+        /* Add a config value to a special category */
+        void addSpecialConfigValue(const char* cat, const char* name, const CConfigValue value);
+
         /* Parse the config. Refresh the values. */
         CParseResult parse();
 
@@ -124,6 +142,12 @@ namespace Hyprlang {
            nullptr on fail */
         CConfigValue* getConfigValuePtr(const char* name);
 
+        /* Get a special category's config value ptr. These are only static for static (key-less)
+           categories, unless a new variable is added via addSpecialConfigValue.
+           key can be nullptr for static categories. Cannot be nullptr for id-based categories. 
+           nullptr on fail. */
+        CConfigValue* getSpecialConfigValuePtr(const char* category, const char* name, const char* key = nullptr);
+
         /* Get a config value's stored value. Empty on fail*/
         std::any getConfigValue(const char* name) {
             CConfigValue* val = getConfigValuePtr(name);
@@ -132,6 +156,14 @@ namespace Hyprlang {
             return val->getValue();
         }
 
+        /* Get a special config value's stored value. Empty on fail. */
+        std::any getSpecialConfigValue(const char* category, const char* name, const char* key = nullptr) {
+            CConfigValue* val = getSpecialConfigValuePtr(category, name, key);
+            if (!val)
+                return {};
+            return val->getValue();
+        }
+
       private:
         bool         m_bCommenced = false;
 
diff --git a/tests/config/config.conf b/tests/config/config.conf
index f519f27..77f1316 100644
--- a/tests/config/config.conf
+++ b/tests/config/config.conf
@@ -27,6 +27,27 @@ testCategory {
     }
 }
 
+special {
+    key = a
+    value = 1
+}
+
+special {
+    key = b
+    value = 2
+}
+
+specialGeneric {
+    one {
+        value = 1
+    }
+
+    two {
+        value = 2
+        nonexistent = abc
+    }
+}
+
 testCategory:testValueHex = 0xFFfFaAbB
 
 testStringQuotes = "Hello World!"
diff --git a/tests/main.cpp b/tests/main.cpp
index 4fcafe5..018230f 100644
--- a/tests/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/main.cpp
@@ -68,8 +68,16 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv, char** envp) {
         config.registerHandler(&handleDoABarrelRoll, "doABarrelRoll", {false});
         config.registerHandler(&handleFlagsTest, "flags", {true});
 
+        config.addSpecialCategory("special", {"key"});
+        config.addSpecialConfigValue("special", "value", 0L);
+
         config.commence();
 
+        config.addSpecialCategory("specialGeneric:one", {nullptr, true});
+        config.addSpecialConfigValue("specialGeneric:one", "value", 0L);
+        config.addSpecialCategory("specialGeneric:two", {nullptr, true});
+        config.addSpecialConfigValue("specialGeneric:two", "value", 0L);
+
         const auto PARSERESULT = config.parse();
         if (PARSERESULT.error) {
             std::cout << "Parse error: " << PARSERESULT.getError() << "\n";
@@ -118,8 +126,16 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv, char** envp) {
         EXPECT(std::any_cast<int64_t>(config.getConfigValue("testVar")), 1337420);
 
         // test env variables
+        std::cout << " → Testing env variables\n";
         EXPECT(std::any_cast<const char*>(config.getConfigValue("testEnv")), std::string{getenv("SHELL")});
 
+        // test special categories
+        std::cout << " → Testing special categories\n";
+        EXPECT(std::any_cast<int64_t>(config.getSpecialConfigValue("special", "value", "a")), 1);
+        EXPECT(std::any_cast<int64_t>(config.getSpecialConfigValue("special", "value", "b")), 2);
+        EXPECT(std::any_cast<int64_t>(config.getSpecialConfigValue("specialGeneric:one", "value")), 1);
+        EXPECT(std::any_cast<int64_t>(config.getSpecialConfigValue("specialGeneric:two", "value")), 2);
+
     } catch (const char* e) {
         std::cout << Colors::RED << "Error: " << Colors::RESET << e << "\n";
         return 1;