diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b0cd4c1..cd6031c 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@ package config
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
 )
 
 // Config is a map of configuration values. The keys are the configuration
@@ -143,3 +146,68 @@ func (c Config) validateParamValue(key string, param Parameter) error {
 
 	return errors.Join(errs...)
 }
+
+// DecodeInto copies configuration values into the target object.
+// Under the hood, this function uses github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure, with
+// the "mapstructure" tag renamed to "json". To rename a key, use the "json"
+// tag. To embed structs, append ",squash" to your tag. For more details and
+// docs, see https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure.
+func (c Config) DecodeInto(target any) error {
+	dConfig := &mapstructure.DecoderConfig{
+		WeaklyTypedInput: true,
+		Result:           &target,
+		DecodeHook: mapstructure.ComposeDecodeHookFunc(
+			emptyStringToZeroValueHookFunc(),
+			mapstructure.StringToTimeDurationHookFunc(),
+			mapstructure.StringToSliceHookFunc(","),
+		),
+		TagName: "json",
+		Squash:  true,
+	}
+
+	decoder, err := mapstructure.NewDecoder(dConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create decoder: %w", err)
+	}
+	err = decoder.Decode(c.breakUp())
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to decode configuration map into target: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// breakUp breaks up the configuration into a map of maps based on the dot separator.
+func (c Config) breakUp() map[string]any {
+	const sep = "."
+
+	brokenUp := make(map[string]any)
+	for k, v := range c {
+		// break up based on dot and put in maps in case target struct is broken up
+		tokens := strings.Split(k, sep)
+		remain := k
+		current := brokenUp
+		for _, t := range tokens {
+			current[remain] = v // we don't care if we overwrite a map here, the string has precedence
+			if _, ok := current[t]; !ok {
+				current[t] = map[string]any{}
+			}
+			var ok bool
+			current, ok = current[t].(map[string]any)
+			if !ok {
+				break // this key is a string, leave it as it is
+			}
+			_, remain, _ = strings.Cut(remain, sep)
+		}
+	}
+	return brokenUp
+}
+
+func emptyStringToZeroValueHookFunc() mapstructure.DecodeHookFunc {
+	return func(f reflect.Type, t reflect.Type, data any) (any, error) {
+		if f.Kind() != reflect.String || data != "" {
+			return data, nil
+		}
+		return reflect.New(t).Elem().Interface(), nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index b4d9ad0..ee08380 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"regexp"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/matryer/is"
 )
@@ -344,3 +345,206 @@ func unwrapErrors(err error) []error {
 	}
 	return out
 }
+
+func TestParseConfig_Simple_Struct(t *testing.T) {
+	is := is.New(t)
+
+	type Person struct {
+		Name string `json:"person_name"`
+		Age  int
+		Dur  time.Duration
+	}
+
+	input := Config{
+		"person_name": "meroxa",
+		"age":         "91",
+		"dur":         "", // empty value should result in zero value
+	}
+	want := Person{
+		Name: "meroxa",
+		Age:  91,
+	}
+
+	var got Person
+	err := input.DecodeInto(&got)
+	is.NoErr(err)
+	is.Equal(want, got)
+}
+
+func TestParseConfig_Embedded_Struct(t *testing.T) {
+	is := is.New(t)
+
+	type Family struct {
+		LastName string `json:"last.name"`
+	}
+	type Location struct {
+		City string
+	}
+	type Person struct {
+		Family          // last.name
+		Location        // City
+		F1       Family // F1.last.name
+		// City
+		L1        Location `json:",squash"` //nolint:staticcheck // json here is a rename for the mapstructure tag
+		L2        Location // L2.City
+		L3        Location `json:"loc3"`       // loc3.City
+		FirstName string   `json:"First.Name"` // First.Name
+		First     string   // First
+	}
+
+	input := Config{
+		"last.name":    "meroxa",
+		"F1.last.name": "turbine",
+		"City":         "San Francisco",
+		"L2.City":      "Paris",
+		"loc3.City":    "London",
+		"First.Name":   "conduit",
+		"First":        "Mickey",
+	}
+	want := Person{
+		Family:    Family{LastName: "meroxa"},
+		F1:        Family{LastName: "turbine"},
+		Location:  Location{City: "San Francisco"},
+		L1:        Location{City: "San Francisco"},
+		L2:        Location{City: "Paris"},
+		L3:        Location{City: "London"},
+		FirstName: "conduit",
+		First:     "Mickey",
+	}
+
+	var got Person
+	err := input.DecodeInto(&got)
+	is.NoErr(err)
+	is.Equal(want, got)
+}
+
+func TestParseConfig_All_Types(t *testing.T) {
+	is := is.New(t)
+	type testCfg struct {
+		MyString      string
+		MyBool1       bool
+		MyBool2       bool
+		MyBool3       bool
+		MyBoolDefault bool
+
+		MyInt    int
+		MyUint   uint
+		MyInt8   int8
+		MyUint8  uint8
+		MyInt16  int16
+		MyUint16 uint16
+		MyInt32  int32
+		MyUint32 uint32
+		MyInt64  int64
+		MyUint64 uint64
+
+		MyByte byte
+		MyRune rune
+
+		MyFloat32 float32
+		MyFloat64 float64
+
+		MyDuration        time.Duration
+		MyDurationDefault time.Duration
+
+		MySlice      []string
+		MyIntSlice   []int
+		MyFloatSlice []float32
+	}
+
+	input := Config{
+		"mystring": "string",
+		"mybool1":  "t",
+		"mybool2":  "true",
+		"mybool3":  "1", // 1 is true
+		"myInt":    "-1",
+		"myuint":   "1",
+		"myint8":   "-1",
+		"myuint8":  "1",
+		"myInt16":  "-1",
+		"myUint16": "1",
+		"myint32":  "-1",
+		"myuint32": "1",
+		"myint64":  "-1",
+		"myuint64": "1",
+
+		"mybyte": "99", // 99 fits in one byte
+		"myrune": "4567",
+
+		"myfloat32": "1.1122334455",
+		"myfloat64": "1.1122334455",
+
+		"myduration": "1s",
+
+		"myslice":      "1,2,3,4",
+		"myIntSlice":   "1,2,3,4",
+		"myFloatSlice": "1.1,2.2",
+	}
+	want := testCfg{
+		MyString:          "string",
+		MyBool1:           true,
+		MyBool2:           true,
+		MyBool3:           true,
+		MyBoolDefault:     false, // default
+		MyInt:             -1,
+		MyUint:            0x1,
+		MyInt8:            -1,
+		MyUint8:           0x1,
+		MyInt16:           -1,
+		MyUint16:          0x1,
+		MyInt32:           -1,
+		MyUint32:          0x1,
+		MyInt64:           -1,
+		MyUint64:          0x1,
+		MyByte:            0x63,
+		MyRune:            4567,
+		MyFloat32:         1.1122334,
+		MyFloat64:         1.1122334455,
+		MyDuration:        1000000000,
+		MyDurationDefault: 0,
+		MySlice:           []string{"1", "2", "3", "4"},
+		MyIntSlice:        []int{1, 2, 3, 4},
+		MyFloatSlice:      []float32{1.1, 2.2},
+	}
+
+	var result testCfg
+	err := input.DecodeInto(&result)
+	is.NoErr(err)
+	is.Equal(want, result)
+}
+
+func TestBreakUpConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	is := is.New(t)
+
+	input := Config{
+		"foo.bar.baz": "1",
+		"test":        "2",
+	}
+	want := map[string]interface{}{
+		"foo": map[string]interface{}{
+			"bar": map[string]interface{}{
+				"baz": "1",
+			},
+			"bar.baz": "1",
+		},
+		"foo.bar.baz": "1",
+		"test":        "2",
+	}
+	got := input.breakUp()
+	is.Equal(want, got)
+}
+
+func TestBreakUpConfig_Conflict_Value(t *testing.T) {
+	is := is.New(t)
+
+	input := Config{
+		"foo":         "1",
+		"foo.bar.baz": "1", // key foo is already taken, will not be broken up
+	}
+	want := map[string]interface{}{
+		"foo":         "1",
+		"foo.bar.baz": "1",
+	}
+	got := input.breakUp()
+	is.Equal(want, got)
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b54c6e5..0eb093f 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.6.0
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.6.0
 	github.com/matryer/is v1.4.1
+	github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure v1.5.0
 	go.uber.org/goleak v1.3.0
 	golang.org/x/tools v0.18.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.32.0
@@ -149,7 +150,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/mbilski/exhaustivestruct v1.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/mgechev/revive v1.3.7 // indirect
 	github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir v1.1.0 // indirect
-	github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure v1.5.0 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/term v0.5.0 // indirect
 	github.com/moricho/tparallel v0.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/morikuni/aec v1.0.0 // indirect