diff --git a/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py b/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
index d982c5b6..a5cf05e6 100644
--- a/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
+++ b/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from powerline.lib import parsedotval
 from powerline.lib.unicode import unicode
 from powerline.lib.encoding import (get_preferred_output_encoding,
                                     get_preferred_environment_encoding)
+from powerline.lib.dict import mergeargs
 
 
 used_powerlines = WeakValueDictionary()
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ def shutdown():
 
 def get_var_config(var):
 	try:
-		return [parsedotval(i) for i in zsh.getvalue(var).items()]
+		return mergeargs([parsedotval(i) for i in zsh.getvalue(var).items()])
 	except:
 		return None
 
diff --git a/powerline/lib/__init__.py b/powerline/lib/__init__.py
index 80b378ef..af3b9913 100644
--- a/powerline/lib/__init__.py
+++ b/powerline/lib/__init__.py
@@ -32,6 +32,31 @@ def add_divider_highlight_group(highlight_group):
 	return dec
 
 
+def parse_value(s):
+	'''Convert string to Python object
+
+	Rules:
+
+	* Empty string means that corresponding key should be removed from the 
+	  dictionary.
+	* Strings that start with a minus, digit or with some character that starts 
+	  JSON collection or string object are parsed as JSON.
+	* JSON special values ``null``, ``true``, ``false`` (case matters) are 
+	  parsed  as JSON.
+	* All other values are considered to be raw strings.
+
+	:param str s: Parsed string.
+
+	:return: Python object.
+	'''
+	if not s:
+		return REMOVE_THIS_KEY
+	elif s[0] in '"{[0193456789-' or s in ('null', 'true', 'false'):
+		return json.loads(s)
+	else:
+		return s
+
+
 def keyvaluesplit(s):
 	if '=' not in s:
 		raise TypeError('Option must look like option=json_value')
@@ -39,19 +64,14 @@ def keyvaluesplit(s):
 		raise ValueError('Option names must not start with `_\'')
 	idx = s.index('=')
 	o = s[:idx]
-	rest = s[idx + 1:]
-	if not rest:
-		val = REMOVE_THIS_KEY
-	elif rest[0] in '"{[0193456789' or rest in ('null', 'true', 'false'):
-		val = json.loads(s[idx + 1:])
-	else:
-		val = rest
+	val = parse_value(s[idx + 1:])
 	return (o, val)
 
 
 def parsedotval(s):
 	if type(s) is tuple:
 		o, val = s
+		val = parse_value(val)
 	else:
 		o, val = keyvaluesplit(s)