diff --git a/src/strings.js b/src/strings.js
index 4d98c1e2..c2ae5ef7 100644
--- a/src/strings.js
+++ b/src/strings.js
@@ -37,12 +37,14 @@ $.extend( $, {
         var props   = prop.split('.'),
             string  = null,
             args    = arguments,
+            container = I18N,
             i;
 
-        for ( i = 0; i < props.length; i++ ) {
+        for ( i = 0; i < props.length-1; i++ ) {
             // in case not a subproperty
-            string = I18N[ props[ i ] ] || {};
+            container = container[ props[ i ] ] || {};
         }
+        string = container[ props[ i ] ];
 
         if ( typeof( string ) != "string" ) {
             string = "";
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ $.extend( $, {
     setString: function( prop, value ) {
 
         var props     = prop.split('.'),
-            container = $.Strings,
+            container = I18N,
             i;
 
         for ( i = 0; i < props.length - 1; i++ ) {
diff --git a/test/strings.js b/test/strings.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..61a12d93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/strings.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+(function() {
+
+    module("strings");
+    test("getSubString", function() {
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getString("Errors.Dzi"),
+            "Hmm, this doesn't appear to be a valid Deep Zoom Image.",
+            "Read sub-string");
+    });
+
+    test("getInvalidString", function() {
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getString("Greeting"), "",
+            "Handled unset string key");
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getString("Errors"), "",
+            "Handled requesting parent key");
+    });
+
+    test("setString", function() {
+        OpenSeadragon.setString("Greeting", "Hello world");
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getString("Greeting"), "Hello world",
+            "Set a string");
+    });
+
+    test("setSubString", function() {
+       OpenSeadragon.setString("CustomGreeting.Hello", "Hello world");
+       equal(OpenSeadragon.getString("CustomGreeting.Hello"), "Hello world",
+           "Set a sub-string");
+    });
+
+})();
diff --git a/test/test.html b/test/test.html
index 878547a8..fe83f52d 100644
--- a/test/test.html
+++ b/test/test.html
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     <script src="/build/openseadragon/openseadragon.min.js"></script>
     <script src="/test/util.js"></script>
     <script src="/test/basic.js"></script>
+    <script src="/test/strings.js"></script>
     <!-- <script src="/test/dzi-jsonp.js"></script> -->
 </body>
-</html>
\ No newline at end of file
+</html>