diff --git a/elastalert/elastalert.py b/elastalert/elastalert.py
index 0a50223e5..5f54b115b 100755
--- a/elastalert/elastalert.py
+++ b/elastalert/elastalert.py
@@ -876,15 +876,16 @@ def run_rule(self, rule, endtime, starttime=None):
         rule['original_starttime'] = rule['starttime']
         rule['scrolling_cycle'] = 0
 
+        self.thread_data.num_hits = 0
+        self.thread_data.num_dupes = 0
+        self.thread_data.cumulative_hits = 0
+
         # Don't run if starttime was set to the future
         if ts_now() <= rule['starttime']:
             logging.warning("Attempted to use query start time in the future (%s), sleeping instead" % (starttime))
             return 0
 
         # Run the rule. If querying over a large time period, split it up into segments
-        self.thread_data.num_hits = 0
-        self.thread_data.num_dupes = 0
-        self.thread_data.cumulative_hits = 0
         segment_size = self.get_segment_size(rule)
 
         tmp_endtime = rule['starttime']
diff --git a/elastalert/loaders.py b/elastalert/loaders.py
index 5db008f90..3bb16aa30 100644
--- a/elastalert/loaders.py
+++ b/elastalert/loaders.py
@@ -269,6 +269,14 @@ def load_options(self, rule, conf, filename, args=None):
 
         # Set defaults, copy defaults from config.yaml
         for key, val in list(self.base_config.items()):
+            if key in rule and isinstance(val, dict):
+                # update value in sub dictionaries
+                rule_config = copy.deepcopy(val)
+                rule_config.update(rule[key])
+                rule[key] = rule_config
+                
+                continue
+
             rule.setdefault(key, val)
         rule.setdefault('name', os.path.splitext(filename)[0])
         rule.setdefault('realert', datetime.timedelta(seconds=0))
@@ -282,7 +290,7 @@ def load_options(self, rule, conf, filename, args=None):
         rule.setdefault('_source_enabled', True)
         rule.setdefault('use_local_time', True)
         rule.setdefault('description', "")
-
+        
         # Set timestamp_type conversion function, used when generating queries and processing hits
         rule['timestamp_type'] = rule['timestamp_type'].strip().lower()
         if rule['timestamp_type'] == 'iso':
diff --git a/elastalert/ruletypes.py b/elastalert/ruletypes.py
index 2f1d2f82c..00ac4c621 100644
--- a/elastalert/ruletypes.py
+++ b/elastalert/ruletypes.py
@@ -318,12 +318,14 @@ def append(self, event):
         This will also pop the oldest events and call onRemoved on them until the
         window size is less than timeframe. """
         self.data.add(event)
-        self.running_count += event[1]
+        if event and event[1]:
+            self.running_count += event[1]
 
         while self.duration() >= self.timeframe:
             oldest = self.data[0]
             self.data.remove(oldest)
-            self.running_count -= oldest[1]
+            if oldest and oldest[1]:
+                self.running_count -= oldest[1]
             self.onRemoved and self.onRemoved(oldest)
 
     def duration(self):
@@ -363,7 +365,8 @@ def append_middle(self, event):
         # Append left if ts is earlier than first event
         if self.get_ts(self.data[0]) > ts:
             self.data.appendleft(event)
-            self.running_count += event[1]
+            if event and event[1]:
+                self.running_count += event[1]
             return
 
         # Rotate window until we can insert event
@@ -374,7 +377,8 @@ def append_middle(self, event):
                 # This should never happen
                 return
         self.data.append(event)
-        self.running_count += event[1]
+        if event and event[1]:
+            self.running_count += event[1]
         self.data.rotate(-rotation)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/loaders_test.py b/tests/loaders_test.py
index bb8d3d873..b210a3441 100644
--- a/tests/loaders_test.py
+++ b/tests/loaders_test.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import copy
 import datetime
 import os
+import yaml
 
 import mock
 import pytest
@@ -344,7 +345,70 @@ def test_raises_on_missing_config():
                         rules = load_conf(test_args)
                         rules['rules'] = rules['rules_loader'].load(rules)
 
-
+def test_subconf_update():
+    test_config = """
+es_host: localhost
+es_port: 9002
+
+rules_folder: /etc/elastalert-rules/
+writeback_index: elastalert
+buffer_time:
+  minutes: 1
+run_every:
+  minutes: 1
+alert_time_limit:
+  days: 2
+old_query_limit:
+  minutes: 20
+
+
+http_post_url: "http://localhost:8000/alerts/trigger_new"
+http_post_timeout: 1
+
+http_post_static_payload:
+  apikey: abc123
+  severity: informative
+    """
+    test_rule = """
+# Alert if cluster is in red state
+name: es-cluster-red
+type: any
+index: .monitoring-es-*
+timestamp_field: "timestamp"
+
+timeframe:
+  minutes: 1
+
+realert:
+  minutes: 5
+
+filter:
+  - term:
+      cluster_state.status: red
+
+query_key: cluster_uuid
+
+#alert properties
+alert: post
+http_post_static_payload:
+  severity: critical
+alert_subject: "Cluster {0} status turned RED {1}"
+alert_subject_args:
+- cluster_uuid
+- "@timestamp"
+alert_text: |
+  Cluster {0} status is RED
+alert_text_args: ["cluster_uuid"]
+alert_text_type: alert_text_only
+    """
+    test_config = yaml.safe_load(test_config)
+    test_rule = yaml.safe_load(test_rule)
+    rules_loader = FileRulesLoader(test_config)
+    print(test_rule['http_post_static_payload'])
+    assert test_rule['http_post_static_payload'].get('apikey', None) is None
+    rules_loader.load_options(test_rule, test_config, 'filename.yaml')
+    assert test_rule['http_post_static_payload'].get('apikey', None) == "abc123"
+    
 def test_compound_query_key():
     test_config_copy = copy.deepcopy(test_config)
     rules_loader = FileRulesLoader(test_config_copy)