diff --git a/python/damask/_config.py b/python/damask/_config.py
index db215b097..25fcbfa75 100644
--- a/python/damask/_config.py
+++ b/python/damask/_config.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import copy
 from io import StringIO
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 import abc
+import platform
 from typing import Optional, Union, Dict, Any, Type, TypeVar
 
 import numpy as np
@@ -69,13 +70,30 @@ class Config(dict):
         **kwargs: arbitray keyword-value pairs, optional
             Top level entries of the configuration.
 
-        """
-        if isinstance(config,str):
-            kwargs.update(yaml.load(config, Loader=SafeLoader))
-        elif isinstance(config,dict):
-            kwargs.update(config)
+        Notes
+        -----
+        Values given as keyword-value pairs take precedence
+        over entries with the same keyword in 'config'.
+
+        """
+        if int(platform.python_version_tuple()[1]) >= 9:
+            if isinstance(config,str):
+                kwargs = yaml.load(config, Loader=SafeLoader) | kwargs
+            elif isinstance(config,dict):
+                kwargs = config | kwargs                                                            # type: ignore
+
+            super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        else:
+            if isinstance(config,str):
+                c = yaml.load(config, Loader=SafeLoader)
+            elif isinstance(config,dict):
+                c = config.copy()
+            else:
+                c = {}
+            c.update(kwargs)
+
+            super().__init__(**c)
 
-        super().__init__(**kwargs)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         """
diff --git a/python/tests/test_Config.py b/python/tests/test_Config.py
index 0fce31106..ebf5ec9a8 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_Config.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_Config.py
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@ from damask import Orientation
 
 class TestConfig:
 
+    def test_init_keyword(self):
+        assert Config(p=4)['p'] == 4
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('config',[{'p':1},'{p: 1}'])
+    def test_init_config(self,config):
+        assert Config(config)['p'] == 1
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('config',[{'p':1},'{p: 1}'])
+    def test_init_both(self,config):
+        assert Config(config,p=2)['p'] == 2
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize('flow_style',[None,True,False])
     def test_load_save_str(self,tmp_path,flow_style):
         config = Config()
@@ -36,7 +47,6 @@ class TestConfig:
         assert (config | Config(dummy)).delete({       'hello':1,'foo':2 }) == config
         assert (config | Config(dummy)).delete(Config({'hello':1        })) == config | {'foo':'bar'}
 
-
     def test_repr(self,tmp_path):
         config = Config()
         config['A'] = 1