diff --git a/settngs.py b/settngs.py
index c23dff3..445595c 100644
--- a/settngs.py
+++ b/settngs.py
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class Setting:
         if dest:
             dest_name = dest
         if not dest_name.isidentifier():
-            raise Exception('Cannot use {dest_name} in a namespace')
+            raise Exception(f'Cannot use {dest_name} in a namespace')
 
         internal_name = f'{prefix}_{dest_name}'.lstrip('_')
         return internal_name, dest_name, flag
@@ -304,10 +304,15 @@ def normalize_config(
             if (setting.cmdline and cmdline) or (setting.file and file):
                 # Ensures the option exists with the default if not already set
                 value, default = get_option(options, setting)
-                if not default or default and defaults:
+                if not default or (default and defaults):
+                    # User has set a custom value or has requested the default value
                     group_options[setting_name] = value
                 elif setting_name in group_options:
+                    # defaults have been requested to be removed
                     del group_options[setting_name]
+            elif setting_name in group_options:
+                # Setting type (file or cmdline) has not been requested and should be removed for persistent groups
+                del group_options[setting_name]
         normalized[group_name] = group_options
     return Config(normalized, definitions)
 
@@ -374,7 +379,7 @@ def get_namespace(config: Config[T], defaults: bool = True, persistent: bool = T
     """
 
     if isinstance(config.values, Namespace):
-        options, definitions = normalize_config(config)
+        options, definitions = normalize_config(config, defaults=defaults, persistent=persistent)
     else:
         options, definitions = config
     namespace = Namespace()
@@ -459,7 +464,7 @@ def parse_cmdline(
     description: str,
     epilog: str,
     args: list[str] | None = None,
-    config: Namespace | Config[T] | None = None,
+    config: ns[T] = None,
 ) -> Config[Values]:
     """
     Creates an `argparse.ArgumentParser` from cmdline settings in `self.definitions`.
diff --git a/tests/settngs_test.py b/tests/settngs_test.py
index 81b7ae2..ca292ed 100644
--- a/tests/settngs_test.py
+++ b/tests/settngs_test.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def test_get_defaults(settngs_manager):
     assert defaults['']['test'] == 'hello'
 
 
-def test_get_namespace(settngs_manager):
+def test_get_defaults_namespace(settngs_manager):
     settngs_manager.add_setting('--test', default='hello')
     defaults, _ = settngs_manager.get_namespace(settngs_manager.defaults())
     assert defaults.test == 'hello'
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ def test_get_namespace(settngs_manager):
 
 def test_get_namespace_with_namespace(settngs_manager):
     settngs_manager.add_setting('--test', default='hello')
-    defaults, _ = settngs_manager.get_namespace(argparse.Namespace(test='hello'))
-    assert defaults.test == 'hello'
+    defaults, _ = settngs_manager.get_namespace(argparse.Namespace(test='success'))
+    assert defaults.test == 'success'
 
 
 def test_get_defaults_group(settngs_manager):
@@ -97,6 +97,20 @@ def test_cmdline_only(settngs_manager):
     assert 'test2' in file_normalized['tst2']
 
 
+def test_cmdline_only_persistent_group(settngs_manager):
+    settngs_manager.add_persistent_group('tst', lambda parser: parser.add_setting('--test', default='hello', file=False))
+    settngs_manager.add_group('tst2', lambda parser: parser.add_setting('--test2', default='hello', cmdline=False))
+
+    file_normalized, _ = settngs_manager.normalize_config(settngs_manager.defaults(), file=True)
+    cmdline_normalized, _ = settngs_manager.normalize_config(settngs_manager.defaults(), cmdline=True)
+
+    assert 'test' in cmdline_normalized['tst']
+    assert 'test2' not in cmdline_normalized['tst2']
+
+    assert 'test' not in file_normalized['tst']
+    assert 'test2' in file_normalized['tst2']
+
+
 def test_normalize(settngs_manager):
     settngs_manager.add_group('tst', lambda parser: parser.add_setting('--test', default='hello'))
     settngs_manager.add_persistent_group('persistent', lambda parser: parser.add_setting('--world', default='world'))
@@ -118,11 +132,13 @@ def test_normalize(settngs_manager):
     assert 'test' in normalized['tst']
     assert normalized['tst']['test'] == 'hello'
     assert normalized['persistent']['hello'] == 'success'
+    assert normalized['persistent']['world'] == 'world'
 
     assert not hasattr(normalized_namespace, 'test')
     assert hasattr(normalized_namespace, 'tst_test')
     assert normalized_namespace.tst_test == 'hello'
     assert normalized_namespace.persistent_hello == 'success'
+    assert normalized_namespace.persistent_world == 'world'
 
 
 def test_clean_config(settngs_manager):
@@ -151,15 +167,25 @@ def test_parse_cmdline(settngs_manager):
     assert normalized['tst']['test'] == 'success'
 
 
-def test_parse_cmdline_with_namespace(settngs_manager):
+namespaces = (
+    lambda definitions: settngs.Config({'tst': {'test': 'fail', 'test2': 'success'}}, definitions),
+    lambda definitions: settngs.Config(argparse.Namespace(tst_test='fail', tst_test2='success'), definitions),
+    lambda definitions: argparse.Namespace(tst_test='fail', tst_test2='success'),
+)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('ns', namespaces)
+def test_parse_cmdline_with_namespace(settngs_manager, ns):
     settngs_manager.add_group('tst', lambda parser: parser.add_setting('--test', default='hello', cmdline=True))
+    settngs_manager.add_group('tst', lambda parser: parser.add_setting('--test2', default='fail', cmdline=True))
 
     normalized, _ = settngs_manager.parse_cmdline(
-        ['--test', 'success'], namespace=settngs.Config({'tst': {'test': 'fail'}}, settngs_manager.definitions),
+        ['--test', 'success'], namespace=ns(settngs_manager.definitions),
     )
 
     assert 'test' in normalized['tst']
     assert normalized['tst']['test'] == 'success'
+    assert normalized['tst']['test2'] == 'success'
 
 
 def test_parse_file(settngs_manager, tmp_path):