diff --git a/public/biopet-utils/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/config/Configurable.scala b/public/biopet-utils/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/config/Configurable.scala
index 1613109b2fc34fae7336b21d8382116b28a297e1..68fe36e303e6a49e96a7628a741fc120392a5d19 100644
--- a/public/biopet-utils/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/config/Configurable.scala
+++ b/public/biopet-utils/src/main/scala/nl/lumc/sasc/biopet/utils/config/Configurable.scala
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ trait Configurable extends ImplicitConversions {
   def defaults: Map[String, Any] = Map()
 
   /** This method merge defaults from the root to it's own */
-  protected def internalDefaults: Map[String, Any] = {
+  protected[config] def internalDefaults: Map[String, Any] = {
     (root != null, defaults.isEmpty) match {
-      case (true, true)   => root.defaults
-      case (true, false)  => ConfigUtils.mergeMaps(defaults, root.defaults)
+      case (true, true)   => root.internalDefaults
+      case (true, false)  => ConfigUtils.mergeMaps(defaults, root.internalDefaults)
       case (false, true)  => globalConfig.defaults
       case (false, false) => ConfigUtils.mergeMaps(defaults, globalConfig.defaults)
     }