diff --git a/app/models/scimitar/resources/mixin.rb b/app/models/scimitar/resources/mixin.rb
index 4dd0c5c..160aa3f 100644
--- a/app/models/scimitar/resources/mixin.rb
+++ b/app/models/scimitar/resources/mixin.rb
@@ -952,7 +952,10 @@ def from_patch_backend_apply!(nature:, path:, value:, altering_hash:)
 
                 when 'replace'
                   if path_component == 'root'
-                    altering_hash[path_component].merge!(value)
+                    dot_pathed_value = value.inject({}) do |hash, (k, v)|
+                      hash.deep_merge!(::Scimitar::Support::Utilities.dot_path(k.split('.'), v))
+                    end
+                    altering_hash[path_component].deep_merge!(dot_pathed_value)
                   else
                     altering_hash[path_component] = value
                   end
diff --git a/bin/console b/bin/console
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..907ac17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/console
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+
+require 'bundler/setup'
+require 'rails'
+
+require_relative '../lib/scimitar'
+
+# (If you use this, don't forget to add pry to your Gemfile!)
+# require "pry"
+# Pry.start
+
+require 'irb'
+IRB.start(__FILE__)
diff --git a/lib/scimitar.rb b/lib/scimitar.rb
index 06d6b08..2c60ce5 100644
--- a/lib/scimitar.rb
+++ b/lib/scimitar.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require 'scimitar/version'
 require 'scimitar/support/hash_with_indifferent_case_insensitive_access'
+require 'scimitar/support/utilities'
 require 'scimitar/engine'
 
 module Scimitar
diff --git a/lib/scimitar/support/utilities.rb b/lib/scimitar/support/utilities.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f40575e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/scimitar/support/utilities.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+module Scimitar
+
+  # Namespace containing various chunks of Scimitar support code that don't
+  # logically fit into other areas.
+  #
+  module Support
+
+    # A namespace that contains various stand-alone utility methods which act
+    # as helpers for other parts of the code base, without risking namespace
+    # pollution by e.g. being part of a module loaded into a client class.
+    #
+    module Utilities
+
+      # Takes an array of components that usually come from a dotted path such
+      # as <tt>foo.bar.baz</tt>, along with a value that is found at the end of
+      # that path, then converts it into a nested Hash with each level of the
+      # Hash corresponding to a step along the path.
+      #
+      # This was written to help with edge case SCIM uses where (most often, at
+      # least) inbound calls use a dotted notation where nested values are more
+      # commonly accepted; converting to nesting makes it easier for subsequent
+      # processing code, which needs only handle nested Hash data.
+      #
+      # As an example, passing:
+      #
+      #     ['foo', 'bar', 'baz'], 'value'
+      #
+      # ...yields:
+      #
+      #     {'foo' => {'bar' => {'baz' => 'value'}}}
+      #
+      # Parameters:
+      #
+      # +array+:: Array containing path components, usually acquired from a
+      #           string with dot separators and a call to String#split.
+      #
+      # +value+:: The value found at the path indicated by +array+.
+      #
+      # If +array+ is empty, +value+ is returned directly, with no nesting
+      # Hash wrapping it.
+      #
+      def self.dot_path(array, value)
+        return value if array.empty?
+
+        {}.tap do | hash |
+          hash[array.shift()] = self.dot_path(array, value)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/scimitar/resources/mixin_spec.rb b/spec/models/scimitar/resources/mixin_spec.rb
index e92f0ad..c8a1231 100644
--- a/spec/models/scimitar/resources/mixin_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/scimitar/resources/mixin_spec.rb
@@ -2717,6 +2717,28 @@ def self.scim_queryable_attributes
             expect(@instance.username).to eql('1234')
           end
 
+          it 'which updates nested values using root syntax' do
+            @instance.update!(first_name: 'Foo', last_name: 'Bar')
+
+            path = 'name.givenName'
+            path = path.upcase if force_upper_case
+
+            patch = {
+              'schemas'    => ['urn:ietf:params:scim:api:messages:2.0:PatchOp'],
+              'Operations' => [
+                {
+                  'op'    => 'replace',
+                  'value' => {
+                    path => 'Baz'
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            }
+
+            @instance.from_scim_patch!(patch_hash: patch)
+            expect(@instance.first_name).to eql('Baz')
+          end
+
           it 'which updates nested values' do
             @instance.update!(first_name: 'Foo', last_name: 'Bar')