diff --git a/example/src/i18n.js b/example/src/i18n.js
index 76dd0a3..349adb7 100644
--- a/example/src/i18n.js
+++ b/example/src/i18n.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-import { register } from 'svelte-i18n'
+import { register, setFallbackLocale } from 'svelte-i18n'
 
 register('en', () => import('../messages/en.json'))
 register('pt-BR', () => import('../messages/pt-BR.json'))
 register('es-ES', () => import('../messages/es-ES.json'))
+
+setFallbackLocale('en')
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 88c6c7b..9a56fb0 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "svelte-i18n",
-  "version": "2.0.1",
+  "version": "2.0.3",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
@@ -2502,6 +2502,11 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-Dj6Wk3tWyTE+Fo1rW8v0Xhwk80um6yFYKbuAxc9c3EZxIHFDYwbi34Uk42u1CdnIiVorvt4RmlSDjIPyzGC2ew==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "dlv": {
+      "version": "1.1.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dlv/-/dlv-1.1.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-+HlytyjlPKnIG8XuRG8WvmBP8xs8P71y+SKKS6ZXWoEgLuePxtDoUEiH7WkdePWrQ5JBpE6aoVqfZfJUQkjXwA=="
+    },
     "doctrine": {
       "version": "3.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/doctrine/-/doctrine-3.0.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4201386..a8e894d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "commander": "^4.0.1",
     "deepmerge": "^4.2.2",
+    "dlv": "^1.1.3",
     "estree-walker": "^0.9.0",
     "fast-memoize": "^2.5.1",
     "intl-messageformat": "^7.5.2",
diff --git a/src/client/includes/lookup.ts b/src/client/includes/lookup.ts
index 9f786c2..44085fb 100644
--- a/src/client/includes/lookup.ts
+++ b/src/client/includes/lookup.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-// todo invalidate only keys with null values
-import resolvePath from 'object-resolve-path'
-
-import { hasLocaleDictionary } from '../stores/dictionary'
+import { getMessageFromDictionary } from '../stores/dictionary'
 import { getFallbackOf } from '../stores/locale'
 
 const lookupCache: Record<string, Record<string, string>> = {}
@@ -13,26 +10,14 @@ const addToCache = (path: string, locale: string, message: string) => {
   return message
 }
 
-export const lookupMessage = (
-  dictionary: any,
-  path: string,
-  locale: string
-): string => {
+export const lookupMessage = (path: string, locale: string): string => {
   if (locale == null) return null
   if (locale in lookupCache && path in lookupCache[locale]) {
     return lookupCache[locale][path]
   }
-  if (hasLocaleDictionary(locale)) {
-    if (path in dictionary[locale]) {
-      return addToCache(path, locale, dictionary[locale][path])
-    }
-    const message = resolvePath(dictionary[locale], path)
-    if (message) return addToCache(path, locale, message)
-  }
 
-  return addToCache(
-    path,
-    locale,
-    lookupMessage(dictionary, path, getFallbackOf(locale))
-  )
+  const message = getMessageFromDictionary(locale, path)
+  if (message) return message
+
+  return addToCache(path, locale, lookupMessage(path, getFallbackOf(locale)))
 }
diff --git a/src/client/index.ts b/src/client/index.ts
index a044001..ea022dc 100644
--- a/src/client/index.ts
+++ b/src/client/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ export function defineMessages(i: Record<string, MessageObject>) {
   return i
 }
 
-export { $locale as locale, setInitialLocale } from './stores/locale'
+export {
+  $locale as locale,
+  setInitialLocale,
+  setFallbackLocale,
+} from './stores/locale'
 export {
   $dictionary as dictionary,
   $locales as locales,
@@ -26,4 +30,3 @@ export {
 
 // @deprecated
 export { getClientLocale } from './includes/utils'
-export { setInitialLocale as waitInitialLocale } from './stores/locale'
diff --git a/src/client/stores/dictionary.ts b/src/client/stores/dictionary.ts
index ba2b729..ef34c18 100644
--- a/src/client/stores/dictionary.ts
+++ b/src/client/stores/dictionary.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
+import delve from 'dlv'
 import merge from 'deepmerge'
 import { writable, derived } from 'svelte/store'
 
-import { LocaleDictionary } from '../types/index'
+import { Dictionary } from '../types/index'
 
 import { getFallbackOf } from './locale'
 
-let dictionary: LocaleDictionary
-const $dictionary = writable<LocaleDictionary>({})
+let dictionary: Dictionary
+const $dictionary = writable<Dictionary>({})
+
+export function getLocaleDictionary(locale: string) {
+  return (dictionary[locale] as Dictionary) || null
+}
 
 export function getDictionary() {
   return dictionary
@@ -16,14 +21,28 @@ export function hasLocaleDictionary(locale: string) {
   return locale in dictionary
 }
 
-export function getAvailableLocale(locale: string): string | null {
-  if (locale in dictionary || locale == null) return locale
-  return getAvailableLocale(getFallbackOf(locale))
+export function getMessageFromDictionary(locale: string, id: string) {
+  if (hasLocaleDictionary(locale)) {
+    const localeDictionary = getLocaleDictionary(locale)
+    if (id in localeDictionary) {
+      return localeDictionary[id]
+    }
+    const message = delve(localeDictionary, id)
+    if (message) return message
+  }
+  return null
 }
 
-export function addMessages(locale: string, ...partials: LocaleDictionary[]) {
+export function getClosestAvailableLocale(locale: string): string | null {
+  if (locale == null || hasLocaleDictionary(locale)) return locale
+  return getClosestAvailableLocale(getFallbackOf(locale))
+}
+
+export function addMessages(locale: string, ...partials: Dictionary[]) {
   $dictionary.update(d => {
-    dictionary[locale] = merge.all([dictionary[locale] || {}].concat(partials))
+    dictionary[locale] = merge.all<Dictionary>(
+      [getLocaleDictionary(locale) || {}].concat(partials)
+    )
     return d
   })
 }
diff --git a/src/client/stores/format.ts b/src/client/stores/format.ts
index 78b4f10..ff18ea6 100644
--- a/src/client/stores/format.ts
+++ b/src/client/stores/format.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   getNumberFormatter,
 } from '../includes/formats'
 
-import { getDictionary, $dictionary } from './dictionary'
+import { $dictionary } from './dictionary'
 import { getCurrentLocale, getFallbacksOf, $locale } from './locale'
 
 const formatMessage: Formatter = (id, options = {}) => {
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const formatMessage: Formatter = (id, options = {}) => {
     )
   }
 
-  const message = lookupMessage(getDictionary(), id, locale)
+  const message = lookupMessage(id, locale)
 
   if (!message) {
     console.warn(
diff --git a/src/client/stores/locale.ts b/src/client/stores/locale.ts
index 4b62548..ccb65ef 100644
--- a/src/client/stores/locale.ts
+++ b/src/client/stores/locale.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { flushQueue, hasLocaleQueue } from '../includes/loaderQueue'
 import { getClientLocale } from '../includes/utils'
 import { GetClientLocaleOptions } from '../types'
 
-import { getAvailableLocale } from './dictionary'
+import { getClosestAvailableLocale } from './dictionary'
 
 let fallbackLocale: string = null
 let current: string
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ $locale.subscribe((newLocale: string) => {
 
 const localeSet = $locale.set
 $locale.set = (newLocale: string): void | Promise<void> => {
-  if (getAvailableLocale(newLocale) && hasLocaleQueue(newLocale)) {
+  if (getClosestAvailableLocale(newLocale) && hasLocaleQueue(newLocale)) {
     return flushQueue(newLocale).then(() => localeSet(newLocale))
   }
   return localeSet(newLocale)
diff --git a/src/client/types/index.ts b/src/client/types/index.ts
index c4a214c..e3bdcf4 100644
--- a/src/client/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/client/types/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-export interface LocaleDictionary {
-  [key: string]: LocaleDictionary | LocaleDictionary[] | string | object
+export interface Dictionary {
+  [key: string]: string | string[] | Dictionary | Dictionary[]
 }
 
 export interface MessageObject {
diff --git a/src/client/types/modules.d.ts b/src/client/types/modules.d.ts
index e9a9a3a..7e8b08e 100644
--- a/src/client/types/modules.d.ts
+++ b/src/client/types/modules.d.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-declare module 'object-resolve-path'
+declare module 'dlv'
 declare module 'nano-memoize'
diff --git a/test/client/dictionary.test.ts b/test/client/dictionary.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..750272a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/client/dictionary.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+import {
+  getDictionary,
+  hasLocaleDictionary,
+  getClosestAvailableLocale,
+  getMessageFromDictionary,
+  addMessages,
+  $dictionary,
+  $locales,
+  getLocaleDictionary,
+} from '../../src/client/stores/dictionary'
+import { get } from 'svelte/store'
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  $dictionary.set({})
+})
+
+test('adds a new dictionary to a locale', () => {
+  addMessages('en', { field_1: 'name' })
+  addMessages('pt', { field_1: 'nome' })
+
+  expect(get($dictionary)).toMatchObject({
+    en: { field_1: 'name' },
+    pt: { field_1: 'nome' },
+  })
+})
+
+test('merges the existing dictionaries with new ones', () => {
+  addMessages('en', { field_1: 'name', deep: { prop1: 'foo' } })
+  addMessages('en', { field_2: 'lastname', deep: { prop2: 'foo' } })
+  addMessages('pt', { field_1: 'nome', deep: { prop1: 'foo' } })
+  addMessages('pt', { field_2: 'sobrenome', deep: { prop2: 'foo' } })
+
+  expect(get($dictionary)).toMatchObject({
+    en: {
+      field_1: 'name',
+      field_2: 'lastname',
+      deep: { prop1: 'foo', prop2: 'foo' },
+    },
+    pt: {
+      field_1: 'nome',
+      field_2: 'sobrenome',
+      deep: { prop1: 'foo', prop2: 'foo' },
+    },
+  })
+})
+
+test('gets the whole current dictionary', () => {
+  addMessages('en', { field_1: 'name' })
+  expect(getDictionary()).toMatchObject({
+    en: { field_1: 'name' },
+  })
+})
+
+test('gets the dictionary of a locale', () => {
+  addMessages('en', { field_1: 'name' })
+  expect(getLocaleDictionary('en')).toMatchObject({ field_1: 'name' })
+})
+
+test('checks if a locale dictionary exists', () => {
+  addMessages('pt', { field_1: 'name' })
+  expect(hasLocaleDictionary('en')).toBe(false)
+  expect(hasLocaleDictionary('pt')).toBe(true)
+})
+
+test('gets the closest available locale', () => {
+  addMessages('pt', { field_1: 'name' })
+  expect(getClosestAvailableLocale('pt-BR')).toBe('pt')
+})
+
+test("returns null if there's no closest locale available", () => {
+  addMessages('pt', { field_1: 'name' })
+  expect(getClosestAvailableLocale('it-IT')).toBe(null)
+})
+
+test('lists all locales in the dictionary', () => {
+  addMessages('en', {})
+  addMessages('pt', {})
+  addMessages('pt-BR', {})
+  expect(get($locales)).toEqual(['en', 'pt', 'pt-BR'])
+})
+
+describe('getting messages', () => {
+  test('gets a message from a shallow dictionary', () => {
+    addMessages('en', { message: 'Some message' })
+    expect(getMessageFromDictionary('en', 'message')).toBe('Some message')
+  })
+
+  test('gets a message from a deep object in the dictionary', () => {
+    addMessages('en', { messages: { message_1: 'Some message' } })
+    expect(getMessageFromDictionary('en', 'messages.message_1')).toBe(
+      'Some message'
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('gets a message from an array in the dictionary', () => {
+    addMessages('en', { messages: ['Some message', 'Other message'] })
+    expect(getMessageFromDictionary('en', 'messages.0')).toBe('Some message')
+    expect(getMessageFromDictionary('en', 'messages.1')).toBe('Other message')
+  })
+
+  test('accepts english in dictionary keys', () => {
+    addMessages('pt', {
+      'Hey man, how are you today?': 'E ai cara, como você vai hoje?',
+    })
+    expect(getMessageFromDictionary('pt', 'Hey man, how are you today?')).toBe(
+      'E ai cara, como você vai hoje?'
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('returns null for missing messages', () => {
+    addMessages('en', {})
+    expect(getMessageFromDictionary('en', 'foo')).toBe(null)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/client/locale.test.ts b/test/client/locale.test.ts
index b28f5ff..d5e5d89 100644
--- a/test/client/locale.test.ts
+++ b/test/client/locale.test.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ import {
   $locale,
   isRelatedLocale,
 } from '../../src/client/stores/locale'
+import { get } from 'svelte/store'
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   setFallbackLocale(undefined)
+  $locale.set(undefined)
 })
 
 test('sets and gets the fallback locale', () => {
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ test('checks if a locale is a fallback locale of another locale', () => {
   expect(isRelatedLocale('en-US', 'it')).toBe(false)
 })
 
-test('gets the next fallback locale of a certain locale', () => {
+test('gets the next fallback locale of a locale', () => {
   expect(getFallbackOf('az-Cyrl-AZ')).toBe('az-Cyrl')
   expect(getFallbackOf('en-US')).toBe('en')
   expect(getFallbackOf('en')).toBe(null)
@@ -54,13 +56,13 @@ test('if global fallback locale has a fallback, it should return it', () => {
   expect(getFallbackOf('en-US')).toBe('en')
 })
 
-test('gets all fallback locales of a certain locale', () => {
+test('gets all fallback locales of a locale', () => {
   expect(getFallbacksOf('en-US')).toEqual(['en', 'en-US'])
   expect(getFallbacksOf('en-US')).toEqual(['en', 'en-US'])
   expect(getFallbacksOf('az-Cyrl-AZ')).toEqual(['az', 'az-Cyrl', 'az-Cyrl-AZ'])
 })
 
-test('gets all fallback locales of a certain locale including the global fallback locale', () => {
+test('gets all fallback locales of a locale including the global fallback locale', () => {
   setFallbackLocale('pt')
   expect(getFallbacksOf('en-US')).toEqual(['en', 'en-US', 'pt'])
   expect(getFallbacksOf('en-US')).toEqual(['en', 'en-US', 'pt'])
@@ -71,9 +73,35 @@ test('gets all fallback locales of a certain locale including the global fallbac
     'pt',
   ])
 })
+test('gets all fallback locales of a locale including the global fallback locale and its fallbacks', () => {
+  setFallbackLocale('pt-BR')
+  expect(getFallbacksOf('en-US')).toEqual(['en', 'en-US', 'pt', 'pt-BR'])
+  expect(getFallbacksOf('en-US')).toEqual(['en', 'en-US', 'pt', 'pt-BR'])
+  expect(getFallbacksOf('az-Cyrl-AZ')).toEqual([
+    'az',
+    'az-Cyrl',
+    'az-Cyrl-AZ',
+    'pt',
+    'pt-BR',
+  ])
+})
 
-test('should not list fallback locale twice', () => {
+test("don't list fallback locale twice", () => {
   setFallbackLocale('pt-BR')
   expect(getFallbacksOf('pt-BR')).toEqual(['pt', 'pt-BR'])
   expect(getFallbacksOf('pt')).toEqual(['pt'])
 })
+
+test('gets the current locale', () => {
+  expect(getCurrentLocale()).toBe(undefined)
+  $locale.set('es-ES')
+  expect(getCurrentLocale()).toBe('es-ES')
+})
+
+test('sets the global fallback when defining initial locale', () => {
+  setInitialLocale({
+    fallback: 'pt',
+  })
+  expect(get($locale)).toBe('pt')
+  expect(getFallbackLocale()).toBe('pt')
+})