diff --git a/mrq/config.py b/mrq/config.py
index 5ee51425..ad772fab 100644
--- a/mrq/config.py
+++ b/mrq/config.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import sys
 import re
 from .version import VERSION
-from .utils import get_local_ip
+from .utils import get_local_ip, DelimiterArgParser
 import atexit
 
 
@@ -344,7 +344,8 @@ def add_parser_args(parser, config_type):
         parser.add_argument(
             '--subqueues_delimiter',
             default='/',
-            help='Delimiter between main queue and subqueue names')
+            help='Delimiter between main queue and subqueue names',
+            action=DelimiterArgParser)
 
         parser.add_argument(
             '--admin_port',
diff --git a/mrq/queue.py b/mrq/queue.py
index 115238d2..3281af97 100644
--- a/mrq/queue.py
+++ b/mrq/queue.py
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ class Queue(object):
     is_set = False
     is_reverse = False
 
+    # root_id will contain the root queue id without any trailing subqueue delimiter
+    # e.g. if self.id is "some_queue/" then self.root_id will contain "some_queue"
+    # and if self.id is "some_queue/some_subqueue" then self.root_id will contain "some_queue"
+    root_id = None
+
     use_large_ids = False
 
     # This is a mutable type so it is shared by all instances
@@ -47,6 +52,13 @@ def __init__(self, queue_id, add_to_known_queues=False):
         if "_sorted" in self.id:
             self.is_sorted = True
 
+        self.root_id = self.id
+
+        delimiter = context.get_current_config().get("subqueues_delimiter")
+        if delimiter is not None and delimiter in self.id:
+            # Get the root queue id with no trailing delimiter
+            self.root_id = self.id.split(delimiter)[0]
+
         self.use_large_ids = context.get_current_config()["use_large_job_ids"]
 
         # If this is the first time this process sees this queue, try to add it
@@ -117,7 +129,7 @@ def redis_known_subqueues(self):
     def get_config(self):
         """ Returns the specific configuration for this queue """
 
-        return context.get_current_config().get("raw_queues", {}).get(self.id) or {}
+        return context.get_current_config().get("raw_queues", {}).get(self.root_id) or {}
 
     def serialize_job_ids(self, job_ids):
         """ Returns job_ids serialized for storage in Redis """
diff --git a/mrq/utils.py b/mrq/utils.py
index 8af6a455..734f1dff 100644
--- a/mrq/utils.py
+++ b/mrq/utils.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import math
 import json
 import datetime
+import argparse
 from collections import deque
 from bson import ObjectId
 
@@ -194,3 +195,11 @@ def next(self, val):
         self.__sum += val
         self.__q.append(val)
         return 1.0 * self.__sum / len(self.__q)
+
+
+class DelimiterArgParser(argparse.Action):
+    def __call__(self, parser, namespace, value, option_string):
+        if value == '_':
+            parser.error("Cannot use '%s' as a subqueue delimiter" % value)
+
+        setattr(namespace, self.dest, value)
diff --git a/tests/test_raw.py b/tests/test_raw.py
index fb1f1f32..cefb2c45 100644
--- a/tests/test_raw.py
+++ b/tests/test_raw.py
@@ -79,14 +79,23 @@ def test_raw_sorted(worker, p_queue, p_pushback, p_timed, p_flags):
     assert test_collection.count() == 3
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("has_subqueue", [False, True])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(["p_queue", "p_set"], [
     ["test_raw", False],
     ["test_set", True]
 ])
-def test_raw_set(worker, p_queue, p_set):
-
-    worker.start(
-        flags="--greenlets 10 --config tests/fixtures/config-raw1.py", queues=p_queue)
+def test_raw_set(worker, has_subqueue, p_queue, p_set):
+    flags = "--greenlets 10 --config tests/fixtures/config-raw1.py"
+    if has_subqueue:
+      flags = "%s --subqueues_refresh_interval=0.1" % flags
+      # worker should dequeue all subqueues
+      p_queue = "%s/" % p_queue
+
+    worker.start(flags=flags, queues=p_queue)
+
+    if has_subqueue:
+      # queue tasks in p_queue/subqueue
+      p_queue = "%ssubqueue" % p_queue
 
     test_collection = worker.mongodb_logs.tests_inserts
     jobs_collection = worker.mongodb_jobs.mrq_jobs
diff --git a/tests/test_subqueues.py b/tests/test_subqueues.py
index 27f5cea7..34b65f33 100644
--- a/tests/test_subqueues.py
+++ b/tests/test_subqueues.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def test_unmatchable_subqueues(worker, queue, enqueue_on):
     worker.stop()
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize(["delimiter"], ["/", ".", "_"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(["delimiter"], ["/", ".", "-"])
 def test_custom_delimiters(worker, delimiter):
 
     queue = "main" + delimiter