diff --git a/lib/pry/config/behavior.rb b/lib/pry/config/behavior.rb
index 150e6bbf..719dd5e6 100644
--- a/lib/pry/config/behavior.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/config/behavior.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ module Pry::Config::Behavior
   #
   def [](key)
     key = key.to_s
-    @lookup[key] or (@default and @default[key])
+    key?(key) ? @lookup[key] : (@default and @default[key])
   end
 
   #
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ module Pry::Config::Behavior
     last = last.default while last and last.default
     last
   end
-  
+
   #
   # @return [Hash]
   #   returns a duplicate copy of the lookup table used by self.
diff --git a/spec/commands/show_doc_spec.rb b/spec/commands/show_doc_spec.rb
index 5c8405c0..7b5c6aec 100644
--- a/spec/commands/show_doc_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/commands/show_doc_spec.rb
@@ -134,17 +134,12 @@ describe "show-doc" do
         # @param foo
         def initialize(foo); end
       }
-
-      begin
-        t = pry_tester(binding)
-        expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).to match(/_c.new :foo/)
-        Pry.config.color = true
-        # I don't want the test to rely on which colour codes are there, just to
-        # assert that "something" is being colourized.
-        expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).not_to match(/_c.new :foo/)
-      ensure
-        Pry.config.color = false
-      end
+      t = pry_tester(binding)
+      expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).to match(/_c.new :foo/)
+      # I don't want the test to rely on which colour codes are there, just to
+      # assert that "something" is being colourized.
+      t.eval("_pry_.color = true")
+      expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).not_to match(/_c.new :foo/)
     end
 
     it "should syntax highlight `code` in rdoc" do
@@ -155,17 +150,12 @@ describe "show-doc" do
         def initialize(foo); end
       }
 
-      begin
-        t = pry_tester(binding)
-        expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).to match(/_c.new\(:foo\)/)
-        Pry.config.color = true
-        # I don't want the test to rely on which colour codes are there, just to
-        # assert that "something" is being colourized.
-        expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).not_to match(/_c.new\(:foo\)/)
-      ensure
-        Pry.config.color = false
-      end
-
+      t = pry_tester(binding)
+      expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).to match(/_c.new\(:foo\)/)
+      # I don't want the test to rely on which colour codes are there, just to
+      # assert that "something" is being colourized.
+      t.eval("_pry_.color = true")
+      expect(t.eval("show-doc _c#initialize")).not_to match(/_c.new\(:foo\)/)
     end
 
     it "should not syntax highlight `` inside code" do
diff --git a/spec/config_spec.rb b/spec/config_spec.rb
index 9a4e8f7e..d6961c80 100644
--- a/spec/config_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/config_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 require_relative 'helper'
 describe Pry::Config do
+  describe "bug #1552" do
+    specify "a local key has precendence over its default when the stored value is false" do
+      local = Pry::Config.from_hash({}, Pry::Config.from_hash('color' => true))
+      local.color = false
+      expect(local.color).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "bug #1277" do
-    specify "a local key has precendence over a inherited method of the same name" do
+    specify "a local key has precendence over an inherited method of the same name" do
       local = Pry::Config.from_hash(output: 'foobar')
       local.extend Module.new { def output(); 'broken'; end }
       expect(local.output).to eq('foobar')