diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e8e76a8..4dc77a6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ Change Log
 - installation via jspm and loader support for System.js
 - support for Android 4.0-5.0 (no code changes required, now actively testing)
 - support for Safari 8, iOS 8.0 and 8.1 (no code changes required, now actively testing)
+- raw configuration objects are retained by interceptors, config objects are no longer begotten
 - transient timeouts via config.transient on rest/interceptor/timeout, allows retry interceptor to wrap timeout
 - request.mixin properties attempt setting before before and after opening the request. Some browsers (IE) are sensitive to when the properties are set.
 - wire.js rest factory interceptors now wire configuration objects
diff --git a/interceptor.js b/interceptor.js
index 894778e..49da566 100644
--- a/interceptor.js
+++ b/interceptor.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2014 the original author or authors
+ * Copyright 2012-2015 the original author or authors
  * @license MIT, see LICENSE.txt for details
  *
  * @author Scott Andrews
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
 					target = handlers.client || defaultClient;
 				}
 
-				config = initHandler(Object.create(config || {}));
+				config = initHandler(config || {});
 
 				function interceptedClient(request) {
 					var context, meta;
diff --git a/test/interceptor-test.js b/test/interceptor-test.js
index 5b27455..dd8fe1d 100644
--- a/test/interceptor-test.js
+++ b/test/interceptor-test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2013-2014 the original author or authors
+ * Copyright 2013-2015 the original author or authors
  * @license MIT, see LICENSE.txt for details
  *
  * @author Scott Andrews
@@ -310,14 +310,12 @@
 				theInterceptor = interceptor({
 					request: function (request, config) {
 						request.phase = 'request';
-						refute.same(theConfig, config);
-						assert.same(theConfig.foo, config.foo);
+						assert.same(theConfig, config);
 						return request;
 					},
 					response: function (response, config) {
 						response.phase = 'response';
-						refute.same(theConfig, config);
-						assert.same(theConfig.foo, config.foo);
+						assert.same(theConfig, config);
 						return response;
 					}
 				});
@@ -444,32 +442,29 @@
 					assert.same('default', response.id);
 				}).otherwise(fail);
 			},
-			'should initialize the config object, without modifying the provided object': function () {
+			'should initialize the config object, modifying the provided object': function () {
 				var theConfig, theInterceptor, client;
 				theConfig = { foo: 'bar' };
 				theInterceptor = interceptor({
 					init: function (config) {
-						refute.same(theConfig, config);
-						assert.same('bar', config.foo);
+						assert.same(theConfig, config);
 						config.bleep = 'bloop';
 						return config;
 					},
 					request: function (request, config) {
-						refute.same(theConfig, config);
-						assert.same('bar', config.foo);
-						config.foo = 'not-bar';
-						assert.same('bar', theConfig.foo);
+						assert.same(theConfig, config);
 						request.phase = 'request';
 						return request;
 					},
 					response: function (response, config) {
-						assert.same('not-bar', config.foo);
-						assert.same('bar', theConfig.foo);
+						assert.same(theConfig, config);
 						response.phase = 'response';
 						return response;
 					}
 				});
+				refute('bleep' in theConfig);
 				client = theInterceptor(defaultClient, theConfig);
+				assert.same('bloop', theConfig.bleep);
 				return client().then(function (response) {
 					assert.same('request', response.request.phase);
 					assert.same('response', response.phase);