diff --git a/backend/db.js b/backend/db.js
index 26663be..0f394a2 100644
--- a/backend/db.js
+++ b/backend/db.js
@@ -698,9 +698,15 @@ exports.getRecords = async (table, filter_obj = null, return_count = false, sort
 
 // Update
 
-exports.updateRecord = async (table, filter_obj, update_obj) => {
+exports.updateRecord = async (table, filter_obj, update_obj, nested_mode = false) => {
     // local db override
     if (using_local_db) {
+        if (nested_mode) {
+            // if object is nested we need to handle it differently
+            update_obj = utils.convertFlatObjectToNestedObject(update_obj);
+            exports.applyFilterLocalDB(local_db.get(table), filter_obj, 'find').merge(update_obj).write();
+            return true;
+        }
         exports.applyFilterLocalDB(local_db.get(table), filter_obj, 'find').assign(update_obj).write();
         return true;
     }
@@ -722,6 +728,18 @@ exports.updateRecords = async (table, filter_obj, update_obj) => {
     return !!(output['result']['ok']);
 }
 
+exports.removePropertyFromRecord = async (table, filter_obj, remove_obj) => {
+    // local db override
+    if (using_local_db) {
+        const props_to_remove = Object.keys(remove_obj);
+        exports.applyFilterLocalDB(local_db.get(table), filter_obj, 'find').unset(props_to_remove).write();
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    const output = await database.collection(table).updateOne(filter_obj, {$unset: remove_obj});
+    return !!(output['result']['ok']);
+}
+
 exports.bulkUpdateRecordsByKey = async (table, key_label, update_obj) => {
     // local db override
     if (using_local_db) {
diff --git a/backend/tasks.js b/backend/tasks.js
index 1c7315c..0cc465d 100644
--- a/backend/tasks.js
+++ b/backend/tasks.js
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ exports.setupTasks = async () => {
     const tasks_keys = Object.keys(TASKS);
     for (let i = 0; i < tasks_keys.length; i++) {
         const task_key = tasks_keys[i];
-        const mergedDefaultOptions = Object.assign(defaultOptions['all'], defaultOptions[task_key] || {});
+        const mergedDefaultOptions = Object.assign({}, defaultOptions['all'], defaultOptions[task_key] || {});
         const task_in_db = await db_api.getRecord('tasks', {key: task_key});
         if (!task_in_db) {
             // insert task metadata into table if missing, eventually move title to UI
@@ -115,14 +115,16 @@ exports.setupTasks = async () => {
                 data: null,
                 error: null,
                 schedule: null,
-                options: Object.assign(defaultOptions['all'], defaultOptions[task_key] || {})
+                options: Object.assign({}, defaultOptions['all'], defaultOptions[task_key] || {})
             });
         } else {
             // verify all options exist in task
             for (const key of Object.keys(mergedDefaultOptions)) {
+                const option_key = `options.${key}`;
+                // Remove any potential mangled option keys (#861)
+                await db_api.removePropertyFromRecord('tasks', {key: task_key}, {[option_key]: true});
                 if (!(task_in_db.options && task_in_db.options.hasOwnProperty(key))) {
-                    const option_key = `options.${key}`
-                    await db_api.updateRecord('tasks', {key: task_key}, {[option_key]: mergedDefaultOptions[key]});
+                    await db_api.updateRecord('tasks', {key: task_key}, {[option_key]: mergedDefaultOptions[key]}, true);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/backend/test/tests.js b/backend/test/tests.js
index f0050b1..7bee912 100644
--- a/backend/test/tests.js
+++ b/backend/test/tests.js
@@ -175,6 +175,15 @@ describe('Database', async function() {
                     await db_api.removeRecord('test', {test_update: 'test'});
                 });
 
+                it('Remove property from record', async function() {
+                    await db_api.insertRecordIntoTable('test', {test_keep: 'test', test_remove: 'test'});
+                    await db_api.removePropertyFromRecord('test', {test_keep: 'test'}, {test_remove: true});
+                    const updated_record = await db_api.getRecord('test', {test_keep: 'test'});
+                    assert(updated_record['test_keep']);
+                    assert(!updated_record['test_remove']);
+                    await db_api.removeRecord('test', {test_keep: 'test'});
+                });
+
                 it('Remove record', async function() {
                     await db_api.insertRecordIntoTable('test', {test_remove: 'test'});
                     const delete_succeeded = await db_api.removeRecord('test', {test_remove: 'test'});
@@ -699,4 +708,24 @@ describe('Utils', async function() {
         const stripped_obj = utils.stripPropertiesFromObject(test_obj, ['test1', 'test3']);
         assert(!stripped_obj['test1'] && stripped_obj['test2'] && !stripped_obj['test3'])
     });
+
+    it('Convert flat object to nested object', async function() {
+        // No modfication
+        const flat_obj0 = {'test1': {'test_sub': true}, 'test2': {test_sub: true}};
+        const nested_obj0 = utils.convertFlatObjectToNestedObject(flat_obj0);
+        assert(nested_obj0['test1'] && nested_obj0['test1']['test_sub']);
+        assert(nested_obj0['test2'] && nested_obj0['test2']['test_sub']);
+
+        // Standard setup
+        const flat_obj1 = {'test1.test_sub': true, 'test2.test_sub': true};
+        const nested_obj1 = utils.convertFlatObjectToNestedObject(flat_obj1);
+        assert(nested_obj1['test1'] && nested_obj1['test1']['test_sub']);
+        assert(nested_obj1['test2'] && nested_obj1['test2']['test_sub']);
+
+        // Nested branches
+        const flat_obj2 = {'test1.test_sub': true, 'test1.test2.test_sub': true};
+        const nested_obj2 = utils.convertFlatObjectToNestedObject(flat_obj2);
+        assert(nested_obj2['test1'] && nested_obj2['test1']['test_sub']);
+        assert(nested_obj2['test1'] && nested_obj2['test1']['test2'] && nested_obj2['test1']['test2']['test_sub']);
+    });
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/utils.js b/backend/utils.js
index 984ae4c..f4df0f8 100644
--- a/backend/utils.js
+++ b/backend/utils.js
@@ -501,6 +501,23 @@ exports.updateLoggerLevel = (new_logger_level) => {
     logger.transports[2].level = new_logger_level;
 }
 
+exports.convertFlatObjectToNestedObject = (obj) => {
+    const result = {};
+    for (const key in obj) {
+      const nestedKeys = key.split('.');
+      let currentObj = result;
+      for (let i = 0; i < nestedKeys.length; i++) {
+        if (i === nestedKeys.length - 1) {
+          currentObj[nestedKeys[i]] = obj[key];
+        } else {
+          currentObj[nestedKeys[i]] = currentObj[nestedKeys[i]] || {};
+          currentObj = currentObj[nestedKeys[i]];
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
 // objects
 
 function File(id, title, thumbnailURL, isAudio, duration, url, uploader, size, path, upload_date, description, view_count, height, abr) {