diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 067ab16..d3af18f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ $ docker-compose ps
 ruby-parseconfig_parseconfig-rb26_1   /bin/bash   Up
 ruby-parseconfig_parseconfig-rb27_1   /bin/bash   Up
 ruby-parseconfig_parseconfig-rb30_1   /bin/bash   Up
+ruby-parseconfig_parseconfig-rb34_1   /bin/bash   Up
 ruby-parseconfig_parseconfig_1        /bin/bash   Up
 
 
@@ -135,5 +136,3 @@ $ make test
 
 The ParseConfig library is Open Source and distributed under the MIT license.
 Please see the LICENSE file included with this software.
-
-
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 8ed86cb..2f21cba 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-version: "3"
 services:
     parseconfig: &DEFAULTS
         image: "parseconfig:dev"
@@ -13,20 +12,26 @@ services:
             - '.:/src'
         working_dir: '/src'
 
+    parseconfig-rb34:
+        <<: *DEFAULTS
+        image: "parseconfig:dev-rb34"
+        build:
+            context: .
+            dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb34
     parseconfig-rb30:
         <<: *DEFAULTS
         image: "parseconfig:dev-rb30"
         build:
             context: .
             dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb30
-    
+
     parseconfig-rb27:
         <<: *DEFAULTS
         image: "parseconfig:dev-rb27"
         build:
             context: .
             dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb27
-    
+
     parseconfig-rb26:
         <<: *DEFAULTS
         image: "parseconfig:dev-rb26"
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.dev b/docker/Dockerfile.dev
index 0194a82..c455739 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.dev
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.dev
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM ruby:3.0-alpine
+FROM ruby:3.4-alpine
 LABEL MAINTAINER="BJ Dierkes <derks@datafolklabs.com>"
 ENV PS1="\[\e[0;33m\]|> parseconfig <| \[\e[1;35m\]\W\[\e[0m\] \[\e[0m\]# "
 
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb30 b/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb30
index 10b0ba0..5066f33 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb30
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb30
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM ruby:3.0-alpine
 LABEL MAINTAINER="BJ Dierkes <derks@datafolklabs.com>"
-ENV PS1="\[\e[0;33m\]|> parseconfig-rb28 <| \[\e[1;35m\]\W\[\e[0m\] \[\e[0m\]# "
+ENV PS1="\[\e[0;33m\]|> parseconfig-rb30 <| \[\e[1;35m\]\W\[\e[0m\] \[\e[0m\]# "
 
 WORKDIR /src
 RUN apk update \
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb34 b/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb34
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b72515
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.dev-rb34
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+FROM ruby:3.4-alpine
+LABEL MAINTAINER="BJ Dierkes <derks@datafolklabs.com>"
+ENV PS1="\[\e[0;33m\]|> parseconfig-rb34 <| \[\e[1;35m\]\W\[\e[0m\] \[\e[0m\]# "
+
+WORKDIR /src
+RUN apk update \
+    && apk add \
+        musl-dev \
+        make \
+        vim \
+        bash \
+    && ln -sf /usr/bin/vim /usr/bin/vi \
+    && gem install rspec
+COPY . /src
+COPY docker/vimrc /root/.vimrc
+CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/lib/parseconfig.rb b/lib/parseconfig.rb
index e4047c0..271fda3 100644
--- a/lib/parseconfig.rb
+++ b/lib/parseconfig.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 #
 # Author::      BJ Dierkes <derks@datafolklabs.com>
 # Copyright::   Copyright (c) 2006,2016 Data Folk Labs, LLC
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ def initialize(config_file = nil, separator = '=', comments = ['#', ';'])
     @config_file = config_file
     @params = {}
     @groups = []
-    @split_regex = '\s*' + separator + '\s*'
+    @split_regex = /\s*#{Regexp.escape(separator)}\s*/
     @comments = comments
 
     return unless config_file
@@ -56,12 +58,13 @@ def import_config
       f.each_with_index do |line, i|
         line.strip!
 
-        # force_encoding not available in all versions of ruby
-        begin
-          if i.eql? 0 && line.include?("\xef\xbb\xbf".force_encoding('UTF-8'))
-            line.delete!("\xef\xbb\xbf".force_encoding('UTF-8'))
+        if i.eql? 0
+          # force_encoding not available in all versions of ruby
+          begin
+            bom = (+"\xef\xbb\xbf").force_encoding('UTF-8')
+            line.delete!(bom) if line.include?(bom)
+          rescue NoMethodError
           end
-        rescue NoMethodError
         end
 
         is_comment = false
@@ -73,8 +76,8 @@ def import_config
         end
 
         unless is_comment
-          if /#{@split_regex}/.match(line)
-            param, value = line.split(/#{@split_regex}/, 2)
+          if @split_regex.match(line)
+            param, value = line.split(@split_regex, 2)
             var_name = param.to_s.chomp.strip
             value = value.chomp.strip
             new_value = ''