diff --git a/conf/plans/test.plan b/conf/plans/test.plan
index 446edb9..666f0c1 100644
--- a/conf/plans/test.plan
+++ b/conf/plans/test.plan
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "plan": [
-    { "name": "independent test", "depends on":  null  },
-    { "name": "dependent test", "depends on":  [ "independent test", null, null ] }
+    { "name": "independent test", "dependencies":  [ null ] },
+    { "name": "dependent test", "dependencies":  [ "independent test", null, null ] }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/src/loaders/Plan.cpp b/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
index 8ffa620..8032a2d 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void Plan::load_plan_file(std::string filename, bool verbose)
     Task tmp_T;
     for ( int index = 0; index < this->json_root.size(); index++ )
     {
-        tmp_T.load_root( this->json_root[ index ] );
+        tmp_T.load_root( this->json_root[ index ], verbose );
         this->tasks.push_back( tmp_T );
         if ( verbose ) {
             std::cout << "Added task \"" << tmp_T.get_name() << "\" to Plan." << std::endl;
diff --git a/src/loaders/Task.cpp b/src/loaders/Task.cpp
index f24aa90..09d64a9 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/Task.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Task::Task() {}
 ///
 /// \param loader_root
 /// \return
-void Task::load_root(Json::Value loader_root)
+void Task::load_root(Json::Value loader_root, bool verbose )
 {
     if ( loader_root.isMember("name") )
     {
@@ -22,7 +22,22 @@ void Task::load_root(Json::Value loader_root)
         throw Task_InvalidDataStructure();
     }
 
-    this->dependencies = loader_root.get("depends on", "");
+    // fetch as Json::Value array obj
+    Json::Value des_dep_root = loader_root.get("dependencies", 0);
+
+    // iterate through each member of that obj
+    for ( int i = 0; i < des_dep_root.size(); i++ )
+    {
+        // add each string to dependencies
+        if ( des_dep_root[i].asString() != "" )
+        {
+            this->dependencies.push_back( des_dep_root[i].asString() );
+            if ( verbose ) {
+                std::cout << "Added dependency \"" << des_dep_root[i].asString() << "\" to Task \"" << this->get_name() << "\"." << std::endl;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     //this->has_succeeded = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/loaders/Task.h b/src/loaders/Task.h
index 3d7f421..d80016a 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Task.h
+++ b/src/loaders/Task.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class Task
         Task();
 
         // load a json::value into task members (second stage deserialization)
-        void load_root( Json::Value loader_root );
+        void load_root( Json::Value loader_root, bool verbose );
 
         // register a dependency
         void add_dependency( std::string dependency_name );