diff --git a/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Prerun.py b/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Prerun.py
index 3ecb116..49b2336 100644
--- a/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Prerun.py
+++ b/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Prerun.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def prerun(t_command_type='module', t_command_subtype=None):
                 botcom.dict["args"], botcom.dict["hyphen_arg"] = trigger_hyphen_args(botcom.dict["args"])
 
                 # special handling
-                botcom.dict["responsekey"] = "?default"
+                botcom = special_handling(botcom)
 
                 args_pass = trigger_hyphen_arg_handler(bot, trigger, botcom)
 
@@ -118,6 +118,20 @@ def prerun(t_command_type='module', t_command_subtype=None):
     return actual_decorator
 
 
+def special_handling(botcom):
+    botcom.dict["responsekey"] = "?default"
+
+    # handling for special cases
+    posscom = spicemanip(botcom.dict['args'], 1)
+    if posscom.lower() in [command.lower() for command in botcom.dict["dict"]["nonstockoptions"]]:
+        for command in botcom.dict["dict"]["nonstockoptions"]:
+            if command.lower() == posscom.lower():
+                posscom = command
+        botcom.dict["responsekey"] = posscom
+
+    return botcom
+
+
 def prerun_query(t_command_type='module', t_command_subtype=None):
 
     def actual_decorator(function):
diff --git a/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Read.py b/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Read.py
index b6b2a3d..8957167 100644
--- a/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Read.py
+++ b/sopel_modules/SpiceBot/Read.py
@@ -228,6 +228,10 @@ class BotRead():
         if "?default" not in list(dict_from_file.keys()):
             dict_from_file["?default"] = {}
 
+        # check that type is set, use cases will inherit this if not set
+        if "type" not in list(dict_from_file.keys()):
+            dict_from_file["type"] = 'module'
+
         if "responses" not in list(dict_from_file["?default"].keys()):
             dict_from_file["?default"]["responses"] = []
 
@@ -236,6 +240,19 @@ class BotRead():
             if command not in prerun_shared.stockoptions:
                 dict_from_file["nonstockoptions"].append(command)
 
+        for specialcase in dict_from_file["nonstockoptions"]:
+
+            # All of the above need to be in the dict if not
+            if specialcase not in list(dict_from_file.keys()):
+                dict_from_file[specialcase] = dict()
+
+            # verify if already there, that the key is a dict
+            if not isinstance(dict_from_file[specialcase], dict):
+                dict_from_file[specialcase] = dict()
+
+            if "type" not in list(dict_from_file[specialcase].keys()):
+                dict_from_file[specialcase]["type"] = "module"
+
         return dict_from_file
 
 
diff --git a/sopel_modules/SpiceBot_Core_Commands/DictComs.py b/sopel_modules/SpiceBot_Core_Commands/DictComs.py
index 32eff3a..4e13283 100644
--- a/sopel_modules/SpiceBot_Core_Commands/DictComs.py
+++ b/sopel_modules/SpiceBot_Core_Commands/DictComs.py
@@ -31,17 +31,8 @@ def command_dictcom(bot, trigger, botcom):
 def bot_dictcom_process(bot, trigger, botcom):
 
     # use the default key, unless otherwise specified
-    botcom.dict["responsekey"] = "?default"
-
-    # handling for special cases
-    posscom = spicemanip(botcom.dict['args'], 1)
-    if posscom.lower() in [command.lower() for command in list(botcom.dict["dict"].keys())]:
-        for command in botcom.dict["dict"].keys():
-            if command.lower() == posscom.lower():
-                posscom = command
-        botcom.dict["responsekey"] = posscom
+    if botcom.dict["responsekey"] != "?default":
         botcom.dict['args'] = spicemanip(botcom.dict['args'], '2+', 'list')
-    botcom.dict["dict"][botcom.dict["responsekey"]]["type"] = botcom.dict["dict"][botcom.dict["responsekey"]]["type"]
 
     # This allows users to specify which reply by number by using an ! and a digit (first or last in string)
     validspecifides = ['last', 'random', 'count', 'add', 'del', 'remove']
@@ -52,7 +43,7 @@ def bot_dictcom_process(bot, trigger, botcom):
             botcom.dict["specified"] = int(argone[2:])
         elif SpiceBot.inlist(str(argone[2:]), validspecifides):
             botcom.dict["specified"] = str(argone[2:]).lower()
-        elif SpiceBot.inlist(str(argone[2:]), botcom.dict["nonstockoptions"]):
+        elif SpiceBot.inlist(str(argone[2:]), botcom.dict["dict"]["nonstockoptions"]):
             botcom.dict["specified"] = str(argone[2:]).lower()
             botcom.dict["responsekey"] = botcom.dict["specified"]
         else:
@@ -296,7 +287,7 @@ def bot_dictcom_reply_shared(bot, trigger, botcom):
 
             # display special options for this command
             if "$specialoptions" in rply:
-                nonstockoptions = spicemanip(botcom.dict["nonstockoptions"], "andlist")
+                nonstockoptions = spicemanip(botcom.dict["dict"]["nonstockoptions"], "andlist")
                 rply = rply.replace("$specialoptions", nonstockoptions)
 
             # saying, or action?