diff --git a/lib/categories.js b/lib/categories.js
index e2e98ee..7923028 100644
--- a/lib/categories.js
+++ b/lib/categories.js
@@ -24,36 +24,32 @@ function inheritFromParent(config, category, categoryName) {
 
 
   if (!parentCategory) {
-    // parent is missing, may need to implicitly create it, so that it can inherit from its parents
-    if (parentCategoryName.lastIndexOf('.') >= 0) { // don't create a missing root category, it can inherit nothing
-      parentCategory = { inherit: true, appenders: [] };
-    }
+    // parent is missing, so implicitly create it, so that it can inherit from its parents
+    parentCategory = { inherit: true, appenders: [] };
   }
 
-  if (parentCategory) {
-    // make sure parent has had its inheritance taken care of before pulling its properties to this child
-    inheritFromParent(config, parentCategory, parentCategoryName);
+  // make sure parent has had its inheritance taken care of before pulling its properties to this child
+  inheritFromParent(config, parentCategory, parentCategoryName);
 
-    // if the parent is not in the config (because we just created it above),
-    // and it inherited a valid configuration, add it to config.categories
-    if (!config.categories[parentCategoryName]
-      && parentCategory.appenders
-      && parentCategory.appenders.length
-      && parentCategory.level) {
-      config.categories[parentCategoryName] = parentCategory;
-    }
-
-    category.appenders = category.appenders || [];
-    category.level = category.level || parentCategory.level;
-
-    // merge in appenders from parent (parent is already holding its inherited appenders)
-    parentCategory.appenders.forEach((ap) => {
-      if (!category.appenders.includes(ap)) {
-        category.appenders.push(ap);
-      }
-    });
-    category.parent = parentCategory;
+  // if the parent is not in the config (because we just created it above),
+  // and it inherited a valid configuration, add it to config.categories
+  if (!config.categories[parentCategoryName]
+    && parentCategory.appenders
+    && parentCategory.appenders.length
+    && parentCategory.level) {
+    config.categories[parentCategoryName] = parentCategory;
   }
+
+  category.appenders = category.appenders || [];
+  category.level = category.level || parentCategory.level;
+
+  // merge in appenders from parent (parent is already holding its inherited appenders)
+  parentCategory.appenders.forEach((ap) => {
+    if (!category.appenders.includes(ap)) {
+      category.appenders.push(ap);
+    }
+  });
+  category.parent = parentCategory;
 }