diff --git a/scabha/evaluator.py b/scabha/evaluator.py
index ee19cc8..3cefc07 100644
--- a/scabha/evaluator.py
+++ b/scabha/evaluator.py
@@ -621,12 +621,12 @@ def evaluate_dict(self, params: Dict[str, Any],
                                 del corresponding_ns[name]
                     elif new_value is not value and new_value != value:
                         if params_out is params:
-                            params_out = params.copy()
+                            params_out = OrderedDict(**params)
                         params_out[name] = new_value
                         if corresponding_ns:
                             corresponding_ns[name] = new_value
                 elif isinstance(value, (dict, DictConfig)) and recursive:
-                    params_out[name] = self.evaluate_dict(
+                    value = self.evaluate_dict(
                         value,
                         corresponding_ns,
                         defaults,
@@ -635,9 +635,9 @@ def evaluate_dict(self, params: Dict[str, Any],
                         recursive=True,
                         verbose=verbose
                     )
+                    params_out[name] = value
                 elif isinstance(value, (list, ListConfig)) and recursive:
-                    params_out[name] = type(value)(
-                        [
+                    seq = [
                             *self.evaluate_dict(
                                 {f"[{i}]": v for i, v in enumerate(value)},
                                 corresponding_ns,
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ def evaluate_dict(self, params: Dict[str, Any],
                                 verbose=verbose
                             ).values()
                         ]
-                    )
+                    params_out[name] = type(value)(seq)
 
         return params_out
 
diff --git a/stimela/kitchen/recipe.py b/stimela/kitchen/recipe.py
index 9deaf1f..8f7ec6c 100644
--- a/stimela/kitchen/recipe.py
+++ b/stimela/kitchen/recipe.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ def do_assign(assignments):
             Substitution errors are ignored at this stage, a final round of re-evaluation with ignore=False is done at the end.
             """
             # flatten assignments
-            flattened = flatten_dict(assignments)
+            flattened = assignments # flatten_dict(assignments)
             # drop entries protected from assignment
             flattened = {name: value for name, value in flattened.items() if name not in self._protected_from_assign}
             # merge into recipe namespace
diff --git a/stimela/kitchen/step.py b/stimela/kitchen/step.py
index b0ecd84..7aea970 100644
--- a/stimela/kitchen/step.py
+++ b/stimela/kitchen/step.py
@@ -410,6 +410,8 @@ def run(self, backend: Optional[Dict] = None, subst: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] =
             skip = self._skip
             if self._skip is None and subst is not None:
                 skip = evaluate_and_substitute_object(self.skip, subst, location=[self.fqname, "skip"])
+                if skip is UNSET:  # skip: =IFSET(recipe.foo) will return UNSET
+                    skip = False
                 self.log.debug(f"dynamic skip attribute evaluation returns {skip}")
                 # formulas with unset variables return UNSET instance
                 if isinstance(skip, UNSET):