diff --git a/src/cli/commands/add.rs b/src/cli/commands/add.rs
index 583fe9d..72c9937 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/add.rs
+++ b/src/cli/commands/add.rs
@@ -151,20 +151,20 @@ impl AddCommand {
                 .unwrap_or(url.path.to_string()),
         });
 
+        let field = &mut manifest[dependency_key]
+            .or_insert(toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new()))[&alias];
+
         match specifier {
             DependencySpecifiers::Pesde(spec) => {
-                manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["name"] =
-                    toml_edit::value(spec.name.clone().to_string());
-                manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["version"] =
-                    toml_edit::value(format!("^{}", version_id.version()));
+                field["name"] = toml_edit::value(spec.name.clone().to_string());
+                field["version"] = toml_edit::value(format!("^{}", version_id.version()));
 
                 if *version_id.target() != project_target {
-                    manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["target"] =
-                        toml_edit::value(version_id.target().to_string());
+                    field["target"] = toml_edit::value(version_id.target().to_string());
                 }
 
                 if let Some(index) = spec.index.filter(|i| i != DEFAULT_INDEX_NAME) {
-                    manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["index"] = toml_edit::value(index);
+                    field["index"] = toml_edit::value(index);
                 }
 
                 println!(
@@ -177,13 +177,11 @@ impl AddCommand {
             }
             #[cfg(feature = "wally-compat")]
             DependencySpecifiers::Wally(spec) => {
-                manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["wally"] =
-                    toml_edit::value(spec.name.clone().to_string());
-                manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["version"] =
-                    toml_edit::value(format!("^{}", version_id.version()));
+                field["wally"] = toml_edit::value(spec.name.clone().to_string());
+                field["version"] = toml_edit::value(format!("^{}", version_id.version()));
 
                 if let Some(index) = spec.index.filter(|i| i != DEFAULT_INDEX_NAME) {
-                    manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["index"] = toml_edit::value(index);
+                    field["index"] = toml_edit::value(index);
                 }
 
                 println!(
@@ -194,9 +192,8 @@ impl AddCommand {
                 );
             }
             DependencySpecifiers::Git(spec) => {
-                manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["repo"] =
-                    toml_edit::value(spec.repo.to_bstring().to_string());
-                manifest[dependency_key][&alias]["rev"] = toml_edit::value(spec.rev.clone());
+                field["repo"] = toml_edit::value(spec.repo.to_bstring().to_string());
+                field["rev"] = toml_edit::value(spec.rev.clone());
 
                 println!("added git {}#{} to {}", spec.repo, spec.rev, dependency_key);
             }
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/init.rs b/src/cli/commands/init.rs
index ec60a58..239c477 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/init.rs
+++ b/src/cli/commands/init.rs
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ impl InitCommand {
         .prompt()
         .unwrap();
 
-        manifest["target"]["environment"] = toml_edit::value(target_env);
+        manifest["target"].or_insert(toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new()))
+            ["environment"] = toml_edit::value(target_env);
 
         if target_env == "roblox"
             || inquire::Confirm::new(&format!(
@@ -153,20 +154,23 @@ impl InitCommand {
             )
             .context("failed to write sourcemap generator script file")?;
 
-            manifest["scripts"][&ScriptName::RobloxSyncConfigGenerator.to_string()] =
+            let scripts =
+                manifest["scripts"].or_insert(toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new()));
+
+            scripts[&ScriptName::RobloxSyncConfigGenerator.to_string()] =
                 toml_edit::value(format!(
                     concat!(".", env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"), "/{}.luau"),
                     ScriptName::RobloxSyncConfigGenerator
                 ));
 
-            manifest["scripts"][&ScriptName::SourcemapGenerator.to_string()] =
-                toml_edit::value(format!(
-                    concat!(".", env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"), "/{}.luau"),
-                    ScriptName::SourcemapGenerator
-                ));
+            scripts[&ScriptName::SourcemapGenerator.to_string()] = toml_edit::value(format!(
+                concat!(".", env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"), "/{}.luau"),
+                ScriptName::SourcemapGenerator
+            ));
         }
 
-        manifest["indices"][DEFAULT_INDEX_NAME] =
+        manifest["indices"].or_insert(toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new()))
+            [DEFAULT_INDEX_NAME] =
             toml_edit::value(read_config()?.default_index.to_bstring().to_string());
 
         project.write_manifest(manifest.to_string())?;
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/patch_commit.rs b/src/cli/commands/patch_commit.rs
index 2152885..ab2a4fe 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/patch_commit.rs
+++ b/src/cli/commands/patch_commit.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ impl PatchCommitCommand {
 
         std::fs::write(&patch_file, patch).context("failed to write patch file")?;
 
-        manifest["patches"][&name.to_string()][&version_id.to_string()] =
+        manifest["patches"].or_insert(toml_edit::Item::Table(toml_edit::Table::new()))
+            [&name.to_string()][&version_id.to_string()] =
             toml_edit::value(format!("patches/{patch_file_name}"));
 
         project