diff --git a/cmd/scanner_cmd_test.go b/cmd/scanner_cmd_test.go
index d663ba9c..d74dc9b1 100644
--- a/cmd/scanner_cmd_test.go
+++ b/cmd/scanner_cmd_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"talisman/detector/severity"
 	"talisman/git_testing"
 	"talisman/talismanrc"
 	"testing"
@@ -81,8 +82,7 @@ func TestScannerCmdDetectsSecretAndIgnoresWhileRunningNormalScanMode(t *testing.
 
 		scannerCmd := NewScannerCmd(false, git.GetRoot())
 		scannerCmd.Run(&talismanrc.TalismanRC{
-			IgnoreConfigs: []talismanrc.IgnoreConfig{
-			}})
+			IgnoreConfigs: []talismanrc.IgnoreConfig{}})
 		assert.Equal(t, 1, scannerCmd.exitStatus(), "Expected ScannerCmd.exitStatus() to return 1 since secrets file ignore is enabled")
 	})
 }
diff --git a/talismanrc/talismanrc.go b/talismanrc/talismanrc.go
index 90bdd588..8b8ba6bc 100644
--- a/talismanrc/talismanrc.go
+++ b/talismanrc/talismanrc.go
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ func fromPersistedRC(configFromTalismanRCFile *persistedRC, mode Mode) *Talisman
 	tRC.ScopeConfig = configFromTalismanRCFile.ScopeConfig
 	tRC.Experimental = configFromTalismanRCFile.Experimental
 	tRC.CustomPatterns = configFromTalismanRCFile.CustomPatterns
+	tRC.CustomSeverities = configFromTalismanRCFile.CustomSeverities
 	tRC.Experimental = configFromTalismanRCFile.Experimental
 	tRC.AllowedPatterns = make([]*regexp.Regexp, len(configFromTalismanRCFile.AllowedPatterns))
 	for i, p := range configFromTalismanRCFile.AllowedPatterns {
diff --git a/talismanrc/talismanrc_test.go b/talismanrc/talismanrc_test.go
index 251f1fe3..96240912 100644
--- a/talismanrc/talismanrc_test.go
+++ b/talismanrc/talismanrc_test.go
@@ -78,6 +78,19 @@ func TestShouldConvertThresholdToValue(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, newPersistedRC(talismanRCContents).Threshold, severity.High)
 }
 
+func TestObeysCustomSeverityLevelsAndThreshold(t *testing.T) {
+	talismanRCContents := []byte(`threshold: high
+custom_severities:
+- detector: Base64Content
+  severity: low
+`)
+	persistedRC := newPersistedRC(talismanRCContents)
+	talismanRC := fromPersistedRC(persistedRC, ScanMode)
+	assert.Equal(t, newPersistedRC(talismanRCContents).Threshold, severity.High)
+	assert.Equal(t, len(newPersistedRC(talismanRCContents).CustomSeverities), 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, persistedRC.CustomSeverities, talismanRC.CustomSeverities)
+}
+
 func TestDirectoryPatterns(t *testing.T) {
 	assertAccepts("foo/", "", "bar", t)
 	assertAccepts("foo/", "", "foo", t)