diff --git a/ohmpi/hardware_system.py b/ohmpi/hardware_system.py
index ac17e4e9cc653775c414c9f4feefafde8a61542d..bf080d939bbef7d58d953b0e46e566c7051e0c4b 100644
--- a/ohmpi/hardware_system.py
+++ b/ohmpi/hardware_system.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class OhmPiHardware:
                                'soh_logger': self.soh_logger})
             mux_config.update(**HARDWARE_CONFIG['mux']['boards'][mux_id])
             mux_module = importlib.import_module(f'ohmpi.hardware_components.{mux_config["model"]}')
-            mux_config.update(mux_config.pop('ctl', self.ctl))
+            mux_config.update({'ctl': self.ctl})
             if isinstance(ctl, dict): ### TODO: is this needed?
                 mux_ctl_module = importlib.import_module(f'ohmpi.hardware_components.{mux_config["ctl"]["model"]}')
                 ctl = mux_ctl_module.Ctl(**self.ctl)