diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsHelper.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsHelper.java
index 07958dd0ed0..cdab20c3908 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsHelper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsHelper.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.conf.Property;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.iterators.IteratorUtil.IteratorScope;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.iteratorsImpl.IteratorConfigUtil;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.iteratorsImpl.IteratorProperty;
 
 public abstract class NamespaceOperationsHelper implements NamespaceOperations {
 
@@ -92,29 +93,25 @@ public IteratorSetting getIteratorSetting(String namespace, String name, Iterato
     if (!exists(namespace)) {
       throw new NamespaceNotFoundException(null, namespace, null);
     }
-    int priority = -1;
-    String classname = null;
-    Map<String,String> settings = new HashMap<>();
-
-    String root =
-        String.format("%s%s.%s", Property.TABLE_ITERATOR_PREFIX, scope.name().toLowerCase(), name);
-    String opt = root + ".opt.";
-    for (Entry<String,String> property : this.getProperties(namespace)) {
-      if (property.getKey().equals(root)) {
-        String[] parts = property.getValue().split(",");
-        if (parts.length != 2) {
-          throw new AccumuloException("Bad value for iterator setting: " + property.getValue());
-        }
-        priority = Integer.parseInt(parts[0]);
-        classname = parts[1];
-      } else if (property.getKey().startsWith(opt)) {
-        settings.put(property.getKey().substring(opt.length()), property.getValue());
+    IteratorProperty base = null;
+    Map<String,String> options = new HashMap<>();
+    for (var prop : this.getConfiguration(namespace).entrySet()) {
+      IteratorProperty iterProp = IteratorProperty.parse(prop);
+      if (iterProp == null || iterProp.getScope() != scope || !iterProp.getName().equals(name)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (iterProp.isOption()) {
+        options.put(iterProp.getOptionKey(), iterProp.getOptionValue());
+      } else {
+        base = iterProp;
       }
     }
-    if (priority <= 0 || classname == null) {
+    if (base == null) {
       return null;
     }
-    return new IteratorSetting(priority, name, classname, settings);
+    IteratorSetting setting = base.toSetting();
+    options.forEach(setting::addOption);
+    return setting;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -124,18 +121,13 @@ public Map<String,EnumSet<IteratorScope>> listIterators(String namespace)
       throw new NamespaceNotFoundException(null, namespace, null);
     }
     Map<String,EnumSet<IteratorScope>> result = new TreeMap<>();
-    for (Entry<String,String> property : this.getProperties(namespace)) {
-      String name = property.getKey();
-      String[] parts = name.split("\\.");
-      if (parts.length == 4) {
-        if (parts[0].equals("table") && parts[1].equals("iterator")) {
-          IteratorScope scope = IteratorScope.valueOf(parts[2]);
-          if (!result.containsKey(parts[3])) {
-            result.put(parts[3], EnumSet.noneOf(IteratorScope.class));
-          }
-          result.get(parts[3]).add(scope);
-        }
+    for (var prop : this.getConfiguration(namespace).entrySet()) {
+      IteratorProperty iterProp = IteratorProperty.parse(prop);
+      if (iterProp == null || iterProp.isOption()) {
+        continue;
       }
+      result.computeIfAbsent(iterProp.getName(), k -> EnumSet.noneOf(IteratorScope.class))
+          .add(iterProp.getScope());
     }
     return result;
   }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/TableOperationsHelper.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/TableOperationsHelper.java
index 70a43b0e314..19464c64468 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/TableOperationsHelper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/TableOperationsHelper.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.conf.Property;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.iterators.IteratorUtil.IteratorScope;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.iteratorsImpl.IteratorConfigUtil;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.iteratorsImpl.IteratorProperty;
 
 public abstract class TableOperationsHelper implements TableOperations {
 
@@ -84,34 +85,30 @@ public void removeIterator(String tableName, String name, EnumSet<IteratorScope>
 
   @Override
   public IteratorSetting getIteratorSetting(String tableName, String name, IteratorScope scope)
-      throws AccumuloSecurityException, AccumuloException, TableNotFoundException {
+      throws AccumuloException, TableNotFoundException {
     EXISTING_TABLE_NAME.validate(tableName);
     checkArgument(name != null, "name is null");
     checkArgument(scope != null, "scope is null");
 
-    int priority = -1;
-    String classname = null;
-    Map<String,String> settings = new HashMap<>();
-
-    String root =
-        String.format("%s%s.%s", Property.TABLE_ITERATOR_PREFIX, scope.name().toLowerCase(), name);
-    String opt = root + ".opt.";
-    for (Entry<String,String> property : this.getProperties(tableName)) {
-      if (property.getKey().equals(root)) {
-        String[] parts = property.getValue().split(",");
-        if (parts.length != 2) {
-          throw new AccumuloException("Bad value for iterator setting: " + property.getValue());
-        }
-        priority = Integer.parseInt(parts[0]);
-        classname = parts[1];
-      } else if (property.getKey().startsWith(opt)) {
-        settings.put(property.getKey().substring(opt.length()), property.getValue());
+    IteratorProperty base = null;
+    Map<String,String> options = new HashMap<>();
+    for (var prop : this.getConfiguration(tableName).entrySet()) {
+      IteratorProperty iterProp = IteratorProperty.parse(prop);
+      if (iterProp == null || iterProp.getScope() != scope || !iterProp.getName().equals(name)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (iterProp.isOption()) {
+        options.put(iterProp.getOptionKey(), iterProp.getOptionValue());
+      } else {
+        base = iterProp;
       }
     }
-    if (priority <= 0 || classname == null) {
+    if (base == null) {
       return null;
     }
-    return new IteratorSetting(priority, name, classname, settings);
+    IteratorSetting setting = base.toSetting();
+    options.forEach(setting::addOption);
+    return setting;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -120,18 +117,13 @@ public Map<String,EnumSet<IteratorScope>> listIterators(String tableName)
     EXISTING_TABLE_NAME.validate(tableName);
 
     Map<String,EnumSet<IteratorScope>> result = new TreeMap<>();
-    for (Entry<String,String> property : this.getProperties(tableName)) {
-      String name = property.getKey();
-      String[] parts = name.split("\\.");
-      if (parts.length == 4) {
-        if (parts[0].equals("table") && parts[1].equals("iterator")) {
-          IteratorScope scope = IteratorScope.valueOf(parts[2]);
-          if (!result.containsKey(parts[3])) {
-            result.put(parts[3], EnumSet.noneOf(IteratorScope.class));
-          }
-          result.get(parts[3]).add(scope);
-        }
+    for (var prop : this.getConfiguration(tableName).entrySet()) {
+      IteratorProperty iterProp = IteratorProperty.parse(prop);
+      if (iterProp == null || iterProp.isOption()) {
+        continue;
       }
+      result.computeIfAbsent(iterProp.getName(), k -> EnumSet.noneOf(IteratorScope.class))
+          .add(iterProp.getScope());
     }
     return result;
   }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/iteratorsImpl/IteratorProperty.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/iteratorsImpl/IteratorProperty.java
index 20120b4b6c5..88ffdcd8174 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/iteratorsImpl/IteratorProperty.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/iteratorsImpl/IteratorProperty.java
@@ -113,9 +113,7 @@ public IteratorSetting toSetting() {
   }
 
   private static void check(boolean b, String property, String value) {
-    if (!b) {
-      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Illegal iterator property: " + property + "=" + value);
-    }
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(b, "Illegal iterator property: %s=%s", property, value);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -140,19 +138,26 @@ public static IteratorProperty parse(String property, String value) {
       return null;
     }
 
-    String[] iterPropParts = property.split("\\.");
+    String[] iterPropParts = property.split("\\.", -1);
     check(iterPropParts.length == 4 || iterPropParts.length == 6, property, value);
     IteratorUtil.IteratorScope scope = IteratorUtil.IteratorScope.valueOf(iterPropParts[2]);
     String iterName = iterPropParts[3];
+    check(!iterName.isEmpty(), property, value);
 
     if (iterPropParts.length == 4) {
-      String[] valTokens = value.split(",");
+      String[] valTokens = value.split(",", -1);
       check(valTokens.length == 2, property, value);
-      return new IteratorProperty(iterName, scope, Integer.parseInt(valTokens[0]), valTokens[1],
-          property, value);
+      String prioStr = valTokens[0];
+      String className = valTokens[1];
+      check(!className.isEmpty(), property, value);
+      int priority = Integer.parseInt(prioStr);
+      check(priority > 0, property, value);
+      return new IteratorProperty(iterName, scope, priority, className, property, value);
     } else if (iterPropParts.length == 6) {
       check(iterPropParts[4].equals("opt"), property, value);
-      return new IteratorProperty(iterName, scope, iterPropParts[5], value, property, value);
+      String optionName = iterPropParts[5];
+      check(!optionName.isEmpty(), property, value);
+      return new IteratorProperty(iterName, scope, optionName, value, property, value);
     } else {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("Illegal iterator property: " + property + "=" + value);
     }