diff --git a/platformio/managers/platform.py b/platformio/managers/platform.py
index 7bb450af..03010fdc 100644
--- a/platformio/managers/platform.py
+++ b/platformio/managers/platform.py
@@ -665,6 +665,15 @@ class PlatformBoardConfig(object):
             else:
                 raise KeyError("Invalid board option '%s'" % path)
 
+    def update(self, path, value):
+        newdict = None
+        for key in path.split(".")[::-1]:
+            if newdict is None:
+                newdict = {key: value}
+            else:
+                newdict = {key: newdict}
+        util.merge_dicts(self._manifest, newdict)
+
     def __contains__(self, key):
         try:
             self.get(key)
diff --git a/platformio/util.py b/platformio/util.py
index ca081c22..e37660e2 100644
--- a/platformio/util.py
+++ b/platformio/util.py
@@ -754,6 +754,18 @@ def format_filesize(filesize):
     return "%d%sB" % ((base * filesize / unit), suffix)
 
 
+def merge_dicts(d1, d2, path=None):
+    if path is None:
+        path = []
+    for key in d2:
+        if (key in d1 and isinstance(d1[key], dict)
+                and isinstance(d2[key], dict)):
+            merge_dicts(d1[key], d2[key], path + [str(key)])
+        else:
+            d1[key] = d2[key]
+    return d1
+
+
 def rmtree_(path):
 
     def _onerror(_, name, __):